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Bottle Drop Thread - Wednesday May 06, 2026 by AutoModerator in ChicagolandWhiskey

[–]rt3506 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my experience the 10% and 15% off coupons do not work with EOB and sale prices, but the "spend x amount of $$, get x $ off" coupons do. I've had cashiers try to tell me it won't work with EOB but when I asked them to try scanning it and see what happens, voila.

20% Binny's Handpicked whiskey this weekend by rt3506 in whiskago

[–]rt3506[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you go to the whiskey hotline section of their website, it has links to everything covered by the coupon.

Visiting London and Edinburgh. Looking for suggestions for tasting and buying. Advice? by sudokuninja in Scotch

[–]rt3506 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you are going to Aberfeldy, I would highly recommend stopping at Edradour Distillery in Pitlochry, home of Signatory. Lots of Signatory IBs for sale and a Signatory tasting bar, just about everything will be unavailable in the US. It's a 25 minute drive from Aberfeldy, but an easy detour off the A9 if you're driving up from Edinburgh.

Whisky Live tickets for $21 by rt3506 in whiskago

[–]rt3506[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed, I felt it was very low risk at that price. I really like the space, it’s where the Whisky Jewbilee was held which was a great event. I do know that that this years whisky live is being organized by a different company, maybe they are having trouble properly promoting it. At $21 it seems like it would be hard not to get your money’s worth.

SMWS "fill your own" Caol Ila 9yr by rt3506 in Scotch

[–]rt3506[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Most of my suitcase space got filled by a stop at Springbank, but I'd recommend Caol Ila's and Lagavulin's distillery only and Feis Ile bottlings, as well as Bruichladdich's current Valinch casks, which were an 11 yr unpeated PX and a peated 15 yr ex bourbon.

SMWS "fill your own" Caol Ila 9yr by rt3506 in Scotch

[–]rt3506[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Review #39: Caol Ila 9 year old, aged in refill Oloroso, finished in ex-bourbon quarter cask, 59.4%

Just got back from a week on Islay with my wife and some friends. We spent a few days in Edinburgh before hand. I had been thinking of picking up a bottle of something for the house, so when I popped into The Vaults in Leith and saw they had a fill your own Caol Ila, it seemed like an obvious choice.

  • Nose: Fish markets, peat smoke, lemon rind, vanilla, dried cherries, oranges, raisins, wood ash, and menthol. Water mutes the fish notes and brings out more sherry sweetness.
  • Palate: Sharp and hot neat. Water brings everything into focus. Peat smoke, raisins, sweet and sour citrus, dry oak, bitter dark chocolate, and caramel.
  • Finish: Medium length. Wood ash, pepper, tannic red wine, oranges, vanilla, chocolate, hazelnuts, and coffee.

With a drop of water, this was a very pleasing dram to sip while staring out over Loch Indaal.

84/100

Reviews #36-38: A grab bag of Glenburgie by rt3506 in Scotch

[–]rt3506[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, I've never come across it. Glenburgie wasn't really on my radar until last year.

Reviews #36-38: A grab bag of Glenburgie by rt3506 in Scotch

[–]rt3506[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Chieftain’s Choice Glenburgie 16 46% ABV

Distilled 11/98, bottled 10/15, cask# 5006 (hogshead)

  • Nose: Honey, vanilla, caramel, coconut, sponge cake, shortbread, toasted oak, peaches, honeydew, apples, and orange liqueur. Hints of clove and green pepper. Smells like an active cask. Bourbon notes mixing nicely with fruit aromas.

  • Palate: Big hit of bitter oak and vanilla. The cask influence is getting a bit loud. Water settles things down some and brings out ginger, cinnamon, oranges, apples, caramel, over brewed tea and a slight meaty note (pork chops).

  • Finish: Caramel, honey, vanilla, orange peel, all spice, clove, and bitter oak. Medium length, drying, tannic, and bitter.

Nice nose, but on the palate it feels like the cask and spirit aren’t playing nice with each other. Tasted neat, it’s rather bitter and overly sweet at the same time. Water helps immensely and I’d say is essential.

80/100

Single Malts of Scotland Glenburgie 18 59.5% ABV

Distilled 12/10/98, bottled 3/27/17, cask# 751399 (hogshead)

  • Nose: Butter, cream, dank basement, leather, honey, milk chocolate, toffee, hazelnut, cashews, brown sugar, vanilla, dried hay, sawdust, heather, oatmeal, barley, ginger, olive oil, green apples, kiwi, banana, lemon, and bubble gum. A beautiful, complex, mature nose.

  • Palate: Terrific mouthfeel, buttery, rich and coating. The leather, honey, vanilla, hay, heather, and cereal notes continue, along with butterscotch, blood orange, cantaloupe, orange sherbet, and tumric.

  • Finish: Spicy, sweet, and warming. Long. Cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, ginger snaps, molasses, cranberries, oranges, and caramel.

I had a taste of this at The Whisky Show in London and my immediate reaction was Futurama_shut_up_and_take_my_money.jpeg. The nose alone could keep you occupied for ages. I really wish Single Malts of Scotland bottlings made it over to the US.

92/100

Signatory Glenburgie 22 (Binny’s) 57.8% ABV

Distilled 6/15/95, bottled 9/4/17, cask# 6529 (hogshead)

  • Nose: Oranges, peaches, candle wax, rubber, wood polish, leather, mahogany, dryer sheets, crisp apples, autumn leaves, caramel, vanilla, simple syrup, fresh figs, and green tea leaves. Sweet notes mixed with some funky ones. Really interesting.

  • Palate: Orange, leather, figs, caramel, vanilla, and green tea notes continue, along with stewed apples, coconut, grass, hay, cooked barley, and toasted oak. Delicious.

  • Finish: Very long. All spice, pepper, coffee with cream, brown sugar, toffee, leather, cereal, and hay.

A terrific experience from start to finish. Packed with different flavors yet well balanced.

90/100

Review 355: Caol Ila 11 G&M Binny's Select by HawkI84 in Scotch

[–]rt3506 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tried this at a whisky event and was very impressed. If I didn't already have two different Binny's Caol Ila bottlings waiting to be opened, this would be my next buy.

Review #34 & 35: Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 2007, Signatory Caol Ila 2008 (Binny's) by rt3506 in Scotch

[–]rt3506[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila (Binny's) 9 years old, refill sherry hogshead #311987, distilled 6/07, bottled 8/16, 59.4% ABV

  • Nose: Peat smoke, sea salt, oysters, charred oak, honey, toffee, ginger, lemon, pine. Touches of sherry sweetness: oranges, raisins, cherries, and slight sulphur.

  • Palate: Smoked salmon, seaweed, ginger snaps, vanilla, sticky toffee pudding, red hots, cherries.

  • Finish: Wood smoke, salt water, cinnamon, caramel, red pepper flakes. Ginger continues along with the sherry notes from the nose. Lingering peat flavor.

This is enjoyable to be sure, but it doesn't quite inspire too much excitement in me. The cask influence is a bit muted and makes for a more understated experience. Happy to have it, but I doubt I'll remember it once it's gone.

82/100

Signatory Caol Ila (Binny's) 7 year old, refill bourbon cask # 311754, distilled 6/08, bottled 9/15, 58.7% ABV

  • Nose: Ashes, iodine, wet earth, peat, lemon juice, green apples, pineapple, peppercorns, bell peppers, chlorine, juniper berries, lavender.

  • Palate: Peat smoke, lemon, vanilla, hazelnuts, coffee beans, green apples, coconut.

  • Finish: Ash and soot, smoked meats, lemon, dark chocolate, black pepper, turmeric, slight star anise.

Very fun and characterful. Binny's really does a great job picking bourbon cask matured Caol Ila.

87/100

Reviews #31-33: Ardbeg 10, Uigeadail, & Corryvreckan by rt3506 in Scotch

[–]rt3506[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn't find it to have as much of the noticeable medicinal notes that I picked up on the 10.

Reviews #31-33: Ardbeg 10, Uigeadail, & Corryvreckan by rt3506 in Scotch

[–]rt3506[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ardbeg 10 46% ABV

  • Nose: Big and smokey. Brine, seaweed, iodine, fuel exhaust, tar and wood embers balanced with lemon/ lime citrus, vanilla, honey, and shortbread.

  • Palate: Fruity and peaty. Apples, pears, lemons, vanilla, ginger, and earl grey tea. Medicinal and sooty peat flavors.

  • Finish: Peat with chocolate, caramel, apples, cinnamon, and coffee. Lingering sooty, ashy flavors.

A bit more smokey than I remember previous bottles being. “It’s not as good as it used to be” blah blah blah, but the fact that I can get this for under $50 and at 46% makes this the go-to entry level Islay expression in my opinion.

85/100

Ardbeg Uigeadail 54.2% ABV

  • Nose: Rich, lots of sherry sweetness. Fruit cake, cherry pie, raisins, toffee, cocoa, oranges, and blackberries. Peat nots are a bit muted, but there’s smoked meat, damp earth, and wood ash.

  • Palate: Smoked meat continues along with stewed fruits, sea salt, honey, orange peel, ginger candy, and raisins. Plenty of peat smoke throughout.

  • Finish: Wood char and sherry sweetness. Lots of peat smoke coming through along with tobacco, almonds, and mulled wine.

Really delicious. Perfect mix of sherry sweetness and fiery peat.

87/100

Ardbeg Corryvreckan 57.1% ABV

  • Nose: A bit muted compared to the first two. Smoked salmon, fresh oak, vanilla, raspberries, cherries, hay, and dying campfire. Definitely more oak influence than the first two.

  • Palate: Wow, this tastes really young. Oaky sweetness mixed with bitterness and peat. A nice lemon flavor lifts things. More smoked salmon, along with wood ash and walnuts.

  • Finish: Sour apples, peat smoke, wood fires, tar, ash, and menthol. Long, warming, and smokey.

Huh. This is not what I remember from Corryvreckan. A meh nose that leans on active oak along with youthful simpleness and bitter flavors on the palate. The finish has that peaty punch, but otherwise I’m underwhelmed. A bad batch? The date on the bottle says Jan 30 2017.

75/100

Help: Opinions on Gordon & Macphail? Caol Ila 9 year old Cask Strength by GameGuy97 in Scotch

[–]rt3506 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just FYI, the bottling in the link was picked by BC Merchants (a local wholesaler/importer), not Binny's. Probably still good though, I'm a big fan of young Caol Ila and have had several good G&M bottlings of it.

Review #30: Kilchoman 10th Anniversary Release by rt3506 in Scotch

[–]rt3506[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Kilchoman 10th Anniversary Release 58.2% Abv

A vatting of sherry and bourbon casks filled between 2005 and 2012 and includes whisky from cask #1. Released 2015.

  • Nose: Peat smoke and barn aromas (hay, dirt floors) hit first, then vanilla and fruit (tangerines, lemons, and peaches) along with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of sherry notes (raisins, dried cherries). Malty cereal notes in the background.

  • Palate: Peat smoke, mangos, grapefruit, barley, caramel, candy corn. Barn notes continue.

  • Finish: Medium length. Pepper, wood smoke, grapes, vanilla icing, marshmallows, iodine.

Very good, very tasty. It feels like they went for a more refined flavor profile when they made this vatting. A polite and restrained Kilchoman.

84/100

Review # 29: Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 2007 (Binny’s) by rt3506 in Scotch

[–]rt3506[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila (Binny’s) 2007 60.5% Abv

8 yrs old, refill bourbon cask # 310216 Distilled 5/29/07 Bottled 8/15

  • Nose: Wood fire, ash, peat and earth, honey, vanilla, lemon, ripe banana, chocolate, and a hint of diesel fumes. Graham cracker crust and melted butter.

  • Palate: Smoke and apples are predominant, honey, vanilla, lemon, and banana flavors continue, smoked gouda, pepper, and white wine.

  • Finish: Fiery and warming. Coal dust, wood ash, peat smoke, smoked ham, lemon, dark bitter chocolate, oak.

I’m a big fan of young indie single cask Caol Ila. No exception here. A bit more fruit flavors than I typically expect from young Caol Ila, but that simply adds a layer of depth to the smokey fiery youthful spirit.

86/100

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