As of now, my go to Balvenie 12 double wood

or

Glemorangie 10

But i'm still at work..

Tried out Virginia Black over the weekend

It's not bad, currently at $49.99 at BC Liquor Stores
Definitely better than the 20 year old special they had a few months back.

It's pretty good sipper for the price.
I love how at the back of the bottle it says "Not From Virginia"

so on my trip to Vietnam, i choose to stopover in Japan.
main purpose was to take a tour of one of the Suntory distilleries.

I like Hakushu alot, and seeing that it was easier to get to than yamazaki (near osaka), i booked the tour (3 months in advance).

cost was about $240-250 cad (2ppl/express train), plus cab to from distillery, and 10000 yen p/p (tour fee, very cheap!).

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was given a english audio/tour handheld guide.
we first walked to building where mashing/mixing and fermentation process takes place. then pot stills, and distillation.

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last was where Hakushu is matured. This was just amazing. all the intense smell just overwhelm you.
Some people had to leave the room as they weren't able to take strong whiskey aroma. :lawl:


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Lastly, the tasting room.
got to take oak cask hakushu (not sold anymore) and others.

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Even Hakushu distillery didn't have any aged whiskey on hand, neither did most liq stores. i bought what i could find + considering i already had purchased a few bottles of other stuff (over limit already :( )..

i picked up a few bottles from various airports and in japan. (missed out on some good selection in Hanoi airport, thinking Philippines airport would have better selection/prices FeelsBadMan)


my haul from this trip..
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Gimme those Japanese whisky, I need it for my collection!

Cheers fellow lad.

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What was the total cost for all that given that you completely went over the alcohol limit?

Grabbed a couple bottles of of IWAI Japanese Whiskey from the premium spirit release, it's very light and tad sweet. Easy to drink, not sure if it's worth the $99 price tag though.

Think about $850-900.
Feel like Oswald & catcher in the rye, every time I see good Japanese whiskey , I have to buy it. :okay:

Never tried iwai, but been liking nikka whiskey.

That said, suntory released brandy recently, I bought one at nrt airport for 50000 yen, but left it with my friend.
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Northern Harvest currently $3 off so $36.99 @ BCL.

I swear I've seen Iwai for like $30 or so in Japan...

how much did you pay for the glenlivet 18 ?

What do you guys suggest for someone new to the scotch, whisky and bourbon game?


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You just have to figure out what your preference is. Everyone is different. Personally, I prefer speyside single malt. I don't like islay or anything blended.

Start with Dalwhinnie for Scotch, Bulleit for bourbon and Forty Creek for blended whisky.

Someone suggested the Irish whiskies as a good starter too


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start off w/ nothing too complex or pricey, and less peaty. develop on what u like and what u dont. (ie. i can't stand rye whiskey)

go to liq store when they do releases, as u get to try different stock. last bclc release had quite good selection to try out.

hopscotch festival is good also to start. but at times its sensory overload for me, as u need time to adjust to different tastes and to appreciate a good pour.

Glenlivet 12 is a good starter..

I got my buddies hooked on scotch on one of their wedding days.

Glenlivet 18 for breakfast amongst best men that day :drunk:

Not a huge fan of the Glens myself but I've never tried the 18s etc.

Oban for scotch
Basil Haydens bourbon
CR Northern Harvest is a good whisky

Definitely recommend the Crown Royal Northern Harvest. It's at a cheap price point, which is perfect for someone such as yourself that is just starting to get into it. I'd recommend against buying any expensive bottles, because you haven't really developed your palette yet and will have no idea what you like. The problem with having this as a hobby is that taste is entirely subjective.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will look into some of these bottles. Definitely keep recommending more.
I agree that I should start on the less expensive price point for now.


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Glenlivet founders reserve is a really nice mellow step into the scotch world. Not too pricey, a bit easier drinking and fairly balanced to use as a good starting point.
Its on my shelf right now with a Mclellands islay (very smokey and strong, its a bit much for me) and I've got an unknown bottle under the tree to try tomorrow from my wife. Will report back. Its new to me, and just figuring out what I like at the moment. Just about to have a bit of bookers bourbon to try as well as it was a gift from my sous chefs. 126 proof.:pokerface:

Currently sippin' on my Lagavulin 16 :sweetjesus:

I tried some 10yr old Glenmorangie last night and after the first sip I found it to be pretty good. I liked it a lot better neat than with ice.


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^ one does not simply drink single malts with ice

i've never actually drank a single in any way besides neat before. I know some enthusiasts "open" things up with drops of mineral water or something like that but knowing me, i'd probably fuck it up and just dilute it.

My brother in law brought a bottle of Basil Hayden's Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey for us to drink during the holidays. It wasn't bad but not as smooth like the Glenmorangie scotch. It had a nice vanilla scent but I found it went down a little hard.


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Like I said, I am new to the game.
I will make mistakes. I think if I had whiskey stones, that would have been better.


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