Best single-malt Scotch...

Luap, if you like Scapa you'll probably love its Orkadian neighbor, Highland Park. It's smokiness is delightful, much more delicate than the Islays, with an outstanding finish. Great character.

Albert, I agree about the Cask Strength Macallan. But if money is not an issue I would recommend you try Bushmill's Single Cask Single Malt - aged in either rum, sherry or port casks. 108 proof and arguably one of the finest whiskeys available, certainly the finest I've enjoyed. Not cheap at $200+, four times the cost of the Macallan - and not a daily sipper - but worth every last cent.

And I recently scored a couple of bottle of Edradour's cask strength...wonderful stuff.

Went recently to a whiskey festival in Leiden, Holland. Their special offer was a (small) bottle of special Highland Park, 16 years old. Ater (too much) tasting I decided to buy a bottle. It still sits in my cupboard waiting 'till that special occasion. Anyway, the festival was so nice, I'm going to attend another one in Brussels, Belgium in three weeks. I wonder what I end up buying this time.....

For me it's Oban.

Oh dear god... No water for cask strength whisky? Its wrong in my book--the intense alcohol content blows away your taste buds; you get much more flavor from a light touch of water. Don't ask me, ask the Scots...

Then again, I was recently in a shop that specialized in a lot of private label bottlings and ended up seriously confused. They had a bunch of stuff at about 90 proof labeled "Cask Strength," which is total BS. Cask Strength generally clocks in at about 70-85 *percent* alcohol, which means 140 to 170 proof, if I do my math right. I'm thinking a bunch of "cask strength" bottlings are pre-watered down in any event.

I was seriously bummed leaving that place... I thought I'd totally scored when I found a private label bottling of a 35 year old Macallan for about $299, but when I opened the box to look at it, the bottle was clearly not aged in sherry casks... just new oak. Its *not* the same.

That store, however, will always find a soft spot in my heart. About 10 years ago I wandered in there and picked up three fifths of an Adelphia bottling of 32 year old Springbank at cask strength for only $180 a bottle. Its gone now, but that had to be the damn finest dram that ever touched my palate...

Springbank 21 +,Balvenie 21+, Balmore 21 +, Talisker 30 a surprising depth and finish compared to it's younger brethren, and for those nights I want a cigar but don't have time-Lagavullin...all are complimented by an s.e.t., single driver, vinyl experience.