Don't we usually have a thread where we gloat/whine about our holiday loot?

No? Well, we're doing it now!

Here's my Christmas booze:



The Knob Creek Single Barrel is solid stuff. Not near the heat I'd expect for a 120-proof whiskey but with the super long finish and massive amount of flavor I was hoping for. Also, I had no idea before getting this that they age it for 14.5 years. Good for them for keeping the price reasonable.

I haven't cracked the JD Single Barrel or Auchentoshan Three Wood but I've had both. The JD has become a yearly holiday tradition from my sister and that's fine by me. It's not among my favorites but it's great to have around. In my lone experience with the Auchentoshan Three Wood I was blown away. I'm a fan of all their stuff and this one deserves to be at the top end of their line. (The American Oak was my first ever single malt and I still enjoy it. The 12-year is great, too, and is a nice, middle-of-the-road introduction to sherry-influenced scotch.) The Three Wood is out of my price range so this was a definite win.

The Compass Box sampler is very cool. I think I've dug everything I've ever had of theirs, though most of it is a little pricey for me. So far, I've had the Spice Tree and the Spaniard out of the three pack. The Spainard is all about wine barrel influence though it's not overdone. Not unlike the Auchentoshan 12 year but with a better finish. The Spice Tree was freaking awesome. Hard to describe. Tons of oak and wood spice going on and flavor for days on the finish. (If you are a scotch fan but are unfamiliar with Compass Box's blending alchemy, you should investigate. Plus, I like the cut of their jib. No added colors (most scotch has caramel color added before bottling) and they are totally transparent on sourcing.)

And that's pretty much it. No hiking or outdoorsy gear aside from a Life Straw water filter for backpacking, which I only do in my mind at this point. But that's cool -- something to keep around just in case. On the cooking front, we got a 7.5 qt. Lodge enameled dutch oven, so that's pretty cool. Already used it to make a big batch of an amazing Indian dish (karahai chicken).