Well, to the extent that we, I've, drank at all, Scotch has been the spirit of choice. Sure, I was seduced by red wine for a time, eschewing the Cabernets in favour of the Merlots and Shirazes. But my relationship with single malts goes back quite far. Not as far as that brief and eventually unpleasant connection with Tequila, but that is a memory almost better forgotten.
But I've never really got scotch. I drank a few bottles of Oban decades ago, but that was hardly enough to develop an understanding.
So when we decided to travel in Scotland for a few weeks, I decided to take the time to educate myself somewhat to the world of Single Malt Scotch whiskey.
It started with purchasing a variety pack and a few small bottles to test things out. I am not (and hope that I don't become) a drinker of quantity...just a dram or two in a week. But while we were in Oban we tried Dalwhinnie 15, Oban, a three pack of Cragganmore, Talisker, & Lagavulin that started our taste testings.
That three pack was interesting. While we couldn't easily choose between the Cragganmore and the Talisker, as we had no foundation in single malt tasting, that Lagavulin (Smoke Baby!) was revealing as to the high test smoke-in scotch experience.
I also tried Scapa, Highland park 18, Laphroaig after hearing some interesting comments from Scots: (Wife -"It tastes like paint thinner!"Husband - "It does NOT taste like paint thinner!"Wife - "It SMELLS like paint thinner" Husband- "Well...it does SMELL like paint thinner."
Along the way, we asked opinions from those who seemed interested. As one would expect, opinions varied. People tended to favour Bruichladdich as we arrived in Campbeltown, The Macallan and Laproaig as we travelled through the highlands, and Highland Park and Scapa in the Orkneys.
At the end of the journey, we had tried a number of single malts, but still didn't really get it. So I bought a bottle of The Macallan Gold and headed home to where the journey really starts.
By TheOldMann
mfknot276@gmail.com
By TheOldMann
mfknot276@gmail.com
i'll drink to that : )
ReplyDelete