The Perfect Dram
Ever since my last journey to Scotland about three years ago, I have been happily searching for this illusive single malt. After much, much enjoyment, my goal has been reset. An excellent dram is a finer purpose, for all single malts are good and I gladly find that I like several. Here are a few favorites: from Islay; Bowmore 18, from the Speyside; Craganmore 12, any Macallan but especially the 15 Fine Oak, from the Highlands; Glenmorangie 12 Lasanta, Muirhead 16 (This last is not well known but well worth the very reasonable +/-50$.) What do you like?
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Man at C&A
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After a couple of years of exploring the nerdy and collectorish world of single cask bottlings I've now returned to the mainstream market to find that has become faintly nerdy and collectorish. And having spent 3 of the last 8 weeks in the rebellious northern quarter of the UK and quite frankly, I've downed a hell of a lot of malt, both conventional and geek.
Week 1 was on work duties in Edinburgh, supporting a pair quite lovely young ladies from our Audit Team. I'd like to think that I'd been instrumental in their introduction to the world of whisky. Half the week was spent at the Tasting Room of the Scottish Malt Whisky Society sampling single casks and the remainder mostly at Royal Mile public houses. I was happy to be acquainted with run-of-the-mill Cragganmore 8 Year Old, the malt that introduced me to whisky drinking. Whilst I'd tried mostly Islay malts before and been repelled , that was the one that unlocked the door for me. Works best with half a teaspoon of spring water I find, helps the flavours blossom. Definitely a hit with my 2 young charges. The revelation was Ardbeg 'Lord of the Isles'. I'm a huge fan of Ardbeg and their 10 is a default choice in my drinks cabinet. It's a No Aged Statement bottling but it's from seriously old barrels. Like chewing old tarred rope with a side order of seaweed. Rich, complex and utterly beguiling. £1,500 a bottle but in my estimation worth it and I never go north of £60 for a bottle of wine at retail due the declining return on investment. If I ever get Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to pull their finger out from my backside I will be buying a bottle of this rare gem to celebrate.
Week 2 I spent at The Altnaharra Hotel in my annual attempt to fish something more than a half starved wee brown trout from a Highland Loch. Of course I failed (other than a fry of a sea trout, promptly returned to the dark waters of Naver. My wife scored however) but the recompense was both the hotels underpriced wine list and the company of a gentleman who shared our weltanschauung. We can equipped with champagne for elevenses and a bottle from the SMWS for lunch (this I believe was a Longmorn, and I must explore this distilleries offering in more depth). He came with Macallan and Glenfarclas and reminded me how much i enjoy these. Macallan suffers more than most from 'Edition' syndrome but I can now be happy in the knowledge that the 18 Year Old Sherry Cask is worth picking up, if I can ever source a bottle. The Glenfarclas I purchased at Inverness airport on the way home and it will be used to fill my briefcase hipflask and used whenever the journey home from the office gets too much. A gorgeous spiced Christmas Cake of a whisky.
Week 3 was a family thing. Touring the tourist traps with the in-laws from Finland. The highlight of the week was a visit to Dalwhinnie. Their 15 has been a C&A Towers drinks cabinet staple for as long as my booze-addled memory can recall. And if this post is seems a little florid, it's because I have a glass of their 36 year old sitting my side now. Totally unlike the 15 and because we visited I now know it's because the vintage stuff was made using a worm condenser rather than a shell condenser following a refurbishment of the distillery. Don't worry however, the worms were reinstalled in 1995 so normal service should be restored soon.
Week 1 was on work duties in Edinburgh, supporting a pair quite lovely young ladies from our Audit Team. I'd like to think that I'd been instrumental in their introduction to the world of whisky. Half the week was spent at the Tasting Room of the Scottish Malt Whisky Society sampling single casks and the remainder mostly at Royal Mile public houses. I was happy to be acquainted with run-of-the-mill Cragganmore 8 Year Old, the malt that introduced me to whisky drinking. Whilst I'd tried mostly Islay malts before and been repelled , that was the one that unlocked the door for me. Works best with half a teaspoon of spring water I find, helps the flavours blossom. Definitely a hit with my 2 young charges. The revelation was Ardbeg 'Lord of the Isles'. I'm a huge fan of Ardbeg and their 10 is a default choice in my drinks cabinet. It's a No Aged Statement bottling but it's from seriously old barrels. Like chewing old tarred rope with a side order of seaweed. Rich, complex and utterly beguiling. £1,500 a bottle but in my estimation worth it and I never go north of £60 for a bottle of wine at retail due the declining return on investment. If I ever get Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to pull their finger out from my backside I will be buying a bottle of this rare gem to celebrate.
Week 2 I spent at The Altnaharra Hotel in my annual attempt to fish something more than a half starved wee brown trout from a Highland Loch. Of course I failed (other than a fry of a sea trout, promptly returned to the dark waters of Naver. My wife scored however) but the recompense was both the hotels underpriced wine list and the company of a gentleman who shared our weltanschauung. We can equipped with champagne for elevenses and a bottle from the SMWS for lunch (this I believe was a Longmorn, and I must explore this distilleries offering in more depth). He came with Macallan and Glenfarclas and reminded me how much i enjoy these. Macallan suffers more than most from 'Edition' syndrome but I can now be happy in the knowledge that the 18 Year Old Sherry Cask is worth picking up, if I can ever source a bottle. The Glenfarclas I purchased at Inverness airport on the way home and it will be used to fill my briefcase hipflask and used whenever the journey home from the office gets too much. A gorgeous spiced Christmas Cake of a whisky.
Week 3 was a family thing. Touring the tourist traps with the in-laws from Finland. The highlight of the week was a visit to Dalwhinnie. Their 15 has been a C&A Towers drinks cabinet staple for as long as my booze-addled memory can recall. And if this post is seems a little florid, it's because I have a glass of their 36 year old sitting my side now. Totally unlike the 15 and because we visited I now know it's because the vintage stuff was made using a worm condenser rather than a shell condenser following a refurbishment of the distillery. Don't worry however, the worms were reinstalled in 1995 so normal service should be restored soon.
My favourites at the moment are the sherry cask Glendronach 18yo and Glenfarclas 15 yo. I am also sampling Aberlour 12 y.o. I too am a fan of all things Ardbeg.
I have also invested in a bottle of Glenfarclas 40 yo for a 40 year reunion with some university pals in the Autumn. That should be epic!
I have also invested in a bottle of Glenfarclas 40 yo for a 40 year reunion with some university pals in the Autumn. That should be epic!
Bruichladdich Islay Barley and Classic Laddie
You’re all making it sound like too much fun. !!
But Spring/Summer are nigh, time for the white spirits.
Still, let’s all get together next Fall/Winter, drink, commiserate, reminisce and plot.
Though 2018 is just beginning, the end is in sight as well.
But Spring/Summer are nigh, time for the white spirits.
Still, let’s all get together next Fall/Winter, drink, commiserate, reminisce and plot.
Though 2018 is just beginning, the end is in sight as well.
If smoothness and character are high on your agenda I highly recommend Balblair 1990. Matured in American ex-bourbon casks and Spanish oak ex-sherry butts. It is simply wonderful on its own or with a good cigar.
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troutonthefly
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I was on a business trip to Halifax a few years back, and the bartender gave me a dram of Ardbeg 10 to accompany a dozen oysters on the half shell. I found the flavor to be a wonderful accompaniment to the briny oysters, and it's a pairing I now enjoy quite often.Man at C&A wrote: I'm a huge fan of Ardbeg and their 10 is a default choice in my drinks cabinet.
The Press Gang is the name of the establishment. Worth a stop if you're ever in Halifax.
Nova Scotia or West Yorkshire?troutonthefly wrote:I was on a business trip to Halifax a few years back, and the bartender gave me a dram of Ardbeg 10 to accompany a dozen oysters on the half shell. I found the flavor to be a wonderful accompaniment to the briny oysters, and it's a pairing I now enjoy quite often.Man at C&A wrote: I'm a huge fan of Ardbeg and their 10 is a default choice in my drinks cabinet.
The Press Gang is the name of the establishment. Worth a stop if you're ever in Halifax.
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Man at C&A
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If anyone is at a loose end in West London next week I can commend this event:
https://realale.com/collections/all/pro ... 74295064c4
I 'discovered' Kilchoman during a 3 day visit to Islay this June during which my nephew and I managed to visit all of the islands active distilleries. It's very much a boutique operation and it was the revelation of the trip.
https://realale.com/collections/all/pro ... 74295064c4
I 'discovered' Kilchoman during a 3 day visit to Islay this June during which my nephew and I managed to visit all of the islands active distilleries. It's very much a boutique operation and it was the revelation of the trip.
Hmmm... there is a shop in Oxford that has a bunch of their entries on the website, but all out of stock at the moment.
May drop in to see what's up with that.
May drop in to see what's up with that.
Over the past year or so, I have found a few more very good ones: Balvenie 12 double wood ( perhaps my favorite of all so far), Dalmore 15, Oban 14. I am really looking forward to the rest of my life.
And to follow up, I did get a bottle of Ardbeg yesterday. Lovely stuff, especially when price is considered. Whether I will want another bottle next winter is an open question. But this one has a lot going for it.
Did you visit Bruichladdich? They make my favorite single malt. Hmmm.I 'discovered' Kilchoman during a 3 day visit to Islay this June during which my nephew and I managed to visit all of the islands active distilleries. It's very much a boutique operation and it was the revelation of the trip.
Next up, then. They had a 52-quid variant to go along with all the trophy bottlings.
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Man at C&A
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Yes, a Day 1 visit if I recall the sequence correctly. Bruichladdich have the most beautiful mash tun.alden wrote: Did you visit Bruichladdich? They make my favorite single malt. Hmmm.
They are one of the more interesting distilleries as they produce not only their Bruichladdich brand but also Port Charlotte, Octomore and The Botanist gin. The later has its own dedicated still, the 'Laddie' and Port Charlotte/Octomore bottlings differing as Laddie is unpeated and PC/Octo is heavily peated. There's some controversy in nerd circles about the source of the peat as it's unlikely it comes from Islay with the malting being done off-island. In any case I find the smoke laid on a bit too thick, my preference is for the Bruichladdich too. I like the way the Laddie 10 tastes of cereal.
I wonder if there would be interest in a London Lounge special bottling?
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