Talkin’ bout Bourbon
What is Bourbon anyway? To be called Bourbon the spirit must be at least 51% corn derived. It must be no less than 80 proof and be no less than 2 years old. In addition it must be matured in charred new oak barrels. 99% of Bourbons come from Kentucky but there is no law or regulation that states where Bourbon must come from. The taste of a particular Bourbon is varied from its brethren by changing the combination of other grains and by working with different yeast strains. Ok enough with the academic stuff.
I have discussed some of the lower end Bourbons in another article here on the blog but now I want to concentrate on the higher end. Some names you may have tried are Booker’s, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s, Elijah Craig Single Barrel, Ezra Brooks, and Evan Williams. I have tried Elijah and Ezra and Evan’s and they are my Bourbon buds when I am in the mood for Bourbon. I find the single barrel bourbons very smooth and tasty no matter what brand I have tried so far. Usually these have some age to them, 10, 12, 16, or 18 year old and the time married to the charcoaled oak really smoothes them right out making for a really pleasurable drink. While there are Bourbon snobs out there just as there are with any drink, I am not one and while I enjoy the single barrels and the higher end I still enjoy many of the lower end products as well. To me if it tastes good then drink it, if it doesn’t taste good use it for car part cleaner or charcoal lighter fluid but don’t drink it. It is all about what you like and what you enjoy.
A year or so ago my friend was down from Alabama for a visit and I broke out the Evan Williams and he balked. “I can’t do Bourbon” he said. I said that it had been many years since he had any so please just give it a shot. He did and was amazed at how good and how enjoyable it was. We sampled the rest of my Bourbon stock that week and while he is pretty much into Crown Royal these days he did enjoy the trip down Bourbon lane we took that Super Bowl weekend.
Ever hear of Bourbon and Branch Water? You might have heard that order in old Western movies or from Colonel Potter on the old MASH Television show. It was the classic order from a southern gentleman when sending for his afternoon drink from the veranda. So what is Branch Water anyway? I must admit that when I was watching some of those old movies as a kid I just figured that people someway cut open branches on some weird trees and water came out which was captured and sent up to the house for the gentleman of the home to use with his Bourbon. Well like so many times in my life I was wrong again. Now I know that Branch Water simply means good clean fresh water from a spring or brook. The branch they were referring to was the branch of the creek not the branch of a tree. So if you go into a bar and order Bourbon and Branch Water you may get a blank stare in return. If you do then just ask for Bourbon and spring water and that should get you what you are after. You can also buy straight 100% corn liquor and I actually kind of like that too. It is simple and clean tasting and of course it is not Bourbon but nonetheless it is also worth a try with several brands to choose from. So go out and pick your favorite Bourbon or one you would like to try and taste away or get several bottles and invite your friends over for a Bourbon tasting. You can have everyone bring their favorite and everyone try all the different ones. It is suggested you serve only nuts and crackers during the tasting portion of the evening as they will help cleanse the pallet between the samplings. Save the cheese and meat for after the tasting is complete as the oils and fats might alter the tastes of the spirits. You only have to have 5 to 10 different Bourbons for a very successful tasting you need not put a 3rd mortgage on the homestead to do this. It is a good idea to include some low end product as well as high end so your guests can really get a feel for the differences in age, single barrel or batch method, and the quality of each spirit. Hopefully they will find one among the many that they like and can enjoy in greater quantity at a later date. Don’t forget to have non-alcoholic products available for your guests who either don’t drink or are the designated drivers for the evening. Lots of couples we know include one drinker and one non-drinker but they usually both come to these events.
Enjoy and remember always it’s not how much you can drink it is how much you can drink without getting drunk…..and never drive drunk. Designated drivers or cabs are the best.
The Whiskey Warrior
Friday, March 12, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Un-oaked Chardonnay: The Chardonnay haters Chardonnay - by the Wine Muse
Okay all you Chardonnay haters, listen up! I know you. You sit down to dinner and the waiter asks you what type of wine you would like and you reply :”anything but chardonnay”. Heck, not only do I know you, I was you! That is, until I tried the delectable Startree Chardonnay (un-oaked). It was like a beautiful symphony on my tongue, no bitter after taste, light and even my amateur taste buds could detect several crisp and clean notes.
So, what is an un-oaked Chardonnay exactly? Well, typically, chardonnay is fermented, then aged in Oak barrels. That is what gives a traditional Chardonnay “that heavier bitter flavor” (at least for us Chardonnay haters) Un-oaked Chardonnay is fermented, then aged in stainless steel, old barrels or glass-lined containers. The Un-oaked Chardonnay has a straightforward, light, refreshing taste that appeals to even the most persnickety wine drinker.
To really get a feel for the difference, one should buy an un-oaked chardonnay and a traditional chardonnay and taste them side by side for comparison.
So check it out and let me know what you think!
Wine Muse.
Irish Whiskey
You probably have a favorite Irish whiskey and I like several. In Ireland they call it Uisce Bretha which is Irish Gaelic for “water of life” (slightly different spelling from the Scottish Gaelic but same meaning) . Standard Irish whiskey is a blend of malted and grain whiskey. My first encounter with Irish was probably in Irish coffee and usually that was either Bushmills or Jameson. Bushmills is distilled in Northern Ireland at the world’s oldest distillery (1608) and Jameson in the Republic of Ireland. Each distillery produces a variety of labels. Bushmills produces regular Bushmills, Black Bush, and Bushmills Single Malts in 10, 16, and 21 year varieties. Each costs a bit more that the last and each tastes a bit better (to me) than the last one. Visit the Bushmills website to get details on what goes in to each delicious bottle. I drank the regular Bushmills for years and left it only when I found the Black Bush. Being fickle again I left the Black Bush for the single malt 10 and finally the single malt 16. I regret deeply that I have yet to try the 21 but I am as certain as I am that the sun will rise tomorrow that the 21 is outstanding and I look forward to my first go at it. My experience with the 16 allows me to suggest that you will probably love it as much as I do. If money is a bit tight then the 10 is still a great drink.
In most of the pubs I have been in around Ireland I have also seen a lot of Paddy’s, John Powers, and Tullamore Dew. Also you may find Midleton which is a really fine sipping Irish that I have had the privilege of sampling at a friend’s home in Galway, it is outstanding. In fact we drank our first couple of drinks of Midleton and then my host switched us to Paddy’s stating that once you have had a couple your taste buds are numb and we cannot enjoy it so we will now switch to the daily stuff. I once hand-carried a bottle of Tullamore Dew on the plane (back when you could still do that) all the way back to Florida only to find it sitting grandly on the shelf of my local liquor store a week later. So a word about bringing Whisky (ey) home from your trip to Scotland, Ireland, England, etc. That is, unless it is something rare or you just feel like you have to pick up some duty free, don’t. Before the late 1990’s it was worthwhile to bring home the good stuff but today you can pretty much get everything near your home without worrying about breaking bottles or having someone abscond with your bottles from your luggage.
You will find a large variety of Irish whiskey today and many pleasant surprises to delight the palate in each distillery’s product line. I was very happy to see the single malts come out a few years back and the Irish craftsmen have really done a fine job with sherry, port and Madeira casks rotating the whiskey in and out of various ones to create a glorious and most delightful experience for the imbiber.
I hope you all enjoy trying various Irish whiskies and that you chime in to this blog to let us know your favorites and how you choose to enjoy it. Recipes are also welcome for both cocktails and foods that can be made with whiskey. Happy St. Paddy’s day to all
The Whiskey Warrior
You probably have a favorite Irish whiskey and I like several. In Ireland they call it Uisce Bretha which is Irish Gaelic for “water of life” (slightly different spelling from the Scottish Gaelic but same meaning) . Standard Irish whiskey is a blend of malted and grain whiskey. My first encounter with Irish was probably in Irish coffee and usually that was either Bushmills or Jameson. Bushmills is distilled in Northern Ireland at the world’s oldest distillery (1608) and Jameson in the Republic of Ireland. Each distillery produces a variety of labels. Bushmills produces regular Bushmills, Black Bush, and Bushmills Single Malts in 10, 16, and 21 year varieties. Each costs a bit more that the last and each tastes a bit better (to me) than the last one. Visit the Bushmills website to get details on what goes in to each delicious bottle. I drank the regular Bushmills for years and left it only when I found the Black Bush. Being fickle again I left the Black Bush for the single malt 10 and finally the single malt 16. I regret deeply that I have yet to try the 21 but I am as certain as I am that the sun will rise tomorrow that the 21 is outstanding and I look forward to my first go at it. My experience with the 16 allows me to suggest that you will probably love it as much as I do. If money is a bit tight then the 10 is still a great drink.
In most of the pubs I have been in around Ireland I have also seen a lot of Paddy’s, John Powers, and Tullamore Dew. Also you may find Midleton which is a really fine sipping Irish that I have had the privilege of sampling at a friend’s home in Galway, it is outstanding. In fact we drank our first couple of drinks of Midleton and then my host switched us to Paddy’s stating that once you have had a couple your taste buds are numb and we cannot enjoy it so we will now switch to the daily stuff. I once hand-carried a bottle of Tullamore Dew on the plane (back when you could still do that) all the way back to Florida only to find it sitting grandly on the shelf of my local liquor store a week later. So a word about bringing Whisky (ey) home from your trip to Scotland, Ireland, England, etc. That is, unless it is something rare or you just feel like you have to pick up some duty free, don’t. Before the late 1990’s it was worthwhile to bring home the good stuff but today you can pretty much get everything near your home without worrying about breaking bottles or having someone abscond with your bottles from your luggage.
You will find a large variety of Irish whiskey today and many pleasant surprises to delight the palate in each distillery’s product line. I was very happy to see the single malts come out a few years back and the Irish craftsmen have really done a fine job with sherry, port and Madeira casks rotating the whiskey in and out of various ones to create a glorious and most delightful experience for the imbiber.
I hope you all enjoy trying various Irish whiskies and that you chime in to this blog to let us know your favorites and how you choose to enjoy it. Recipes are also welcome for both cocktails and foods that can be made with whiskey. Happy St. Paddy’s day to all
The Whiskey Warrior
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Red or white wine with beef or fish?
Red or white wine with beef or fish?
Growing up it was common knowledge that one always had to have red wines with beef and white wines with fish. Well those were the “rules” and they were touted by waiters and those who were supposed to know such things everywhere you went. Most of us want to fit in so for years I followed the rules even though there were times I would really liked to have had white Bordeaux with my porterhouse steak, I always ordered a merlot or a cabernet. I was caught in the trap of trying not to look stupid and many people have been sucked into that bog along with me. We were ordering what we thought we should order instead of what we wanted to drink with our dinners.
Don’t do that!
I escaped the trap after attending a wine and food paring at a local French restaurant where during the meal each course was complimented with a wine selection the owner of the restaurant chose as the best match for the dish. He started out the evening by giving us a short lecture on wine and revealed the secret about reds and whites and when you should order one over the other. He told us that it all started at the end of World War II. The French had a huge backlog of red wine on hand. They also knew after having Americans in their country for a while during the war that Americans for the most part loved to eat beef. Thus the marketing effort by the French was to convince their American market (and others) that it was proper to drink red wine with beef! Absolute genius! The Americans bought it hook line and sinker. Fish on!!!!!! He also told us to please drink what you like not what you are “supposed “ to drink and enjoy life. Good advice.
For decades as we grew as a prosperous post-war nation Americans ordered red wine with beef and followed the other half of the French marketing effort ordering white wine with chicken or fish. We are nothing if not rule followers in America at least when we are trying to be sophisticated. Eventually we grew up enough to realize that one should drink whatever kind of wine they like with whatever kind of food they are eating. It’s fine to have a chardonnay with your T-bone steak and it is just as fine to have a Pinot Noir with your Halibut. The decades long very successful marketing ploy of the French is finally put to rest. Well maybe. I’m sure there are people out there who are still handcuffed by the old rules please help to free them by passing this information on.
The Whisky Warrior
Growing up it was common knowledge that one always had to have red wines with beef and white wines with fish. Well those were the “rules” and they were touted by waiters and those who were supposed to know such things everywhere you went. Most of us want to fit in so for years I followed the rules even though there were times I would really liked to have had white Bordeaux with my porterhouse steak, I always ordered a merlot or a cabernet. I was caught in the trap of trying not to look stupid and many people have been sucked into that bog along with me. We were ordering what we thought we should order instead of what we wanted to drink with our dinners.
Don’t do that!
I escaped the trap after attending a wine and food paring at a local French restaurant where during the meal each course was complimented with a wine selection the owner of the restaurant chose as the best match for the dish. He started out the evening by giving us a short lecture on wine and revealed the secret about reds and whites and when you should order one over the other. He told us that it all started at the end of World War II. The French had a huge backlog of red wine on hand. They also knew after having Americans in their country for a while during the war that Americans for the most part loved to eat beef. Thus the marketing effort by the French was to convince their American market (and others) that it was proper to drink red wine with beef! Absolute genius! The Americans bought it hook line and sinker. Fish on!!!!!! He also told us to please drink what you like not what you are “supposed “ to drink and enjoy life. Good advice.
For decades as we grew as a prosperous post-war nation Americans ordered red wine with beef and followed the other half of the French marketing effort ordering white wine with chicken or fish. We are nothing if not rule followers in America at least when we are trying to be sophisticated. Eventually we grew up enough to realize that one should drink whatever kind of wine they like with whatever kind of food they are eating. It’s fine to have a chardonnay with your T-bone steak and it is just as fine to have a Pinot Noir with your Halibut. The decades long very successful marketing ploy of the French is finally put to rest. Well maybe. I’m sure there are people out there who are still handcuffed by the old rules please help to free them by passing this information on.
The Whisky Warrior
Wine for the Holidays
Wine for the Holidays
Here are some ideas for a couple of wines for the holiday season.
Thanksgiving is a great time to have wine. Sometimes in the 1990’s I was listening to a talk radio show and they had a gourmet on that was suggesting wines for thanksgiving.
He suggested a Gewurztraminer as a perfect Thanksgiving wine as it really picks up the flavor of the stuffing and other holiday foods and complements them. We tried a couple of bottles that year and the guy was right on the money. It was great! While there is no spice in the wine, it does seem to pick up the flavors from your dinner and frames them with a great fresh tasting wine. Try it for your next holiday meal especially if stuffing is involved. There are many makers of Gewurztraminer both European and domestic and so far, they are all good. Just choose one in your price range and enjoy.
Beaujolais Nouveau is a fresh young red wine bottled at the very beginning of the Beaujolais season. Originally it was bottled (or in casks) and trotted out to parties and street festivals for people to try this year’s Beaujolais and get some feedback before mass bottlings of the remainder were made. Perhaps if the taste was not so good the grapes could be blended into other things and if it was good then make more Beaujolais. A lot of wine snobs will turn their noses up at this wine and that’s just too bad for them because it tastes really good. There is one problem with the nouveau though and that is it goes bad really quick. Beaujolais Nouveau is sold starting about November 17th each year and thousands of cases are shipped from France to the United States and many people have Beaujolais Nouveau parties and try out the few brands that come out each year.
If you drink it for Thanksgiving it will be wonderful and the quicker you consume it the more you will enjoy it. It will still be good for your holiday season parties and remains very drinkable through the 25th of December. New Years Eve is about the last time I can drink it as it is quickly turning to vinegar. So if you see a bottle of 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau on the shelf for sale after January 1, 2010 just say no. That is, unless you want to use it for cooking or a vinaigrette. My personal scale of drinkability for Beaujolais Nouveau is in this list. This is just from my personal experience over about 15 years or so.
November 17 to November 27
Wonderful, top of its form, delicious (10)
November 28 to December 15
Really good, quite enjoyable just a little less good than before, still worthwhile (9)
December 16 to December 25
Still good, but noticeably degraded from its November peak goodness(7)
December 26 to January 1
You have to be a big fan to stick with it this long as it is just starting to really turn South
(3)
January 2 and on
If you still have any just use it for cooking or to make salad dressing, it is no longer drinkable. (0)
Just my personal opinion and yours may differ one way or the other, just do what suits you and makes you happy.
This is why unless you are prepared to drink it up quickly or have a lot of friends to help you drink it, buying a whole case or two on November 17 is probably not a good idea, just get a few bottles. I have dumped out more than one bottle in mid January. For us about 4 or 5 bottles is enough but I do often buy a case and give bottles out as Thanksgiving presents to a few friends and relatives.
All is not lost though as if you really love Beaujolais then you can still buy Beaujolais Villages (called that because each little village has its own) and there are several brands to choose from. You don’t have to drink the Beaujolais Villages quickly it will last quite a while. I don’t love it like the Nouveau but it is very good.
Champagne for the holidays is always a good idea. Personally I like French Champagne. Is it better than American sparkling wine? Well allow me to explain.
My wife and I took a really nice 11 day trip to France in 2002 and spent a couple of days in the Champagne producing areas. So my preference is French wine in all cases, not because it may or does taste better than American wine or any other but because drinking it reminds me of our really great trip and our time together in Paris and some of the country side of France. I have no clue which is better but when given a choice I buy the French simply because of the memories and the sentiment.
So my choices for Champagne are Moet et Chandon Nectar Imperial which is sweet like Asti Spumonti but not nearly that sweet it is most enjoyable. Second is Moet et Chandon Imperial Brute, followed by Piper Heidsieck Brute, and Veuve Clicquot. Dom Perignon is good but too pricey for our pocket book. I know there are a lot of others but that is really about all I have tried that I really liked and there remain many left to try.
So please share with us what wines you like for your holiday seasons.
The Whisky Warrior.
Here are some ideas for a couple of wines for the holiday season.
Thanksgiving is a great time to have wine. Sometimes in the 1990’s I was listening to a talk radio show and they had a gourmet on that was suggesting wines for thanksgiving.
He suggested a Gewurztraminer as a perfect Thanksgiving wine as it really picks up the flavor of the stuffing and other holiday foods and complements them. We tried a couple of bottles that year and the guy was right on the money. It was great! While there is no spice in the wine, it does seem to pick up the flavors from your dinner and frames them with a great fresh tasting wine. Try it for your next holiday meal especially if stuffing is involved. There are many makers of Gewurztraminer both European and domestic and so far, they are all good. Just choose one in your price range and enjoy.
Beaujolais Nouveau is a fresh young red wine bottled at the very beginning of the Beaujolais season. Originally it was bottled (or in casks) and trotted out to parties and street festivals for people to try this year’s Beaujolais and get some feedback before mass bottlings of the remainder were made. Perhaps if the taste was not so good the grapes could be blended into other things and if it was good then make more Beaujolais. A lot of wine snobs will turn their noses up at this wine and that’s just too bad for them because it tastes really good. There is one problem with the nouveau though and that is it goes bad really quick. Beaujolais Nouveau is sold starting about November 17th each year and thousands of cases are shipped from France to the United States and many people have Beaujolais Nouveau parties and try out the few brands that come out each year.
If you drink it for Thanksgiving it will be wonderful and the quicker you consume it the more you will enjoy it. It will still be good for your holiday season parties and remains very drinkable through the 25th of December. New Years Eve is about the last time I can drink it as it is quickly turning to vinegar. So if you see a bottle of 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau on the shelf for sale after January 1, 2010 just say no. That is, unless you want to use it for cooking or a vinaigrette. My personal scale of drinkability for Beaujolais Nouveau is in this list. This is just from my personal experience over about 15 years or so.
November 17 to November 27
Wonderful, top of its form, delicious (10)
November 28 to December 15
Really good, quite enjoyable just a little less good than before, still worthwhile (9)
December 16 to December 25
Still good, but noticeably degraded from its November peak goodness(7)
December 26 to January 1
You have to be a big fan to stick with it this long as it is just starting to really turn South
(3)
January 2 and on
If you still have any just use it for cooking or to make salad dressing, it is no longer drinkable. (0)
Just my personal opinion and yours may differ one way or the other, just do what suits you and makes you happy.
This is why unless you are prepared to drink it up quickly or have a lot of friends to help you drink it, buying a whole case or two on November 17 is probably not a good idea, just get a few bottles. I have dumped out more than one bottle in mid January. For us about 4 or 5 bottles is enough but I do often buy a case and give bottles out as Thanksgiving presents to a few friends and relatives.
All is not lost though as if you really love Beaujolais then you can still buy Beaujolais Villages (called that because each little village has its own) and there are several brands to choose from. You don’t have to drink the Beaujolais Villages quickly it will last quite a while. I don’t love it like the Nouveau but it is very good.
Champagne for the holidays is always a good idea. Personally I like French Champagne. Is it better than American sparkling wine? Well allow me to explain.
My wife and I took a really nice 11 day trip to France in 2002 and spent a couple of days in the Champagne producing areas. So my preference is French wine in all cases, not because it may or does taste better than American wine or any other but because drinking it reminds me of our really great trip and our time together in Paris and some of the country side of France. I have no clue which is better but when given a choice I buy the French simply because of the memories and the sentiment.
So my choices for Champagne are Moet et Chandon Nectar Imperial which is sweet like Asti Spumonti but not nearly that sweet it is most enjoyable. Second is Moet et Chandon Imperial Brute, followed by Piper Heidsieck Brute, and Veuve Clicquot. Dom Perignon is good but too pricey for our pocket book. I know there are a lot of others but that is really about all I have tried that I really liked and there remain many left to try.
So please share with us what wines you like for your holiday seasons.
The Whisky Warrior.
Is older Whisky really better?
Is older Whisky really better?
Great question! I have read articles in various publications that state that after about 17 years of aging a scotch just doesn’t get much better. Well…….maybe that is true and I cannot dispute it but I can tell you a couple of experiences that I had. I was about 22 years old and had just come home with my wife and another couple from being out drinking someplace for New Years Eve. We pulled in the driveway and a neighbor from down the street was flagging us down and inviting us over to his house for a drink. Well ok, we were pretty much totally toasted but we were walking from that point on so why not. We were seated in the neighbor’s living room and after salutations and the usual small talk we were offered a glass of Ballantines scotch as a libation. We chatted a bit and then the man said “want to try something really good?” Of course I said “sure” not even beginning to fathom what treat he had in store. He walked into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of Ballantines 28 year old scotch. This was my very first experience with any scotch over 12 years old and yeah I was kind of excited about the whole experience. Man was it smooth, it went down so smooth and silky I remember saying something like “Wow, you don’t need any ice or water with this one!” I thanked him profusely and after a few minutes he said “now, we can agree this was really good right? “ (We all agreed) “Ok now this will knock your socks off!” Once again he disappeared into the kitchen and returned with yet another bottle. This one was another bottle of Ballantines, but this one had the numbers 47 on the bottle. Yes friends and neighbors it was a bottle of Ballantines 47 year old whisky. In order to be 47 years old at that time so it had to be put up in the cask around 1925 (right during prohibition? Sounds crazy I know but prohibition was only in America maybe this had been hiding in Canada?). I was just flat astounded.
It poured like silken diamonds into my glass and trickled down my throat like ribbons of pure light guilded with love. It was amazing, I had thought the 28 was the best I would ever taste and then this comes out of a kitchen and it was a whole new world opening up for me. I have never seen a bottle of 28 or 47 year old Ballantines since that day but they were both great and so much better than the 12 year old
So an expert said that whisky doesn’t get much better after 17 years but for me it was a whole lot better. Since then I have had some 25 and 30 year olds and several 18’s and to me they seem to taste better than their younger brothers but I could be wrong. So If I am wrong why do people pay thousands of dollars or pounds or Euros for 40 and 50 year old scotches? Gee it couldn’t be that they might taste really good could it?
Try it for yourself next time you are in a really good bar or pub that has a good selection and get several ages of the same scotch and see for yourself if you really do like the older ones better or not. Maybe there are some scotches that don’t get better with age maybe some get worse. I have not tried them all………………yet.
The Whisky Warrior
Great question! I have read articles in various publications that state that after about 17 years of aging a scotch just doesn’t get much better. Well…….maybe that is true and I cannot dispute it but I can tell you a couple of experiences that I had. I was about 22 years old and had just come home with my wife and another couple from being out drinking someplace for New Years Eve. We pulled in the driveway and a neighbor from down the street was flagging us down and inviting us over to his house for a drink. Well ok, we were pretty much totally toasted but we were walking from that point on so why not. We were seated in the neighbor’s living room and after salutations and the usual small talk we were offered a glass of Ballantines scotch as a libation. We chatted a bit and then the man said “want to try something really good?” Of course I said “sure” not even beginning to fathom what treat he had in store. He walked into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of Ballantines 28 year old scotch. This was my very first experience with any scotch over 12 years old and yeah I was kind of excited about the whole experience. Man was it smooth, it went down so smooth and silky I remember saying something like “Wow, you don’t need any ice or water with this one!” I thanked him profusely and after a few minutes he said “now, we can agree this was really good right? “ (We all agreed) “Ok now this will knock your socks off!” Once again he disappeared into the kitchen and returned with yet another bottle. This one was another bottle of Ballantines, but this one had the numbers 47 on the bottle. Yes friends and neighbors it was a bottle of Ballantines 47 year old whisky. In order to be 47 years old at that time so it had to be put up in the cask around 1925 (right during prohibition? Sounds crazy I know but prohibition was only in America maybe this had been hiding in Canada?). I was just flat astounded.
It poured like silken diamonds into my glass and trickled down my throat like ribbons of pure light guilded with love. It was amazing, I had thought the 28 was the best I would ever taste and then this comes out of a kitchen and it was a whole new world opening up for me. I have never seen a bottle of 28 or 47 year old Ballantines since that day but they were both great and so much better than the 12 year old
So an expert said that whisky doesn’t get much better after 17 years but for me it was a whole lot better. Since then I have had some 25 and 30 year olds and several 18’s and to me they seem to taste better than their younger brothers but I could be wrong. So If I am wrong why do people pay thousands of dollars or pounds or Euros for 40 and 50 year old scotches? Gee it couldn’t be that they might taste really good could it?
Try it for yourself next time you are in a really good bar or pub that has a good selection and get several ages of the same scotch and see for yourself if you really do like the older ones better or not. Maybe there are some scotches that don’t get better with age maybe some get worse. I have not tried them all………………yet.
The Whisky Warrior
Monday, March 1, 2010
Tobermory and Ledaig
Article #8
Tobermory and Ledaig:
Off the Western coast of Scotland is the Island of Mull. It is a volcanic island in origin and is loaded with beautiful scenery and interesting sights. At the far end of Mull is the tiny island of Iona, home to Saint Columba’s monastery, final resting place of 40 Irish, Scottish, and Norwegian Kings, and repository for Saint Brendan’s records of his voyage to the new world in the mid 600’s. The main town on Mull is Tobermory which has a lovely harbor and houses built right up the hills surrounding the harbor which feature fantastic views of the harbor. Mull (Tobermory) is known as the officer’s mess as there are so many retired British military enjoying their post career lives there.
There is one distillery there called Ledaig pronounced (Let-chick) (means “safe harbor” in Gaelic) and they make Ledaig and Tobermory Scotch. Tobermory means “Mary’s well” and there is a holy well in the upper portion of the modern day village. It has a great waterfall that tumbles down right beside the distillery and the usual tours and samplings are offered. We stayed at a B&B in Tobermory back in 1999 and enjoyed the tour and tasting of the distillery along with a museum and various eateries and pubs in the town. Maclean castle is near the town and has a great tour for those interested in history.
I had not tried Tobermory for several years and then in 2008 I was invited to a Texas hold’em evening at a friend’s house. It is the practice of my group of card playing friends that when we are able to get together we usually bring a bottle of some kind of scotch as a gift to the host of the party. I had two bottles at home that I had just bought which were a bottle of Macallan 12 and a bottle of Tobermory 10. I decided to gift the Tobermory and my host fixed me a glass of it right after I gave it to him. Upon tasting it I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It was just right not too harsh, not too weak and had a great taste. I was sort of regretting that I did not gift the Macallan instead. You won’t find Tobermory at the top of anyone’s list of world’s greatest scotches but I think it is a fine scotch and well worth a try. I have seen ratings of in the 70’s for Tobermory and comments of “oily” and “not my kind of malt” but you know, I really don’t go by ratings or comments. I am sorry but I never taste almond, or pine, or nuts, or banana, or most any of the things that scotch snobs claim to taste in scotch. I do taste oak, peat, sherry, and sometimes salt, but never the “foo-foo” tastes touted by the experts. Tobermory just plain tastes good, it tastes like a good scotch should taste. It is very smooth and has a very pleasant aftertaste. I won’t rate scotches but I will say I like this one. To me, one either likes the taste of a whisky or they don’t like the taste and there are plenty of varieties out there so that we can all find the ones we like. I recommend that you try Tobermory and I hope you find it as enjoyable as I do.
The Whisky Warrior
Tobermory and Ledaig:
Off the Western coast of Scotland is the Island of Mull. It is a volcanic island in origin and is loaded with beautiful scenery and interesting sights. At the far end of Mull is the tiny island of Iona, home to Saint Columba’s monastery, final resting place of 40 Irish, Scottish, and Norwegian Kings, and repository for Saint Brendan’s records of his voyage to the new world in the mid 600’s. The main town on Mull is Tobermory which has a lovely harbor and houses built right up the hills surrounding the harbor which feature fantastic views of the harbor. Mull (Tobermory) is known as the officer’s mess as there are so many retired British military enjoying their post career lives there.
There is one distillery there called Ledaig pronounced (Let-chick) (means “safe harbor” in Gaelic) and they make Ledaig and Tobermory Scotch. Tobermory means “Mary’s well” and there is a holy well in the upper portion of the modern day village. It has a great waterfall that tumbles down right beside the distillery and the usual tours and samplings are offered. We stayed at a B&B in Tobermory back in 1999 and enjoyed the tour and tasting of the distillery along with a museum and various eateries and pubs in the town. Maclean castle is near the town and has a great tour for those interested in history.
I had not tried Tobermory for several years and then in 2008 I was invited to a Texas hold’em evening at a friend’s house. It is the practice of my group of card playing friends that when we are able to get together we usually bring a bottle of some kind of scotch as a gift to the host of the party. I had two bottles at home that I had just bought which were a bottle of Macallan 12 and a bottle of Tobermory 10. I decided to gift the Tobermory and my host fixed me a glass of it right after I gave it to him. Upon tasting it I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It was just right not too harsh, not too weak and had a great taste. I was sort of regretting that I did not gift the Macallan instead. You won’t find Tobermory at the top of anyone’s list of world’s greatest scotches but I think it is a fine scotch and well worth a try. I have seen ratings of in the 70’s for Tobermory and comments of “oily” and “not my kind of malt” but you know, I really don’t go by ratings or comments. I am sorry but I never taste almond, or pine, or nuts, or banana, or most any of the things that scotch snobs claim to taste in scotch. I do taste oak, peat, sherry, and sometimes salt, but never the “foo-foo” tastes touted by the experts. Tobermory just plain tastes good, it tastes like a good scotch should taste. It is very smooth and has a very pleasant aftertaste. I won’t rate scotches but I will say I like this one. To me, one either likes the taste of a whisky or they don’t like the taste and there are plenty of varieties out there so that we can all find the ones we like. I recommend that you try Tobermory and I hope you find it as enjoyable as I do.
The Whisky Warrior
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