And now for something completely different.......
My love for Single Malt.
Whisky. Scotch.
Note. it's WHISKY not Whiskey. Don't give me that Yankee stuff
Since a few years I really love this golden nectar. Maybe it's because I read 'Kuifje' as a child (a belgian comic from Hergé , Tintin for the english speaking world. one of the hero's Captain Haddock always drinks Loch Lomond)
Maybe it's because my ancestors are from Scotland...
Maybe it's just because the stuff is just very good.
I really like whisky.
I am not an alcoholic. I drink it from time to time. Maybe one bottle / month. But I am in love with it. I like all aspects of the golden fluid. the smell. the taste. the intoxicating effects.
Give me just one glass of Glenfiddich and I am in heaven. it also gives that tipsy feel real quick.. one shot of whisky does more to me than 5 beers. But that's not the point. I am too old now to get drunk for no reason on a friday night. In fact I never get drunk anymore. The last time was long ago. I can't even remember. But a small amount of this lovely beverage does wonders for my well-being.
there are more than 400 or 500 different Single Malts from Scotland. I'll never be able to taste them all. not only because there are so many, but also because some are too expensive for me to buy. But I have a dozen or so favourite brands I buy once in a while. A few include Glenfiddich 12 year old, Ben Nevis, Aberlour, the Glenlivit, Bowmore, Loch Lomond (just for the name) and Cragganmore.
Most brands have different aged whisky. 12 year, 15 year, 18 year old, up to 30 years old. to be honest I don't really taste the difference that much so I settle for the regualr 12 year old, paying about $20-$30 for a bottle instead of the $100 that an older bottle would cost.
any other whisky lovers out there? tell me if you know some brand I have to taste.....
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Comments
i keep one bottle of every type of liquor in my cabinet, just in case I have to entertain somebody on short notice, they can have a wide array of choices. Granted here in the states, the only WhiskEy I enjoy is good ol' Jack Daniel's No. 7. Not that I really drink anything. I used to have a glass of wine (white Zinfadel) with dinner every night, but that slowly went from once a night to once a week, to once a month, and now that I have been diagnosed with vertigo, not at all.
My both grandfathers became 86 (heavy smoker) and 93 (non smoker) years old and both enjoyed a drink from time to time, in moderation and my dad is 58 and has the fysique of an 42 year old, so I am in the 'a little wine can't be bad for your health' camp. La Dolce Vita etc...... just be moderate.
But I can understand that in your case alcohol might be something to avoid.
Anyway , having this liquor cabinet ready for guests scores big points. I think that's very cool. No cool is not the right word. It's something else, but I don't know the right word for it. My english limits my choice of words.. Aarch!
Haha, well everything but champagne. Champagne is reserved for momentous occasions, and I doubt that anybody stopping by would warrant such a drink. And my fiance hates alcohol, short of a margarita every so often, so I keep a bottle of Sparkling Apple Cider on hand, its her "romantic" drink. :)
Both my grandparents on my fathers side lived all their lives in the north of Scotland in a little village called Dallas (where the Texas Dallas got its name from I reckon). they have a distillery there called the Dallas Dhu and I had a tour round it many years ago (before I became Diabetic and had to give up alcohol). I can still remember it was a lovely tipple.
Alas the only alcohol I can drink now is vinegar on my fish and chips.
What about Mushy Peas? My scottish guildmate raves on and on about Mushy peas. Sounds gross.
I agree - mushy peas are gross. So gross in fact that I have never tried them. Just the sight of them is offputting (and you can even buy them in tins). They look like a baby with no teeth yet has just dribbled them out of his mouth.
I always thought mushy peas were a Yorkshire kind of thing though - not as far north as Scotland. I could be wrong about that if anyone knows better.
Ah, the golden amber bliss that is Glenfiddich. I'm by no means an expert, but a small taste of that, a good book and a comfy chair is pure heaven. Don't shoot me if I like cheap stuff, but I'm also rather partial to the Famous Grouse. And once. Just ONCE. I tried a NZ Whiskey called "Sheep's Dip". Once was enough. I think they might have placed that bottle in the wrong section, it should have been with the farming implements.
Try Dimple. It's very good. soft and smooth, especially liked by a lot of woman I know. (but I like it just as much) And just within a reasonable price range..
It's in a Triangular shaped bottle
And the shape of the bottle is all important :) You do want something that looks good too. If you ever wanted to bribe me though, honey mead or Frangelico. Those two make me weak in the knees.
Abelour, which you already mentioned. For me, hands down, that's the best I've ever had. I suppose I should say that I've had limited exposure to single malts. I also originally started off with Bushmills Black (a blend) and upon trying a single malt realized I'd been sipping the equivalent of varnish. (No more blend for me, if it can be helped.) Nice post and list of other whisky to try during my winter.
I have always enjoyed whisky very much, but not so much single malt. I've been the blend kind of guy for many years. However, the last couple of years have been turning me in the direction of single malt with its more characteristic taste to it.
I'm more a sucker for good cognac though. Or a nice calvados. Calvados needs to be in the really expensive range to be really good, so that's just occasionally. I'll take a glass of Martell VSOP or Nobligé any time though. Cognac is truly the liquor of the gods!
I also try to have a well-stocked liquorcabinet, suitable for most occasions, as well as a few bottles of wine (I don't feel very comfortable when I have less than 30 bottles of red wine at home) to go with different types of food or just for popping on that cosy Friday evening.
Every once in a while I get the whiskey craving. Last week I bought a bottle of 9 year old small batch. It was tasty, but alas, it is gone. it didn't last me very long at all.