Last night, my partner and her friends engaged in the 9th annual squeak tournament. A couple friends and I engaged in an alternate activity – a scotch tasting.
We travelled through a few brands – starting with those lightest in colour first. A Glenfiddich was first up. Described in the Whiskey Bible as a real “40 watt bulb”, it was a good start to the evening. I had a little Glen Breton left – a whiskey made in Cape Breton that has been involved in a number of court cases. Whether something happened to it sitting in the bottle, it performed very poorly last night. Very sharp indeed and not an enjoyable drink. Funny that I have enjoyed the rest of the bottle over time.
Next, we went to a 12 year blended bottle – Chivas Regal. It demonstrated that a blend can in fact stand up to and be better than a single malt. It was nicer than either of the prior two choices.
The competition stepped up a bit then with a 16 year old Lagavulin, an Amrut and a whiskey maker’s edition of a Macallan. The Amrut was cask strength so just over 60% alcohol vs. The 40% more typical of whiskey. For me, the strength of alcohol was too much and took away from my enjoyment. It really is a very nice sipping whiskey. The other two were just fine and a very enjoyable end to an evening.
Photo:
The photo was taken in a flower pot in my back yard this afternoon. With a lens baby and a macro ring, I like the strong graphic imagery of this one.
When you’re drinking a cask strength, a single drop of water makes all the difference. Have you been to The Bothy? They’re serving (apparently) close to 90% of all the scotches available for sale in Alberta – great place to browse flavors.
Thanks, Kris. Yes, a little water does a bunch to open it up.
I have not yet been to The Bothy. I have heard/read of it but not yet gotten there.