Today, I received Ian Buxton's 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die. I immediately poured myself a glass of The Macallan (12 year old sherry oak, not in the book, though the 10 year old and 18 year old are) and started to page through it. A wealth of knowledge is afforded the reader. Opening it at random, we find Dalwhinnie, distilled by Diageo in Dalwhinnie, Inverness-shire, just off the A9. It is the highest distillery in Scotland, though to no obvious advantage, but it is affordable, yellow gold in "colour" and immediately appealing. It is available at the visitor's center.
I was glad to see that Ian recommends drinking from a brandy snifter, if no whiskey glass is available. I stumbled on to this tactic years ago. I say "tactic" because not only does it allow you to better appreciate the whiskey, but it also seems to lead bartenders to pour more generously.
I have sampled disappointingly few of the recommended whiskeys, and hope to begin working my way through the list. My strategy, of course, is to stop at 100. I don't wish to gain immortality through having drunk a lot of good whiskeys; I plan to gain immortality through not drinking one particular whiskey. Nominations are welcome.
11 comments:
Maybe this one.
Are you recommending that as the one he's NOT supposed to drink?
(Or is this, indeed, the fast lane to satori?)
Definitely the one not to drink. Actually, for all I know it may be ok, but I've always thought of Japanese scotch as the last drink in the world I'd want to try. At least I did until I heard about Bulgarian rose petal liqueur.
Ian has very high praise for Japanese whisky, they take extraordinary care over it - indeed, the most expensive one in the book is Japanese.
It's a great little book, isn't it? I bought a copy for my Dad (who now uses it like the Bible), realised it was perfect Dabbler material and got hold of Ian via his publisher. He's a smashing bloke, too.
As to which one NOT to drink, I don't have my copy with me (I'm on Xmas travels) so can't remember it's name but there's a moonshine pre-bourbon thing in there that looks pretty rough, which Ian seems to mention purely for academic purposes.
Though thinking about it, it would further your whisky-drinking mystique if you left out one that was accepted as high-quality and popular. Perhaps Talisker or Ardbeg. That way you could awe fellow drinkers by pronouncing: "Yes, I've sampled all 101 in that book. Except the Taliksker 12 year old, of course. I hardly need say why."
The Bourbon precursor Brit has in mind is Mellow Corn, described on another blog as "rubbing alcohol cut with gasoline."
At least your rotgut has a mellifluous name. We, or rather Newfoundland, has a notorious rum "precursor" called Screech!
who now uses it like the Bible...
Indeed, rumour has it that in certain parts of Scotland, it can be solemnly (if not soberly) sworn upon in court.
(Though you may need special authorization/dispensation from your local bartender.)
who now uses it like the Bible...
Indeed, rumour has it that in certain parts of Scotland, it can be solemnly (if not soberly) sworn upon in court.
(Though you may need special authorization/dispensation from your local bartender.)
Heaven Hill, maker of Mellow Corn, was the most charmless of distilleries. We skipped the tour, preferring the faux-quaintness of Makers Mark, and now we cannot go back, since it burned to the ground.
It must have been rebuilt.
When I was a lad in Georgia, there was a legal distillery that put up 'shine in mason jars and guaranteed that the drink was less than 60 days old.
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