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Scotch: The perfect drink
examiner ^ | September 1 | David Rager

Posted on 09/04/2009 4:07:49 PM PDT by JoeProBono

It is the era of designer drinks: bubblegum martinis, vodka essences, caffeinated schnapps. You name it. In spite of all their flair and fun, when you sit down to really enjoy a drink for the craftsmanship and complexity, you really only have a few good choices, and they were usually created over a decade ago.

For years I had been a wine guy (not whinny, mind you). I took the classes, began to dig into certain vintages and the regions and vineyards around the world, and I developed a taste for the European wines, which tended to be drier and have more varied, less fruity flavors. Yet in the midst of all the serious study of the art of wine, it cracked me up when a sommelier remarked that a wine had a "certain pee de chat aroma" (a fancy way of saying it smells like cat pee) with a straight face.

Try reading a review of a good wine as you walk down the isles of your favorite liquor store and you will see flavors like "tar," "tobacco," and "sulfur." Mmmmm.(?) While tasty and amusing, wine didn't quite do it for me.

My father was once told by his physician to have some wine or a beer in the evenings to calm himself down. I took note, having suffered from being unable to control my stress levels at times, and began to search for a nightcap of my own to help me relax in the evenings. Naturally, I started with wine. It didn't quite satisfy, so I moved on to trying different cognacs. Again, not quite what I was looking for.

Then I remembered my 100 year-old grandmother. Her nightcap of choice was an affordable Scotch. So I bought a bottle of Glenmorangie at my local Costco (the cashier remarked that his customers were happily surprised to find it on hand) and thoroughly enjoyed every drop. Now I fully expect to live to be 100. So why is Scotch the perfect drink? It has a complexity similar to what a good wine will have. The vast array of flavors is always surprising. The bite of the alcohol is wonderful. The variety of good Scotches is enough to last a lifetime. The history of the spirit is rich. It does wonders for a good night's sleep. And a flask of good Scotch seems to improve one's poker playing skills, I've found.

With any new endeavor, such as striving to become a connoisseur of Scotch Whisky, questions arise that beg to be answered:


TOPICS: Food; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: alcohol; kennedyfamily; scotch
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To: seoul62

Just asking what?

That seemed to be a statement not a question?


121 posted on 09/05/2009 1:46:29 PM PDT by Eaker (If you have a problem and If explosives are an option then explosives are THE answer.)
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To: Pontiac; SkyDancer
"Runs about $12 in Ohio ....

I wish the taxes on a bottle of scotch was only $12 in Ohio."

s Bingo. I moved to Ohio about 4 months ago. I can't believe how expensive booze is here. It's ridiculous. Besides the liquor itself being more expensive, the tax is criminal.

If you can find that bottle of scotch for $12 in the buckeye state, freepmail me 'cause I'll drive anywhere in the state to pick up a case.

122 posted on 09/05/2009 4:05:57 PM PDT by OldDeckHand (No Socialized Medicine, No Way, No How, No Time)
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To: Lovely-Day-For-A-Guinness
"I offered my classless brother-in-law a dram of my 25 year old Lagavulin and the tosser prompty added some coca cola to it! "

Please tell me you slapped him.

123 posted on 09/05/2009 4:07:52 PM PDT by OldDeckHand (No Socialized Medicine, No Way, No How, No Time)
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To: OldDeckHand

Really sorry - after posting I meant to say Illinois, not Ohio. I have friends in Ohio and was thinking of them when I posted.


124 posted on 09/05/2009 4:12:06 PM PDT by SkyDancer ('Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not..' ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: bcsco
"That's why Jack Daniels and George Dickel are considered Tennessee Whiskey; not because they're distilled in Tennessee, but because they use a separate carbon filtering process that's not part of the Bourbon process."

Every time I see the name, Jack Daniel, I reminded of the fact that he became a licensed distiller and opened his first distillery at the age of 16. If he did that today, he'd be incarcerated. And, if you helped him, you'd be incarcerated as well. That is not progress.

125 posted on 09/05/2009 4:14:41 PM PDT by OldDeckHand (No Socialized Medicine, No Way, No How, No Time)
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To: SkyDancer
"Really sorry - after posting I meant to say Illinois, not Ohio. I have friends in Ohio and was thinking of them when I posted.

I knew it was too good to be true. :-(

The cheapest I've found it - and I think it's the state minimum - is $34.50 a bottle.

126 posted on 09/05/2009 4:19:50 PM PDT by OldDeckHand (No Socialized Medicine, No Way, No How, No Time)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

When I was a drinker, many years ago, I drank Glenlivet single malt. I stopped because I figured I have a predilection toward alcoholism (my dad was an alcoholic.)

These days, I limit myself to one six pack of beer a month. Some months, I skip it.


127 posted on 09/05/2009 4:23:22 PM PDT by savedbygrace (You are only leading if someone follows. Otherwise, you just wandered off... [Smokin' Joe])
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Southern Comfort is a sweet syrup mixed with ethanol. It is not a distilled liquor in the sense the flavor is added afterward.

My first scotch was 30 year old Ballantine. After that I was sold. My favorite now is cask strength A'bunadh:

It has so many flavors that hit you, but at $80.00 a bottle it's a bit steep.

I only like whiskeys I can drink neat, or with a few drops of water.

I've recently taken to Jack Daniels. It is better than similarly priced scotches.

128 posted on 09/05/2009 4:26:42 PM PDT by zeebee
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To: JoeProBono
Sorry, can't do it. I made 4 patrols out of Holy Loch Scotland, beat the locals repeatedly at dominoes, and they tried for 3 years to get me to like scotch. Give me a Canadian Rye blend (Crown XR please). No disrespect to my Highland Clan heritage intended, but I can't do it.
129 posted on 09/05/2009 4:30:37 PM PDT by j_tull (I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.)
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To: OldDeckHand

Well if you’re close to the Illinois state line it might be worth a trip to stock up ....


130 posted on 09/05/2009 4:38:22 PM PDT by SkyDancer ('Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not..' ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: j_tull

131 posted on 09/05/2009 4:39:42 PM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: zeebee

“Southern Comfort is a sweet syrup mixed with ethanol. It is not a distilled liquor in the sense the flavor is added afterward.”

So, basically corn mash sweetened up a bit? I can live with that. ;)


132 posted on 09/05/2009 4:41:42 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: Lovely-Day-For-A-Guinness
(Sound of grey_whiskers purring.)

Must try the trip when I have the money.

Cheers!

133 posted on 09/06/2009 12:14:45 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: LongElegantLegs
You mean you haven't had a bevy of amorous male FReepers offering to buy you any?

(Just kidding -- that'd be like offering Sarah Palin a drink in front of Todd.)

Cheers!

134 posted on 09/06/2009 12:15:48 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: grey_whiskers

Nah, not when I can get a liter of Old Crow for $10. I don’t need no man! (/Michelle Obama accent)


135 posted on 09/06/2009 6:53:10 AM PDT by LongElegantLegs (You know how it is: you wait ages for a good sperm story and then they all come at once.)
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To: OldDeckHand
If you can find that bottle of scotch for $12 in the buckeye state, freepmail me 'cause I'll drive anywhere in the state to pick up a case.

Well I live in NE Ohio about 20 miles from the PA boarder.

Occasionally Mrs. Pontiac and I will make a trip to Niagara Falls and visit the Duty Free Store and pick up a few bottles of my favorite adult beverages while we are there.

It is about a four hour trip there so we spend the night and make a mini vacation of the trip. That is what the trip really is but the duty free store makes cost of the trip morally worth it.

136 posted on 09/06/2009 10:16:19 AM PDT by Pontiac (Your message here.)
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