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:
Just asking what?
That seemed to be a statement not a question?
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.
Please tell me you slapped him.
Really sorry - after posting I meant to say Illinois, not Ohio. I have friends in Ohio and was thinking of them when I posted.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Well if you’re close to the Illinois state line it might be worth a trip to stock up ....
“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. ;)
Must try the trip when I have the money.
Cheers!
(Just kidding -- that'd be like offering Sarah Palin a drink in front of Todd.)
Cheers!
Nah, not when I can get a liter of Old Crow for $10. I don’t need no man! (/Michelle Obama accent)
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.
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