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Try the 92 per cent weapons-grade whisky that will take your breath away. Literally
The London Times ^
| February 27, 2006
| David Lister
Posted on 02/27/2006 1:04:17 PM PST by Stoat
Try the 92 per cent weapons-grade whisky that will take your breath away. LiterallyBy David Lister, Scotland Correspondent |
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![](http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/trans.gif) |
A 17TH-CENTURY firewater, more than two spoonfuls of which was said to be enough to kill a grown man, is to be revived by a whisky distillery in Scotland. A single drop of the ancient drink of usquebaugh-baul was described by the travel writer Martin Martin in 1695 as powerful enough to affect all members of the body. He added: Two spoonfuls of this last liquor is a sufficient dose; if any man should exceed this, it would presently stop his breath, and endanger his life. Twelve barrels of the worlds most alcoholic whisky, or enough to wipe out a medium-size army, will be produced when the Bruichladdich distillery revives the ancient tradition of quadruple-distilling today. With an alcohol content of 92 per cent, the drink may not be the most delicate single malt ever produced but it is by far and away the worlds strongest. Malt whisky usually has an alcohol content of between 40 per cent and 63.5 per cent. With the first spirit run expected at lunchtime today, the distillery urged whisky lovers to tune in live on its webcams that is, if the distillery doesnt blow up in the process. The US Secret Service admitted in 2003 that it had been monitoring the distillery because the difference between distilling a fine whisky and making chemical weapons was just a small tweak. The finished product will not be ready for at least ten years, and even then drinkers will be advised to add perhaps a drop or two of water to their glass . . . and to avoid pouring the dregs over the barbecue. Although it is impossible to say how much the whisky will sell for, the demand for limited edition malts is such that it is likely to command an exorbitant price. Demand from American and Asian whisky enthusiasts has pushed prices for rare single malts to record levels over the past few years. Last August a bottle of Irish whiskey dating from the 1890s believed to be the last surviving bottle from the Nuns Island Distillery in Co Galway was put up for sale for a record £100,000. Bottles of Dalmore 62-year-old malt, from the tiny distillery near Inverness, in the Scottish Highlands, have fetched more than £30,000. Mark Reynier, Bruichladdichs managing director, said: We are doing this because we have this ancient recipe and therefore we can. It is unlikely that we will ever produce any more quadruple distilled malt again, so we expect it to become much sought after. Jim McEwan, Bruichladdichs master distiller, said that the quadruple-distilled whisky would be very similar to the spirit sampled by Martin on Islay in 1695, which he later described in A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland, published in 1703. Most whisky is distilled just twice. He said: It will be very floral, but most importantly it will take your breath away. Bruichladdich has a reputation among Scotlands distilleries for being one of the more eccentric and outspoken. After the American drinks maker Jim Beam halted production in 1994, the distillery was bought for £6.5 million in 2000 by a group led by Mr Reynier. It is seeking to establish itself as one of a small number of privately run distilleries. WATER OF LIFE
- Briuchladdich is one of eight distilleries on Islay
- The term whisky derives from the Gaelic uisge beatha, or usquebaugh, meaning water of life
- The earliest reference to a distillery in the Acts of the Scottish Parliament is in 1690, with mention of the Ferintosh distillery owned by Duncan Forbes of Culloden
- In 1995, for the first time in 100 years, the tax on Scotch fell, from £5.77 to £5.54 a bottle (70cl)
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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: alcohol; booze; bruichladdich; distillery; distilling; drinking; islay; scotland; wateroflife; whiskey; whisky
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To: FreedomFarmer
single malts putting water or ice in glen fiddich
That's Sacrilege!!!!
81
posted on
02/27/2006 2:42:56 PM PST
by
Jhohanna
(Born Free)
To: dfwgator; Stoat
I've actually read Martin Martin's book, written in the 17th c. It was the equivalent of going into the Unknown Continent at the time . . .
He was exaggerating a little for the benefit of the naifs down in London. Leig d' anail . . . take a breath!
It was a hard-drinking age, and a couple of spoonfuls wouldn't even make those old boys blink (Englishmen of that day thought nothing of polishing off a couple of bottles of port at a meal - that's 40 proof.)
82
posted on
02/27/2006 2:47:50 PM PST
by
AnAmericanMother
(Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment))
To: Stoat
Had a bottle of Everclear eat through the thread of a perfectly good bota bag. It soaked into all of our equipment on the way into Boundary Waters. Most of our clothing was QUITE flammable until we rinsed it out.
I always preferred the Jameson's Irish Whiskey.
83
posted on
02/27/2006 2:48:17 PM PST
by
Spruce
(Keep your mitts off my wallet)
To: Stoat
It is seeking to establish itself as one of a small number of privately run distilleries. I'd be more than willin' ta' help the lads out. But they gotta sell more of their stuff to us thirsty folk in the US of A. Their webstore doesn't allow us to order much of anything...
84
posted on
02/27/2006 2:51:53 PM PST
by
Dead Corpse
(I believe that all government is evil, and that trying to improve it is largely a waste of time.)
To: edcoil
As an ex-medic I used to drink ethanol 95% pure with grapefruit juice or orange juice. Great stuff. There again I was the life of any party I went to. One pint in the puch bowl and the party came to life.
85
posted on
02/27/2006 3:01:15 PM PST
by
Doc91678
(Doc91678)
To: Stoat
Years ago, I was an intern at Caterpillar in Peoria. I commuted with several other interns who were engineers from the University of Missouri - Rolla.
The last fellow we would pick up was a chemical engineering student who worked in the research labs.
One time, after waiting an extra 15 minutes for him to exit the building, this guy finally wandered out carrying a paper cup. It was obvious that he was plastered big time.
He claimed that the boss was away so the engineers decided to get out the near 200 proof alcohol they use for experiments. This stuff is apparently extremely expensive. They had mixed it with Coke from the vending machine and we each had a little taste from the cup he brought to the car.
Most potent, kick-in-the-pants sip of Coke I have ever experienced.
To: Stoat
Feh. Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters, anyone?
87
posted on
02/27/2006 3:05:00 PM PST
by
WestVirginiaRebel
(Islamofascists don't need cartoons. They're already caricatures.)
To: Stoat
In my opinion, Everclear isn't that enjoyable mixed.
88
posted on
02/27/2006 3:05:18 PM PST
by
Mr. Blonde
(You know, Happy Time Harry, just being around you kinda makes me want to die.)
To: Stoat
usquebaugh-baul translates to: "keep the route to the toilet clear for me, mates."
89
posted on
02/27/2006 3:09:56 PM PST
by
savedbygrace
(SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
To: Larry Lucido
Why would 2 tablespoons of 92% whiskey kill you, but 4 tablespoons of 46% whiskey wouldn't? I think that's just an unjustified inference, based on the testimony that it would take one's breath away.
90
posted on
02/27/2006 3:36:33 PM PST
by
Mr Ramsbotham
(Bend over and think of England.)
To: Lurker
I will admit to a fondness for one particular product from the Isle of Islay. That's Talisker. It's by far and away one of the finest single malt Scotch Whiskeys I've ever tried. Talisker is from Skye, farther north than Islay.
I died and went to Heaven, actually Islay, last September, and toured several of my favorite distilleries there.
The island is rather small, but has eight distilleries on it! The whiskies are all characterized by their smokey flavor, which often pleasantly surprises those who claim not to like whisky.
Each of the distilleries is situated right on the ocean, at the mouth of a stream. Islay is covered in peat, and as the water percolates through it, it takes on the dark color of that material. When you first see it, you might think the water looks polluted.
The distillery with one of the most stunning views anywhere is Coal Ila. It sits right across from Jura, with three 2500' mountains (the Paps of Jura) that rise right out of the ocean across the sound between Islay and Jura. If I ever win Powerball, I'm buying the place, and the drinks will be on me.
You can only get to Islay via a ferry or by air. If you're into remote, unspoiled areas, like your whisky, into Celtic culture, and enjoy 12 mile long beaches with not a sole to be seen anywhere, you should make it a stop next time you're globetrotting.
To: Colinsky
Scotch doesn't get its taste from herbs. It absorbs colors and chemicals while aging inside charred barrels. While that's true, the final product is determined by other things, like the water, the presence of peat, the rye, the malting, the time in the barrel, the number of times the barrel has been used, and even the air in the cellar.
It's illegal for distilleries in the US to re-use barrels, so they go dismantled to Scotland where they are reassembled and then used roughly five more times. After that, they are chipped and used to smoke salmon, cheese, etc. Those frugal Scots don't let anything go to waste.
To: Stoat
Two spoonfuls of this last liquor is a sufficient dose; if any man should exceed this, it would presently stop his breath, and endanger his life. Sounds like a step up from K'Tesh...
93
posted on
02/27/2006 3:42:35 PM PST
by
COBOL2Java
(Freedom isn't free, but the men and women of the military will pay most of your share)
To: HEY4QDEMS
Kinda like Newfy Screech, super potent and taste horrible.Damn. I forgot about Screech. I went to university in New Brunswick and the boys from St. John's would bring it every once in a while.
94
posted on
02/27/2006 3:53:18 PM PST
by
buccaneer81
(Bob Taft has soiled the family name for the next century.)
To: savedbygrace
I forgot to mention that those who like Laphoaig (and I do) can go to their web page, www.lahproaig.com, and become a Friend of Laphroaig. For this, you get a square foot of land (swampy, of course) on Islay that allows you to collect rent whenever you visit the distillery during your lifetime. Normally, the rent is a dram, but when I collected last year they had ran out of those small bottles so instead was treated with a 500ml bottle.
To: Lovely-Day-For-A-Guinness; savedbygrace
I forgot to mention that those who like Laphoaig (and I do) can go to their web page, www.lahproaig.com, and become a Friend of Laphroaig. For this, you get a square foot of land (swampy, of course) on Islay that allows you to collect rent whenever you visit the distillery during your lifetime. Normally, the rent is a dram, but when I collected last year they had ran out of those small bottles so instead was treated with a 500ml bottle.I hate to venture into the realm where there is a chance of being labeled a 'spell-check Nazi' , but due to a VERY slight typo there is a chance that fellow aficionados of the Water of Life may be momentarily misled. I refer to your spelling of Laphroaig in the URL, which includes an errant "h". Future Friends of Laphroaig may wish to head towards
Laphroaig - the maker of the World's favourite Islay single malt scotch whisky.
in order to provide support for our Scottish Friends and to enhance their own bookmark lists :-)
96
posted on
02/27/2006 4:25:00 PM PST
by
Stoat
(Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
To: Doc91678
As an ex-submarine sailor, we used to drink everclear - no contest
97
posted on
02/27/2006 7:14:39 PM PST
by
edcoil
(Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
To: bert
Only his friends do that and they call him John Daniels.
John can drink alone.
98
posted on
02/27/2006 7:15:55 PM PST
by
edcoil
(Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
To: lovecraft; camle; Alkhin; Professional Engineer; katana; Mr. Silverback; MadIvan; agrarianlady; ...
The guys name is David Lister? Dave Lister??!!Where's Rimmer, the Cat, Holly, and Kryten?
Don't ask!
99
posted on
02/27/2006 7:27:34 PM PST
by
null and void
(I nominate Sept 11th as "National Moderate Muslim Silence Day". - Mr. Rational)
To: Stoat
100
posted on
02/27/2006 7:29:23 PM PST
by
null and void
(I nominate Sept 11th as "National Moderate Muslim Silence Day". - Mr. Rational)
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