Scotch Whiskey: A Rugged Drink for a Rugged Land

The NY Times ^ | 071603 | R.W. Apple

[Eala]

Obh, obh, mo chreach 'sa thainig! (Tr: "Jeeeez...!")

The word whiskey, after all, evolved from the Gaelic word usquebaugh

It's "whisky", not "whiskey." The latter stuff's Irish, and significantly different. (Though with all due respect to my Irish friends: De gustibus non dispudandum est.)

And where that spelling comes from, the Good Lord only knows. It's "Uisge beatha" (pn., to an American, "oosh'ka bay'ah). "Water of-life."

But Laphroaig ("la'froik") is, to me, best.

[bourbon]

Oh, yes. My father gave me a bottle of Oban a couple years ago--magnificent stuff!

[djf]

When I was a young man, I drank quite a bit of Dewars an Passport. I graduated to Glen Livet and very occasionally, Glen Fiddich. Have yet to savor the pleasure of Glan Farclas.

And it goes without saying they are accompanied by an Ashton Cabinet, which, when they get down to about two and a half inches, turn on my telepathic powers and X-ray vision!

[RonF]

I like the Irish whiskeys myself, especially Bushmills. I stay away from their cheaper blend, but the better one, Black Bush, isn't bad at all. Of the single malts, the 10 year old is a good ordinary malt, but the 16 year old is a real step up; that's what I took on our fishing/canoeing/male-bonding trip this year with my brother and our sons. I haven't had the pleasure of drinking the 21-year old, and at $125/bottle I'm not likely to soon.

Jameson's also has some good whiskeys. Again, I avoid their cheapest blend (Jameson's). Jameson's 1780 is pretty decent, but I'm more likely to buy Black Bush. Jameson's Gold is much better and what I buy for a gift, unless I'm giving Bushmill's 16 y/o single malt. I've again not had the pleasure of drinking Midleton (again, at about $125/bottle I'm not likely to).

[gc4nra]

"I also like the Balvenie Doublewood,"


Heaven in a glass! I also fancy a "wee" dram of the Macallan
every now and then.

I just finished smoking two tri-tip a turkey and some Johnsonville brots, an experience that I find is very close to drinking Laphroaig.

[gc4nra]

"Scotch Wiskey, it's not just for breakfast anymore!"

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Elgin and Banff, two fine places for a drink, though the Egg and Dart in Aberdeen remains my favorite in the lowlands.

[Eala]

"Scotch Whiskey, it's not just for breakfast anymore!"

Never has been. Don't you know the Highlander's breakfast: Oatmeal and whisky? (If memory serves me right, the ca. 1950s movie "Kidnapped" featured that in a scene...)

[chuknospam]

I'll bump for The Balvine single malt and the Balvenie Doublewood. Enjoying some right now, straight up no ice.

[sushiman]

Never too early for a glass , or a lass !

[Celtic Conservative]

One word : kardhu. scottish single malt. Wickedly smooth, and d*mn hard to find.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Have you had the Laphroaig 15 yr old? The usual is the 10. The 15 y.o. is one of the absolute most wonderful I have ever had...

[concentric circles]

MaCallan stills, uisge beatha, fhuair mi mo neamh an seo's an aite.

[Cogadh na Sith]

It is the most wonderful thread ever.....

[gc4nra]

Don't remember the movie,but I'll take your word for it and raise a glass in celebration of our victory, as excerpted(sic) from the Washington compost: The 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento ordered the secretary of state to direct counties to verify petition signatures as
they count them.

The court said Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, a Democrat, provided "erroneous" instructions to county elections officials
when he gave them an extra 30-day period to verify signatures on recall petitions rather than verify them immediately.


"It's a complete and total victory," said James F. Sweeney, attorney for the Recall Gray Davis Committee. He added that it
would be "highly probable" that a recall election will be certified next week.

If the recall is certified, the Democratic governor could become the first California governor ever to face the electorate on a
recall ballot.

There was no immediate comment from the secretary of state.

Grayout Davis is toast and a fine bunch of FReepers will be gathering at my house, on the morrow, to celebrate our victory. Prehaps with some Single Malt and fine cigars!

[vikingcelt]

Oh absolutely! To mix good whiskey with anything is a major sin as far as I'm concerned. Also, I much prefer Irish whiskey (Bushmills and Jameson) to Scotch. Jameson 1780 in my opinion is the best whiskey in the world.

[Intolerant in NJ]

...what kind of cask is used (old bourbon barrels, old sherry butts, new oak), how long the whiskey is kept in wood (once it is bottled, the maturing process stops), where (a damp cellar or a dry one)...have seen a couple of good programs on the production of scotch recently on cable - the most fascinating part of the process for me is aging - while it "matures" in barrels some of the whiskey is actually absorbed by the wood, where it starts to pick up its unique flavoring - and over the course of years, with changes in weather, humidity levels, and other factors, some of the liquid is forced back into the barrel, then back into the wood again - it's this migration in and out of the wood from which the barrels are made which actually "ages" the scotch, thus making the time in barrels, the kind of wood used, and even outside factors such as the "saltiness" of the atmosphere critical in determining the eventual quality and taste of the whiskey.....

[Pagey]

A BIG FAT BUMP For A Fellow Dewars Drinker."Dewars on the Rocks please" has come out of my mouth countless times, since I finally stopped drinking beer. It just doesn't get any better.(Except for Wild Turkey Bourbon, which is a darn close second for me.)

[Squantos]

Ahhhhhhh.........Stay Safe !

[alfa6]

marker bump

Regards

alfa6 ;>}