Scotch

A few month ago, I passed a kayaking test, and ever since then, I've been able to enjoy the taste of Scotch. All the best sea kayakers are from Scotland, you see, and that is what I attribute the change to. Previously a Bourbon drinker, I've spent the past couple of months trying different Scotches, doing some reading about them, and learning what I like.

Laphroaig -I'm not sure what year this was; I expect the 10 Year. I had his to celebrate success on my exam, and I was really taken with its deep, smoky flavor. Apparently I am odd in liking the smoky, peaty Scotches. I don't always need it this intense, but I do like it.

Macallen 12 - I had this as a victory lap following a long kayaking day trip. I was in a bar with a smaller selection, and after asking about their single malts, tried the Macallen on the recommendation of the bartender and another patron. It's far more balanced the the Laphraig, and was a nice step down from the Laphraig.

Belvenie Double-Cask (Sherry) - In a fancy hotel in Tulsa, I found an excellent selection, and tried this one. I loved it so much I bought a bottle of my own. There are actually two double casks, one finished in sherry and the other in rum; I have not tried the rum, but the sherry finish is excellent. This is by far the most complex Scotch I have had, with an array of flavors in succession: honey, salt, a little peat, heather.

Talisker - from the Isle of Skye, where I hope to train one day. Peaty, but not as much as the Laphraig. I rather enjoyed it, it is mild, but not especially sweet.

Glenfiddich - I tried this at a whisky party, and can see why it's so successful. It's a wonderful combination of all the good things in Scotch, but a bit more subdued than the Macallen.

Highland Park - my new favorite, from the northernmost tip of Scotland, where some of my ancestors supposedly came from. Not too sweet, and complex but not so complicated as the Belvenie, sweet up front with a smoky finish.

Scotch, or whisky of any kind, is insane when you think about it. Someone had to think, I'll take some grain wet it and then let it spoil and ferment, and then I'll put it in water, and boil it. Then I'll build some tubes above it, bend them, and capture the condensate. Then, I'll put all that in a barrel and store it for, I dunno, ten years, at least. At least! And then I will drink it."

It's crazy, it's engineering, it's something only people on a rocky outcrop between the Atlantic and the North Sea could perfect.