[AV] Scotch

[Kersus]

Well, we know Chris/forgie likes his sour mash bourbon style but has memories of drinking real stuff with EGG.

I know ucpap and rredmond had some thoughts on Whiskey.

Until I get the Aqua Vitae forum over here I wanted to talk about such drinks again.

Libations! Single Malt libations!

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So, Single Malts are expensive and I've steered toward blended for the price. Some of the few singles I tried like Glenfiddich were not my thing but Highland Park was, so I watched for blends with Highland Park in them and was usually happy.

I found my taste grew as I tried different ones over the years but watching for the one's from at least the Highlands area seemed to work for me.

When I went to GaryCon VI, I stopped at the Duty Free shop with a specific goal - find a single malt at a price I can handle to enjoy while gaming at a convention that was in memory of my friend Gary. True, I spent more time talking to Gary about gin than scotch but there was something about Scotch that simply went with chatting about tabletop gaming.

I was a little shocked at some of the prices in the Duty Free but found a single malt for $38 called Aberlour. It was a 10 year old variant and from the Highlands. Sold.

While I never found anyone except my personal companion to try it with, I enjoyed a drink after every gaming day to sit and debrief myself in silence. I'm a bit prissy with my Scotch in that I must swirl, sniff, coat my tongue, savour, and swallow. It makes it hard to get any buzz with my system as I spend a lot of time savouring and going over my gaming day.

Aberlour was very smooth and flavourful. I would consider it my favourite so far. It doesn't spike you with sudden jarring flavours but allows them to soak through over a few seconds in a light but full manner.

On the way back to Canada I again stopped at the Duty Free and agonized over what to spend my money on. I looked over the normal blends I usually get (Grouses) and noticed that many of my old standbys mixed Highland Park with MacAllan. This made me wonder if it was the HP I liked or the MA. So, I splurged and bought a bottle of MA. I have not opened it yet.

Now, to step back into the past, near Bancroft, Ontario, after a gaming day with Greg Ellis... It was there, after all others but Greg and I had gone to bed. The two of us chatted about gaming, authoring, Gary and more. Greg pulled out a bottle of Grant's and generously shared it with me. We downed that bottle with one of the best conversations I'd ever had about the industry and gaming up until that point. He had already been to a GaryCon and I had not (my first was in 2011). This moment is where my true love for Scotch was brought into existence and born. It may have gestated for years prior but Greg birthed my Scotch baby. Thank you Greg.

[rredmond]

Whatever happened to Greg?

[Kersus]

I think he's been into his music a lot lately. I'll see if he wants to join us. He's a great guy.

[Kersus]

Blended Scotch

The Snow Grouse
Served ice cold, neat.
It has a very mild whiskey scent and a lighter colour than most Scotch.
The flavour seems to be a sharp bitterness that has no aftertaste.
I really didn't care for it, but it may just be that it's ice-cold and that takes away from the flavour. It's likely intended to be used more ina mix than straight - or straight in an attempt to get drunk. There isn't much to savour as a social sipping drink with friends. The main suggestion given for it is in sparkling lemonade with a large lime wedge. This does sound tasty, but I don't buy Scotch to cut it with other things.

The Famous Grouse
Neat, although recommended with ice or water.
It's become the baseline for blended Scotch to me. It has a mild flavour with some bite and smells distinctly of alcohol. After having some nice single malts, it is hard to go back to this.

The Dark Grouse
Neat, although recommended with cool water.
It smells the best of the three. I can't quite place the scent but it's mellow and thick. The colour of this one is distinctly darker than the other two. It has a full body and a bitter flavour that slowly morphs into sweetness as it lingers. You can feel it absorb into your tongue over about thirty seconds. I quite like this.

[Kersus]

Mclelland's Speyside Single Malt
Served neat.

It's a lighter colour than most Scotch's and has almost no scent at all. It's light and doesn't coat the tongue like the higher end ones do. The flavour isn't significant beyond a little bitterness. I found it burned a little more than other equivalent drinks.

It's not bad for a Summer drink but lacks any depth of character.