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Annual Cairdeas release

Still on a boozy note, the annual Cairdeas (Gaelic for ‘Friendship’) is set for release. This year’s release is matured in first-fill bourbon casks before being double matured in Fino Sherry casks. In lieu of my main man, Horst Luening’s assessment, here are Canuck enthusiasts Trenny and C from a year ago. alcoholgastronomyHorst LueningIslayLaphroaigSingle malt Scotch

Bowmore 12

Though very partial to the peatier Islays (Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Laphroaig) I retain a soft spot for Bowmore. The Scotch Noob articulates Bowmore 12’s  character well, a drink I like to think as analogous to winter comfort food. Cheers! alcoholBoomer 12gastronomyIslaySingle malt Scotch

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum

Having recently sampled seven rums, the Diplomatico Single Vintage 2000 really does stand out by a long shot but I do also like the Matusalem 15 Year Solera Gran Reserva. As much as I like my single malts, I sense that rum is going to be my primary winter tipple which, by the way, goes especially well with…

The Virtuous Whisky Drinker and Living Well

Richard Menary’s lovely essay   I want to suggest that becoming a virtuous whisky drinker is not simply seeking after pleasurable sensations. Being a virtuous whisky drinker is taking pleasure in directing our senses at the complex array of tastes and smells that the beautiful dram affords us. My acquaintance enjoyed his sweet alcoholic mix, but…

Steely Dan and Martinis

Ed Feser has another terrific earlier posting on Steely Dan (I recently brought attention to this one). Ed engages with Roger Scruton’s analysis of “popular” music. In older musical traditions, the focus was on the music itself, which had only a contingent relationship to the performer even when the performer was the one who composed it .…

Scotch Hunter

I don’t normally recommend websites/blogs but this one was started by two enthusiasts with day jobs in another world. I assume their naming of their website Scotch Hunter is a tribute/allusion to the chap that started me on the road to educating me in beer, scotch and other wonderful drinks – the late Michael Jackson…