Some Serious Scotch

Let's talk emerging spirits. No, lets step ahead some...

Ryes are hot now. There's a bunch of cool stuff floating around. This class is good for 6 selections, for sure.

But the 600 pound gorilla in the room is scotch, globally. Promise. Why pay attention to what has already been done, when one can look to what is about to be done?

She's a beautifull and complex beast, this one. She can be best dissected by producing regions. Some have more than others, but thier expressions are truly night-and -day.

The world of Scotch is simplified as expression of terroir, no, more literally, peat (the land, itself.)

At Majid's we've been quietly accumilating a collection of serious scotches. We're almost finsished, except for the tougher-to-find product.

Check this out-you haven't seen it, yet, in one house:

Aberlour- Speyside
Balvenie Double- Speyside
Chivas 12- Blended and Aged
Glenfiddich- Speyside
Glengrant- Speyside
Glenlivet- Speyside
Glenlivet- Nadurra (coming)
Glenlivet-16 Bourbon Finish (coming)
Glenmorangie- Highland
Glenrothes- Speyside
Johny Walker Black- Blend
Johny Walker Red- Blend
Macallan 12- Highland
Scapa- Isles/ Orkney
Springbank- Cambeltown
Talisker- Isles/ Skyy

We are chasing down:

Ardberg- Islay
Auchentoshan- Lowland

Famous Grouse- well

And when I'm done, I'm gonna get on the the phone with Richard Patterson and place the crown on this thing, so to speak.

Of all the things we are doing to make this beverage program exceptional, this is my favorite. My pet project. I'm gonna keep messing with her, bringing back the emerging spirits from abroad. Wait until I can drop in the Drambuie 15 Spey!

Sneak Peak: The Featured Wines are about to become one fine adventure! I'm kinda giggling as I write these words...

What hurts Scotch whisky's (without the "e") chances in the land of Bourbon is that it has an uphill battle against the local drink.

I don't claim to be an expert, but if it's okay I'd like to make a few suggestions: You've lumped blended Scotch in with single malts. They are two radically different beasts. On the blended side I'd suggest you add Dewar's in place of Johnnie Walker Red.

On your single malt list, in my opinion your list is a little heavy on the Glens. You'd get me showing up for a wee dram if you included Oban. It's from where the HIghlands (the ones in Scotland) meet the sea. Another favorite is Tobermory from the islands, though I haven't seen it in retail stores around Louisville. And by all means seek out single malts that were aged in Bourbon barrels.

If you're serious about Scotch whiskies, you really should read Michael Jackson's bible on the subject.

[Robin Garr]

What Steve said, although you've got the Talisker, so you'll lure in Mary ... and me.

No Laphroaig??

Lagavulin16 . Lahgahvoolin.

Now, the Oban is a really good idea- I like it. Maybe we run on that in the near future. Tobermory isn't distributed here, so I'd have to break a law or two for that one.

With regards to the Glens- you've actually hit on what's kinda cool about my side-business. I get a bunch of free sample bottles sent to me for marketing and product placement purposes. It's one of the ways that I'm able to keep costs low for Majid and our guests- I don't have to spend $50 on the Glenrothes, I get it free.



I do have Dewars. It's in an area that I overlooked when I compiled that list- my active calls. I actually keep two bottles, one on each side of the bar behind the ice wells. Thanks for pointing that out.

It's funny- we used to sell a good lot of JWB and JWR. With the new whiskys though, sales of those products have slowed to a crawl.

Now, the Laguvulin. I should probably bring her back on. She is delicious. Laphroig too. I kinda figured I'd try a less-traveled route with the Talisker and Ardberg. Then toss in the Scarpa. That's a tricky one- from the most northwestern island towards Iceland. More sea than peat, the distillery is manned by three people. It's that remote.

Oh! The Dalmore and my friend Richard Patterson. Once or twice a year the distributor will run a great deal on the 12 and 15. buy a 15 and get two bottles of the 12 for free. I'm kind of holding out for this. I could always bring in some of his more irreverent bottlings- like the Pig's Nose or Sheep Dip, but nah- wait for the real McCoy, I think.

At the end of the day, I think whisky lists should be organic- ebbing and flowing with opportune market tides...

More a collection than selections, if you get my drift.

Do they have Sciotch Whisky conventions and events in the States? We have them all the time across the Continent. Where distillers set up stands, offer tastings, hold seminars, etc. Frankfurt has one each year with probably 40 distillers/spirits groups.... really interesting seminars. Surely Chicago would have something like this?

Do they have Sciotch Whisky conventions and events in the States? We have them all the time across the Continent. Where distillers set up stands, offer tastings, hold seminars, etc. Frankfurt has one each year with probably 40 distillers/spirits groups.... really interesting seminars. Surely Chicago would have something like this?

They do, from time to time, but Bourbon is America's national spirit. So there's that.

Here's a link to one such event...

http://www.bourbonblog.com/blog/2011/02 ... las-vegas/

Just a side comment on the Oban. I grew up and still am a Scotch drinker although since coming to Louisville I also appreciate a good Bourbon! I enjoy most of the single malts around and certainly the ones you mentioned earlier but to me Oban has way too much peat in its flavor and I feel like I'm chewing peat moss instead of drinking an expensive whisky.

Just a side comment on the Oban. I grew up and still am a Scotch drinker although since coming to Louisville I also appreciate a good Bourbon! I enjoy most of the single malts around and certainly the ones you mentioned earlier but to me Oban has way too much peat in its flavor and I feel like I'm chewing peat moss instead of drinking an expensive whisky.

Mark, I never thought I'd like the taste of peat in my whisky. Then Stephen gave me some peaty Scotch (don't remember which one) at the whisky tasting at Majid's and I really liked it. Recently someone recommended the Oban to me and I've been thinking about it ever since.

Sounds like Stephen doesn't have Oban at the moment. Doe's anyone have it behind the bar so I might have some before I spring for a whole bottle? Cheers

[Robin Garr]

Mark, I never thought I'd like the taste of peat in my whisky.

Peat IS Scotch! And seasmoke, too. Gotta love those island malts ...

Just a side comment on the Oban. I grew up and still am a Scotch drinker although since coming to Louisville I also appreciate a good Bourbon! I enjoy most of the single malts around and certainly the ones you mentioned earlier but to me Oban has way too much peat in its flavor and I feel like I'm chewing peat moss instead of drinking an expensive whisky.

Mark, I never thought I'd like the taste of peat in my whisky. Then Stephen gave me some peaty Scotch (don't remember which one) at the whisky tasting at Majid's and I really liked it. Recently someone recommended the Oban to me and I've been thinking about it ever since.

Sounds like Stephen doesn't have Oban at the moment. Doe's anyone have it behind the bar so I might have some before I spring for a whole bottle? Cheers

Let me speed this up for you...

Spring for the whole bottle. Oban is unique in that it is on the Westernmost coast of Scotland. It is fed by the Atlantic Current Air. It's one of the more balanced of the styles. Sea + Peat + Age. It's within the Highland Classification but doesn't really belong there. Truly an expression of the place and the people. Very cool.

We havent even begun talking about the Springbank, from the Cambeltown Region- in the Southwest. This whisky comes from the area where the famous Maelstrom rises from time-to-time. It's kind of like a distilling Madagascar there. Also very cool.

Just a side comment on the Oban. I grew up and still am a Scotch drinker although since coming to Louisville I also appreciate a good Bourbon! I enjoy most of the single malts around and certainly the ones you mentioned earlier but to me Oban has way too much peat in its flavor and I feel like I'm chewing peat moss instead of drinking an expensive whisky.

Mark, I never thought I'd like the taste of peat in my whisky. Then Stephen gave me some peaty Scotch (don't remember which one) at the whisky tasting at Majid's and I really liked it. Recently someone recommended the Oban to me and I've been thinking about it ever since.

Sounds like Stephen doesn't have Oban at the moment. Doe's anyone have it behind the bar so I might have some before I spring for a whole bottle? Cheers

Let me speed this up for you...

Spring for the whole bottle. Oban is unique in that it is on the Westernmost coast of Scotland. It is fed by the Atlantic Current Air. It's one of the more balanced of the styles. Sea + Peat + Age. It's within the Highland Classification but doesn't really belong there. Truly an expression of the place and the people. Very cool.

We havent even begun talking about the Springbank, from the Cambeltown Region- in the Southwest. This whisky comes from the area where the famous Maelstrom rises from time-to-time. It's kind of like a distilling Madagascar there. Also very cool.

I just PM'd you but it sounds like we need another whisky tasting. Perhaps Scotch only this time?

I'd love to- it would be a different format from the Sunday School Series. I am running the bar solo on Tuesday nights, though. If we kept it intimate at the bar (and I could stay my hand on the flourishes,) we could do this, no problem.

Just a run-through of the scotch-producing regions, I think, with an emphasis on the Isles and some of the really interesting stories, like Oban.

I'd scoop that up just for this event, to be honest.

Now, the Oban is a really good idea- I like it. Maybe we run on that in the near future. Tobermory isn't distributed here, so I'd have to break a law or two for that one.

This reminds me of our trip to NOLA in early Feb and our visit to Cochon. We talked up the server and the discussion went to bourbon. We were told that they had a much larger selection until the ABC folks came in and started questioning how they purveyed quite few of the bottles.