Tastes

Good lord. Imagine a tiny Cuban cigar manufacturing plant is splitting the rent with a fireworks emporium. It's the Fourth of July. There's beef jerky on the roof; half being smoked the other half baking in the sun. This warehouse is located in your mouth. There's a spectacular explosion after a careless worker takes a smoke break on the wrong side of the aforementioned warehouse. Keep your mouth closed. Delicious, no? If your response is negative, there's no place for you in America. Or Cuba. Or Scotland, I suppose. This beautiful little firecracker in a bottle is the perfect representative for Islay, both physically (I'm a sucker for a pretty bottle) and taste-budily. And yes, I'm aware that is not a word. There was just a massacre in my mouth, I have other things on my mind. edit: after a few years of whisky tasting this falls down a notch into the average category. it's certainly not bad, but once i got a feel of what else is out there, it puts this into perspective. That, plus the price has risen from $45 to $100 so...

While perusing my local catch-all emporium (Costco) this squat, precocious little bottle caught mine eye. Though hesitant to put forth forty-five dollars for a Brown-Forman product (I’ve been burned before. I’m looking at you, double-oaked) I bit the bulleit and readily placed it in my cart next to my non-gmo vegetables, organic hummus, and shop-vac. Upon returning home I excitedly popped the cork and aggressively shoved my nose over the mouth of the bottle. Inhaling enthusiastically, I began to choke and sputter. I put the bottle down and took a step back, eyeing it suspiciously. After regaining composure, I assured myself it was simply the nose of an un-aged rye, nothing to fear, really. Arms extended, I gingerly poured myself a glass. Nodding to myself confidently I, breathing through my mouth, took a sip. Now I wish I could report that the taste had some redeeming qualities, something to make up for the assaulting and abrasive scent, but I can’t. I will say, however, that shop-vacs are excellent at getting non-Newtonian fluids out of carpet.