Jura Superstition

Jura is the only whisky on this island just a stone's throw from Islay. The distillery has a long history, though its working has been interrupted at various points. The modern incarnation dates to 1963 when the rebuilt distillery began production. Jura's Superstition is advertised as the smokey version of the classic malt, but to be honest I got very little smoke from my tasting. The color is a deep copper and the nose is quite closed at first. There are some light sherry notes, not the peat or smoke I expected. Without water (it's bottled at 43% ABV), the whisky is round and smooth, with some spice and a drying aftertaste like the tannins from nuts (Brazil, filberts). With water the scotch releases some woody notes, still the light sherry, and maybe peach fuzz. After 45 minutes or so in the glass it gets sweeter and smoother, but overall I found it an underwhelming drink.

A young Laphroaig

On a recent trip to the local liquor store, I overheard someone explain to his friend that older whiskies/wines/whatever are better than younger ones. This eight year old Laphroaig from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society proves this is wrong. Despite its short time in the barrel, this is vintage Lapgroaig -- it has a light pinot grigio-like color and weighs in at 58.2% ABV (it comes from a refill hogshead ex-bourbon cask). The nose has the trademark smoke and iodine of Laphroaig, but also biscuits, wet stones on a cold beach, weather-beaten leather (I kid you not!), citrus peel and just a faint whiff of sea-weed. With water it develops an unlit cigarette smell and sweet maple, with an undertone of campfire smoke. It is a powerful, yet sweet whisky that explodes on the tongue without water (as you would expect at this alcohol level), but calms down considerably without losing the complex flavors as you add water. This is one of those whiskies that you will never find exactly the same profile for again, but wish you had bought a case of when you had the chance.

Yamazaki 12 year old

Yamazaki is one of the very few Japanese whiskies you can buy in the United States, which is a shame, given the growing reputation Japan has for producing many and varied whiskies of quality. The Yamazaki comes from Suntory (of Lost in Translation fame, yes) and is bottled at 43% alcohol by volume. It is a light straw-gold color and has a sweet, biscuity nose with some floral notes. Before adding water, the whisky has some spice, but is very smooth and easily drinkable without further dilution. Once I added water, the biscuits were still there, but the floral notes die down to be replaced by some more honey notes, and hints of smoke. It seems like a Canadian whisky with more backbone and character (sorry, Canada). A very pleasant drink, if simple and unchallenging to the palate.

Bordeaux

Today's New York Times has a piece about the falling popularity of Bordeaux wines. I think Bordeaux does suffer from a reputation set by the big boys (Ch. Margaux and all them), the bewildering array of below classification wines (i.e., not first or fifth growths) -- quite a few of them not very good and more expensive than wines from other regions -- and a stodgy image. After all, who wants to put down $35 for a bottle that turns out to be just average (or even$70), when some Yellow Tail is $8 and goes down a treat?

So what happened to all the whisky?

I noticed that most of my recent posts have been about food safety, sustainable agriculture, and the like. These are all very important issues and ones I continue to follow, but fear not, I will have some real whisky reviews and other things for you shortly. In fact, I have a flight of Bowmores that I will put up shortly, the Yamazaki 12 year old and a 23 year old Mortlach for you to ponder soon. I have made a pledge, though, to reduce my consumption of alcohol to one night during the week, so there may be gaps between tastings in the future again.

For Animals, Grass Each Day Keeps Doctors Away - Food - The Atlantic

A response to a previous posting at the Atlantic on the relative safety of pastured versus confined animals. Good read: For Animals, Grass Each Day Keeps Doctors Away - Food - The Atlantic

Is Free-Range Meat Making Us Sick? - Food - The Atlantic

It is worthwhile asking whether alternatives to industrial farming also carry risks for consumers, as this post from the Atlantic does: Is Free-Range Meat Making Us Sick?. Some of the comments are interesting and (semi-) informative. I suppose that vegetarianism is one answer, but as one commenter pointed out, even veggies can carry diseases. When it comes to pork, though, there is a relatively easy way to deal with trichinosis (cook the heck out of your meat, or at least to a suitable temperature to kill the bug).

Round-up Resistant Weeds

I meant to link to this article in the NYT about new "Super weeds" that are resistant to the most common pesticides. The NYT also has a running commentary on it here. I think it only takes a rudimentary knowledge of evolutionary theory to realize this was bound to happen -- weeds adapting to withstand pesticides we develop.

A Shepherd of the Vines

I liked this article about the farmer in Sonoma valley who deliberately plants and grows vines that cannot be picked by machine. Read it the article here: A Shepherd of the Vines - Food - The Atlantic