Thursday, March 25, 2010

Irish whiskey

John Hansell recently asked what is Irish whiskey on his blog. It's a good question in some respects, because supposedly everyone "knows" what Scotch is or Bourbon (never mind that there can be quite a bit of variation within those categories). A generalization is that Irish whiskey is triple distilled, while scotch is double distilled (actually, several scotches are triple distilled, including Auchentoshan), and a much lighter, fruitier drink. Actually, Irish whiskey can have quite a bit of variation, including the Connemara from Cooley.

Connemara is a peated single malt that looks a bit like a rich chardonnay in the glass. I found it had an incredibly fresh, sweet nose like fresh apples and just a light undertone of smoke. It bursts on the tongue with a little spice and lots of fruit, maybe pear. At 40% abv, this is quite drinkable without any water added, but a little water does release some more floral notes in the background. The sweetness dominates, though, coming closer to a vidal blanc or similar white wine with some residual sugar. This whiskey is light and elegant, despite a short finish. Although peated, it is not anywhere near the levels of an Ardbeg, Bowmore or Laphroaig. That said, the peat is definitely there -- just enough to tease and please.

Fewer, but busier bees

For those who haven't heard about the potential crisis in bee colony collapses, here's an op-ed in today's New York Times that discusses the problem and its impact.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

In Rural Vermont, From Famine to Fork - Food - The Atlantic

I have to admit that I could probably happily spend most of my time reading about the culinary and agricultural revolution that is in the offing. Here's one on a small town in rural Vermont that a very reliable source tells me is the butt of many a joke.

In Rural Vermont, From Famine to Fork - Food - The Atlantic

Friday, March 19, 2010

Who's got a ticket to ride... the rollercoaster?

I do, I do! So excited to snag a bottle of the new Ardbeg Committee bottling called Rollercoaster. I can't wait to try it.

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Johnnie Walker Blue label

You spend enough money on something, you expect to be blown away, or at least to be suitably impressed. Blue Label is one of those whiskies. Geared towards the high-end market, you can spend upwards of $200 a bottle for this blend of "finest rare whiskies." (It's actually not since the Blue Label George V edition has older and rarer whiskies). So inevitably perhaps, Blue Label disappoints. I have tried tiny samples before and not gotten much out of it, but I figured it was worth another go with a bottle sold at close to a bargain price (and earning 10 to 1 frequent flier miles in duty free!).

Blue is quite smooth as one would expect, but the promised smoke is much subtler than promised and the spice goes in and out. It would be unfair to compare it to a single malt, so I take the other concoctions from Hiram Walker and sons as a bench-mark instead, especially the ubiquitous black label and the refined gold (12 and 18 year old blends, respectively). The 12 is livelier, as one would expect, but also well balanced, whereas the gold's smoothness is indistinguishable (to this amateur's palate) from the blue. So, although Blue is a fine whisky, it's nothing to rave about. I would suggest investing your money in three bottles of gold or five to six bottles of black (or some combination thereof) instead.