i heart scotland

When I started this blog, I intended to do more whiskey reviews. I don't think I've done any. Alas, my intentions were failed by simple economics. By beloved product, Scotch, usually goes for $50+ a bottle. I might live in the suburbs, I can't be spending 50 bones a week on a bottle of scotch simply to write a review that 3 people will read. Usually, I sip a dram of Maker's Mark, a fine Kentucky Bourbon.

There's some good news. A fellow blogger is filling the gap for me. Check out the whisky room. A great source of reviews of the beloved single malt.

words to live by

How to taste scotch. A how-to-guide that tugs the heart strings.

drunk dialing

This is fantastic. A phone that prevents you from drunk dialing people.

bring beer

do you ever wonder what it would be like to go to a major league baseball game and bring your own liquor? er...let me rephrase, what if you could bring your own liquor into the baseball stadium without having hide it in a lotion bottle tucked neatly into the side pocket of your (or your date's) purse? In short, if you want a drink, you wouldn't ahve to pay $15.23 for it. Baseball games would be BYOB.

The fine people of Great Britain know how things should work. Cricket is BYOB. I love cricket. And some money hungry bastards are planning on taking away the right of British citizens to bring their own bottles of liquor to an all day cricket match/game/whatever the hell you call it.

Read about it here.

single barrel

For all of you that thought I had forgotten about whiskey...I didn't.

Two weekends ago Elaine and I had a house warming party for our new house-house. My brother warmed the party with a gift which warmed my stomach: Jack Daniels Single Barrel.

As part my commitment to public service, I descended upon the goal of comparing single barrel to Jack original. I poured a little of each into my favorite tumbler. I sipped. I tasted. I pretended I know what I was doing (other than tying on a nice buzz).

Here's my thoughts:
1) Single Barrel tastes better. A lot better. I usually drink Maker's Mark because it has a "fuller" taste than Jack (and because Jack changed their recipe to make a profit). Jack Single Barrel has the same fullness of Maker's Mark, so I like it.

What do I mean by "fullness"? Ever have a cup of weakly brewed folgers coffee, so weak it was almost clear? Compare that to a dark roasted sumatra from your favorite coffee shop. The later is "full." It coats your tongue, feels smooth in your mouth, it's flavor lingers. The former, the folgers, isn't anything; it's mostly just water. I prefer fullness in my whiskey and in my coffee.

2) If you drink 3 glasses of each, you will get drunk.