Hooch, Man #1

I am terribly pleased to introduce another recurring feature here at the Cigar- namely 'Hooch, Man' a celebration of all thing alcohol-related. Today's feature focuses on my personal poison of choice, whiskey- but future features might focus on local bars, beers, wines or especially delicious cocktails I come across.

I suppose it was my Grandad who got me into whiskey seriously. I never really had an appreciation for the stuff- but after he died, I picked up a bottle of 16-year old Lagavulin and drained a dram in his memory and after that, I was hooked. Learning about the different tastes that come from different regions- the methods of tasting whiskey, sniffing it and generally sipping on what is genuinely delicious stuff pretty much most of the time.

To warn everyone: I don't really do blended scotch- at least not yet. I did try some Johnnie Walker Red way, way back in the day but it was stolen before I really had a chance to sample it extensively. But single malts are my one true vice- hence why I only usually go through about two a year, if that... they're good for the very good days and the very bad days, for the victories and the defeats. And if I can always have a good bottle of scotch laying around, then my vice will be forever satisfied.

The current bottle I'm working through is a very nice bottle of Glenmorangie, The Quinta Ruban- the tasting broke down this way:

Glenmorangie
Quinta Ruban: Port Cask, Extra Matured

Color: Amber
Brightness: A dark, golden level of brightness- deep is what I would call it.
Legs: The legs usually refer to the slick that emerges on the sides of the glass when you swirl the liquid in the glass- the slower the legs move, the higher the viscosity and alcohol content- and the legs for the Quinta Ruban seem to be long indeed.

Smell: Sweet- honey, cherries and maybe a hint of chocolate. You can smell the port.
Taste: Smooth. That's the only way to describe this one. It sits very nicely on the tongue and goes down so smooth.

Aftertaste: Warm- but not harsh, like the Lagavulin was. I read later that a lot of Islay Malts use peat in the distillation process, which is what gives the Islay Malts their smokey flavor.

Food Combiations (from Glenmorangie.com): Venison, chocolate, nuts and beetroot AND duck with orange, chocolate and rose petals.

My Verdict: Damn Good Stuff. If you're just dipping your toes into the pool of whiskey-tasting, this would be a good one to start out with. It's smooth and goes down very nicely and the aromas are beautiful and the taste is excellent.