Easygoing Weekend

It’s been one of those weeks, and I was sooo grateful for the arrival of the weekend. Time to be productive (cooking and cleaning) and time to relax (reading and whisky). Adulthood just isn’t quite as glamorous as you thought it would be when you were 5 years old. 😉

Since we had no dramatic run this weekend (stay tuned for next weekend), it’s a perfect time to catch up on some whiskies we’ve tried out recently. It’s always fun to taste them together and see how our notes compare.

First, one that was a gift from a friend for helping her out. Caol Ila is from Islay, which is a Scottish region I’m working on learning to love (as noted here). I will say that in general, their whiskies are complex and interesting, but not always the easiest for me to drink. This whisky is remarkably different from anything else we have on our whisky shelf at the moment – it’s the new friend at the party who’s from out of town, dressed a bit differently, but everyone thinks he’ll fit in with time. (Too much? Anyway…)

Caol Ila 12 Yr Old

Single Malt Scotch (Islay) 43% ABV

Nose: Peaty, peppermint, campfire. Smells like a “man’s whisky.”

Palate: Smoke, briny, little sweetness comes out with some water.

Notes: Long finish. Not too fiery, and not overwhelming smoky. A nice change-up from “the usual” for me (sherry-finished Scotches)

Next, a local one from a favorite distillery of ours – Sound Spirits. They make a good variety of spirits, and their Depth Cacao liqueur is my favorite. It’s made with Theo Chocolate nibs, and it smells and tastes amazing. OH, and most importantly, they have a distillery cat named Mr. Cho, and he’s friendly and adorable. Back to the whiskey, though. They’ve been maturing a single malt for 2.5 years and finally released it.

Madame Damnable Single Malt

Single Malt Whiskey (USA) 44% ABV

Nose: Oak, vanilla

Palate: Not overly complex, but tasty. Spicy, with oak and vanilla. Reminds me of a bourbon.

Notes: I’d love to see what it would taste like in a few years. Perhaps even with a finishing cask to round it out a bit.

A long while back I had gotten some samples from Master of Malt Drinks by the Dram (a favorite of mine for samples), and we had two that we hadn’t tried out yet. They’re both from distilleries that I’m not familiar with, so I was glad to add them to my log.

Tomintoul 14 Yr Old

Single Malt Scotch (Speyside) 46% ABV

Nose: Initially a bit minty to me, almost piney. But settles into pear, green apple.

Palate: Bright, a bit tart. Light, green fruits (pear, green apple again). Bit punchier than expected, but water helps. It does taste good, but it’s just brighter than expected.

Notes: Quick finish, but good.

Old Pulteney 17 Yr Old

Single Malt Scotch (Highland) 46% ABV

Nose: Balanced, noses like a very typical Highland Scotch.

Palate: Again, balanced, but “some movement” in the flavor profile. Fruity, sweet, warming. Long finish with an herbal note. The finish is really where I notice anything that catches my attention.

Notes: Very balanced, but nothing terribly interesting. Pleasant and very drinkable.

After all this tasty whisky earlier in the weekend, we evidently both wanted to Beat the Blerch on our Sunday morning run. 🙂

It was a gorgeous, brisk morning out. It was mostly clear and many folks were out and enjoying the day. I have to say, I love how some people now know about Beat the Blerch. We got a couple comments on our shirts while out on our run – a rarity!

Hopefully this low-key weekend with a bit o’ whisky will help prepare us for next weekend’s awesomeness!