Spirit of the Trail #4: Javelina Jundred and Whiskey Del Bac Dorado
Last year I was so focused on training for my races that I temporarily set aside my Spirit of the Trail series. And now it’s back! So grab your trail shoes and an empty glass for number four in this playful series. (If you missed the previous installments, you can check them out here.)
If you’re new or need a little reminder on what this series is all about, I pair a trail experience (hike/run/race) with a whiskey. It might be based on the physical trail itself or a specific situation that occurred on that adventure. The goal of this post is to distill (see what I did there) the experience of both a trail and whiskey, with the hope you learn something new. I want to inspire exploration out on the trails and in your glass!
The Trail:
I’ve completed the Javelina Jundred twice – in 2017 and 2019, as well as paced a friend in 2018. So I’m quite familiar with it’s charms and challenges. Javelina is run in McDowell Mountain Regional Park outside of Fountain Hills, Arizona. I was struck by the beauty of the area (turns out the desert isn’t boring). The supportive community and unique party atmosphere of the race is unlike any I’ve ever experienced. It’s mostly a wide, welcoming, runnable trail, with only a few miles of a cholla-lined rocky section to keep it spicy. It’s not an easy race, due to the relentless heat of the day, but is a great entry point into the ultra world. This area is particularly beautiful during sunrise or sunset, with the saguaro in silhouette against a pastel sky and the Four Peaks as the backdrop.
Fun Trail Fact:
Just after sunset, you can hear coyotes yipping for about 15 minutes. It’s a cool experience… but definitely makes you wonder if you’re hallucinating since you’re 60+ miles into a 100-mile desert race.
The Whiskey:
I was first introduced to Whiskey Del Bac’s Dorado (Tuscon, Arizona) during Westland’s Fifth Annual Peat Week in 2019. I was immediately struck by the campfire smoke on the nose. The flavor has strong notes of campfire/barbeque smoke but isn’t overwhelmed by it. It’s like the heat of the fading desert sunset. Because it’s from the desert, it has none of the vegetal or iodine notes of peaty Islay malts. Because of this, it would be a great entry into the world of smoky whiskey. It’s got a mild spice, just like that cholla-lined section of the trail. But it smooths out nicely for that puff of smoke to dissipate. There’s a hint of refreshing menthol on the finish, just like the cool nighttime hours of Javelina, under a star-studded sky.
Fun Whiskey Fact:
Del Bac uses mesquite wood instead of traditional peat to malt their barley. This creates a smoky flavor that is uniquely from the American Southwest. They got into using mesquite for malting because they had wood scraps leftover from making furniture and noticed it’s tasty effect on BBQ. And why not try it with single malt whiskey? I’d say the delicious results speak for themselves.
Here’s to more adventures out on the trail and in your glass. Sláinte!
