I’m sure most have heard the phrase “On any given Sunday“, which is a short version of “On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team“. In my experience, the same can be said about whisk(e)y . . . to some extent. “Any” is probably too generous (I can’t imagine the day when I would find Buffalo Trace more to my liking than George T Stagg), but there are absolutely days when I like a particular whisk(e)y more or less.
We’ve talked about the variables that impact whisk(e)y, but the dram is only a part of the equation – lest we forget about the drinker and the environment. When it comes to the drinker – there are a lot of things that could impact what WE sense, including time of day, what we’ve had to eat prior, how hydrated we are, if we’re suffering from seasonal allergies, if we’ve got (or are just overcoming) a head-cold, or any number of other things. It’s easy to know when you’ve got a cold, but there are days I feel perfectly fine, have poured a dram that I’m fairly familiar with, and it doesn’t taste right to me. Maybe I get the herbal notes but I’m missing most of the sweetness (I personally find this happens after a head-cold – sometimes for a week or more). Or I get a bit of everything I expect to, but it feels like the volume was turned down. Sometimes I get almost nothing but alcohol – which is when I pour it back in the bottle and tap out for the day.
Let me share a quick story. I’m with a gathering of whisk(e)y friends, where we’ve got 30+ bottles on the table and everyone is welcome to sample whatever you want. There’s been food, drink, and some cigar smoking on the back porch, as well as plenty of laughs. Someone brings out a decanter that is damned impressive looking, and passes it around – but isn’t saying what it is. I think to myself that it might be one of the best pours I’ve had all night. It strikes me as well balanced, sweet with fruit, oak, and spice notes, and a finish that doesn’t quit. After much debate about what this marvelous dram was, he discloses it was ‘just Macallan 12 yr’ in a decanter that cost more than the bottle of whisk(e)y.
My point is this: our enjoyment of the water of life is about more than the liquid itself. While the spirit is important, take time to appreciate the setting, and savor those moments spent with friends and family over a glass of the water of life. When I think of my most fond whisk(e)y memories, the first thing I recall is who I was with – not necessarily what we were drinking.
Cheers!
Gary