Whisky

It probably won't come as a surprise to hear that I love whisky. I got into it when I was in my late teens. Initially it was an attempt to appear sophisticated and avoid knocking back pints of the piss-water that passed for lager in my local. It didn't take long for me to realise that I quite liked it as well.

First and foremost I love the taste of whisky. Years of tutored tastings at the whisky society at uni have given me a deep appreciation of the finer points of single malt (whisky from only one distillery e.g. Glenlivet). Discovering new ones and revisiting old favourites is a great pleasure. However sometimes drinking something that tastes of whisky hits the spot quite nicely.

This doublethink has resulted in me really enjoying blended whisky (whisky from several distilleries mixed e.g. Famous Grouse). Many malt connoisseurs would be horrified at the idea of knocking back blends but I think it has it's place (well several). Firstly in a hip-flask. Given it's almost impossible to inhale the aromas when drinking from a flask whisky will taste like whisky and not much else. The finer subtleties of individual malts will largely be lost (well to my palette at least). Similarly, after a meal of strong flavours it is almost impossible to appreciate most malts. Finally at the end of a long, hard day when you just need a scotch. In all these cases, blends serve the intended purpose perfectly. Plus it's a LOT cheaper than laying into most single malts. As a rule I also use blends when I'm making whisky cocktails or adding mixers too.

That said, my lasting passion is for single malts. I love the ritual of opening a bottle and pouring a dram, the golden colour of the liquid and the tongue-twister names. Most of all I love the massive variety that can be obtained from one product from a, relatively, small area. Trite as it sounds, the variety available means the saying, "If you don't like whisky, you haven't tried the right one yet." rings rather true. My mother was converted last year on a trip to Arran after a lifetime of loathing whisky. My flatmate didn't like whisky (well Jack Daniels). A dram of Springbank 10 year old created a swift, and evangelical, convert.

To give you an idea of the variety available; Laphroaig (pronounced Lafraig) tastes very peaty, smoky and salty. This hails from Isla. Further north from the Island of Sky comes Talisker which is altogether smoother, sweeter and smokier (I onced described it as like drinking a good cigar to my cost... Every time I poured myself one subsequently, the fire alarm went off!). Both malts come from islands off the west of Scotland but are massively different in character. Compare them to ones from the east of the mainland and you will get even more differences.

Of course it's not just the taste I love. As a nostalgic old romantic at heart I love the idea of the heather-strewn glens with distilleries in them; the idea of a dram by a roaring fire with friends or a wee nip from a hip flask on a cold afternoon. All very picture postcard I know but not all that hard to come by. My favourite whisky of all time, Edradour, is nestled in a small glen just north of Pitlochry at the start of the highlands. As the smallest legal distillery in the world (it's output in a year is slightly less than Glenfiddich's daily output) it is truly picturesque. Horses and carts wouldn't look out of place. The imagery somehow makes the drink all the more enjoyable - not that it isn't in the first place! Even the biggest distilleries are far from soulless industrial complexes. Most are located in the countryside away from built-up areas (a hangover from the days where they had to hide from excisemen) and still manage to look beautiful whilst performing a function.

For me a good whisky is the ideal drink. It perfectly fits moments of celebration, commiseration, contemplation, relaxation and conviviality. It can be enjoyed on one's own or with friends; during every season and at virtually any time of day.

If all this has got you interested in trying some whisky or you want to buy a bottle of decent malt as a present for someone then I can't recommend Highland Park 12 year old highly enough. It is a lovely rich, sweet and slightly smoky whisky with a deep, golden colour. It's wonderfully complex if you want to nose, taste and get all the subtleties. Equally, it tastes of incredible whisky. It also has the distinction of being the most northerly whisky distillery in the world (based on Orkney). At the time of writing, it retails for around £30 a bottle but can usually be found on special offer if you're prepared to shop around a bit. As far as I'm aware, it is also available fairly widly throughout the rest of the world.

If you want something a bit lighter, sweeter or something harder to come by, I would recommend Arran 10 year old from (surprisingly) the isle of Arran. This distillery has been open less than 20 years making it positively embryonic in whisky terms. That said, it produces wonderful whiskies. At one tasting the 10 year old was described as a, "breakfast whisky" because it was light enough to be drunk with breakfast (or any time before or after). For this, you should expect to pay around £35 a bottle and isn't discounted as frequently.

Finally, if price is a big consideration consider Lidl's own brand single malt. I have no idea which region it comes from (Speyside I think) but it's delicious; light, smooth and fruity. It is around £20 a bottle. I'm usually a bit suspicious of own-brand malts but this was recommended by a former colleague who also loves whisky. We both agree it's delicious and a good bargain.

I will end this by paraphrasing a saying I read in a book about cigars but is equally applicable to whisky: Good whisky should always be drunk by way of celebration and what better thing to celebrate than drinking a good whisky!

JR