Gross (not)
I, myself, am a jazz musician and have a degree in music, so I am biased in favor of Art Music of old and modern. Yet, there is something timeless about a Scotch whisky. I utilize the Lagavulin 16 for my review this post for a purpose. The Lagavulin (lagga-voo-lin) means "the hollow where the mill is." Located on the island of Islay, it is on the souther coast bordering the sea. Amongst the 5 main distilling regions of Scotland, the Islay has the most distinct characteristics. One sniff and you immediately know what you are dealing with. It's been said that the first time you have an Islay malt, be in Scotland. The second time, have it elsewhere. I have not yet visited Scotland, so I didn't know what to make of that statement. In tasting the Lagavulin 16, here were my findings.
Color: Amber with a hint of orange
Nose: Sea shore, peat, smoke, full (almost harsh), underlying butter
Taste: Dry, peaty, iodine, warmth, oily, grassy, biscuity, salty
Finish: long, smooth, tar, peaty, warrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm
When I drank, I closed my eyes and an image came to mind. I was on a beach, a cold beach. There was a fire that was lowly burning on the sand while the waves were small sets. It was sunset, almost dusk. Behind me, there was green and in front of me were roasting fish.
That is the Lagavulin distillery. Now I had never seen that until much later after my introduction to Lagavulin. But I'll be damned if that isn't pretty darn close to the image in my head. The creation of a Scotch Whisky is a product of the environment. The water comes from the land nearby. On Islay, there is a multitude of peat, hence the strength of that flavor in the taste. The maturation room shares a wall with the sea: salt, seawater, iodine, seaweed, oils. The drink is where it comes from: the purest expression of origin. Of craftsmanship and love. 16 years it had to sit in a cask to be bottled before gracing my tongue. With such work, it demands a certain pace...
When you pour a dram, you must measure your pour because firstly, it's expensive. A bottle of Lagavulin 16 will run around $60-$80. That's not something to be wasted, drunk too fast, wasted on someone who doesn't appreciate, or spilled. The smell takes you on a journey to the place of inception. Also, to a time past. 16 years ago (more, actually, because Scotch doesn't age in the bottle), this drink was began. You are drinking a piece of history. When my friends and I gather, there is no TV. There is music at an acceptable level to listen to, but not so much to be intrusive. We examine the color, and smell deeeeeeply. Then discuss. Using the vocabulary we know, we do our best (we started simply, and then grew more educated). Then a drink: 1 second for each year old. Exhaaaaale.
Wow.
Then conversation begins. We'll drink maybe 3 or 4 drink over a 4-6 hour hang. Not much. The goal is not one of intoxication, it is of enjoyment of company, of beverage, and an exploration of opinion. The man who truly takes his time with his drink cannot be so obtuse to the opinion of another. When you live the life of a Scotch, you see all sides. You watch the water from spring to sea, you see the peat fire burning, you taste the salt air, and smell the dankness of the maturation room. Feel the heat of the stills, and see the final result. (yes, it may seem like a silly "scotch is a metaphor for life, dude" and well...sort of. Keep reading.)
Youth culture is filled with ways to do things NOW. Texting, emails, Google, fast food, fast cars, hook ups, shots shots shots, loud music, etc etc. Generalization, of course, but there is much truth. What happens when you want to sit and just enjoy a drink? "What's wrong?" "Tappin' out, lightweight?" You can't go drop $40 for club entrance fee and sit and enjoy and discuss ideas. You can barely be heard. Maybe it's a maturation issue. I know I was born an old man. My tastes in music and attitudes towards social conventions will attest to my "old-fogie"ness. But sometime, we all ought to use the mass in our skull. Why can't we talk politics? Really talk, though. Not a shouting match. Not a right vs. wrong. Can there be a final solution to anything? Life is never so simple. Neither is Scotch or the drinking experience. I have good drinking friends of mine who we disagree on some very fundamental things. I'm not terribly religious, am socially liberal (personally conservative), and believe in the good in people. I have friends who are as conservative as they come and as religious as they come. Some are pessimists, some are apathetic. Yet we talk about the most divisive issues with no anger. God. The President. Education funding. Drugs. Abortion. Music. Sex. Anything. I ask because I have a desire to know how they think. What makes them tick. I take an active interest, aided by the thoughtfulness inspired by whisky. If you try to drink it too fast, you'll know to stop. You can't, not with a good scotch. It burns, it fights, it lets you know, "Hey lad, slow down." A forcible slowing down in a world of hectic pace is just what you need. Once you drink, you'll find you can relax without the necessity of getting drunk.
Lagavulin 16 is one of my top 5 scotch whiskies. There's something special about the warmth without the fire that permeates from the finish, keeping you warm. The place it takes you is special. Someday, I wish to visit in reality. But for now, it is a special treat to be shared amongst close friends. You may be an acquaintance at the beginning of the drink, but by the end, you've become a friend of mine. It is a shared experience that lasts long after the finish has left your palate. You will remember who you were with when you first drank a scotch. A story for the ages.
Slàinte mhath!
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