Heaven & Hell

 Ok, "hell" is an exaggeration. Consider it click bait. I could have called this post "Contrast" instead, but you have to admit that "Heaven & Hell" has more zip to it. Last week The Cabinet met to compare the two least favoured whiskies (hell) that remain in our stocks with two that we love (heaven). If this seems like a senseless exercise to you, then you may be right, but the objective was to determine just how wide that gap is, and, to be candid, to find a way to use the duds.

Dud Number One was the Cragganmore, Distiller's Edition. It has a lovely label and comes in a fine box, but to quote Gertrude Stein, "There's no there there." She was referring to Oakland, but the expression resonates here. Yes, it's scotch whisky, but there's no nose, no finish, and little in between - just malt and alcohol. It's not offensive, but that is about it. Possibly a good starter whisky for someone graduating from 'lite' beer.

Dude Number Two, the 12 year old Cardhu was even more dudish. It also lacked nose and finish and character, but was a bit rough as well. Enough said. 

  

Now that we've refamiliarized ourselves with what we don't like, let's move on to what we do like. We like the Oban 14 year old. We like it a lot. It's a long standing Cabinet favourite that you can read about in previous posts. And it continues to delight, despite the pours coming from an old bottle. More on that in a moment.  

Then the finale, a new bottle of Bowmore 18 year old. This was everything whisky heaven offers - complexity, subtlety, balance, the whole package. Perfect right from the feinty smoky nose through to the leathery citrusy taste, and the full creamy mouthfeel, right to the long long finish. 

So, in case there was ever any doubt, there is an enormous distance between a good whisky and a bad one. The good ones may cost twice or three times the bad ones, but the improvements in quality and enjoyment are many times that. Cheap whisky is a species of false economy. Rather one glass of Bowmore or Oban than two or three Cardhu or Cragganmore.

A word about oxygenation before we go. The Bowmore was the only fresh bottle and that clearly gave it a leg up. The flavours were all brighter and livelier. Even our beloved Oban was just a bit flatter and duller than we remembered, and it came from an old, long opened, bottle. This is a topic we will return to and explore in more depth in the future.

Until then, allow me to report what a pleasure it was to gather The Cabinet and sip whiskies, heavenly or hellish, and talk about the news of the world and our lives - profane, profound, and hilarious as always.

Slainte!