Budget

 The Cabinet met indoors in the hallowed Cabinet Chambers for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. It was wonderful. Outdoor meetings have their own charm and will continue to be in the mix, but it doesn't fully and properly feel like "Cabinet" unless we are ensconced in our natural habitat. We also had full attendance, which does not often happen.

The theme was "Budget". The Cabinet did not assess dues for 2021 as we weren't sure how many meetings we would be able to have, so buying was still from the remnants of the 2020 budget. With $200 (Canadian) left in the kitty, I was curious whether I would be able to find three bottles that would pass muster and stay within budget. I was also curious, as always, how price and enjoyability correlated. On the first question, the answer was mostly yes (two thirds), and on the second question, the answer was that price and enjoyability are poorly correlated.

We tasted the Glen Moray Port Cask ($50), Laphroaig Select ($65), and the Tomatin Cu Bocan ($85). These are all NAS whiskies ("non age statement", if you're not up on your acronyms). The Cabinet, although fond of many traditions, has come around to the opinion that age statements are not necessarily the mark of superior quality we once assumed they were. Several excellent whiskies are NAS, while several abhorrent ones have age statements. Age statements do, however, give you some sense as to what to expect because of the influence of the oak over time, but oh well.

The Glen Moray was a pleasant surprise for the price point. It's a very serviceable Speyside with no unpleasant surprises. You can drink it and say to yourself, 'ah, this is scotch', and that's it. Sometimes that's all you want, and for $50 you could do far worse.

The Laphroaig was the standout star of the evening. It's everything you expect from a Laphroaig, with the smokiness perhaps being even more pronounced than with some of the other expressions. In fact, I had the faint sensation of ash in my mouth. Marvelous! The Laphroaig Lore is almost three times the price, but is it almost three times more enjoyable? (This is a rhetorical question. How can something be almost three times better than marvelous?)

That brings us finally to the Tomatin. We had been disappointed by this distillery before, but we also believe in second chances. It's peated and the box promised smoke. Perhaps our palates had been fatigued by the Laphroaig, but we could not detect any smoke or peat character. This might also be because this is a big whisky with a lot going on. Usually we criticize whiskies for being too thin and dull. This is the opposite, but it is a muddled mess of flavours competing with each other. Not a symphony, but more like a loud grade school orchestra that's never practiced together. The most expensive whisky of the night, although at $85 not truly 'expensive', so no great loss either.

Ivan took many great photos, so I will include them all as I bid you Slainte! until the next time.