It wasn't a fair fight. It wasn't even a good idea. On the eve of the celebration of the 248th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence, the Cabinet decided to pitch bourbon against scotch. American whiskey against British whisky. Appalachia against Caledonia. And may the best dram, or snort if you prefer, claim a momentary reaffirmation of history or a rewriting of it. Not that the War of Independence had anything to do with whisky. In fact, America's first military engagement after its victory over the redcoats was in 1794 against its own people in the Whiskey Rebellion wherein federal troops violently asserted the right of Washington to tax whiskey production. Ironic, eh?
But nevermind. This is not about history. This is about the fact that once a year the Cabinet Secretary is inexplicably seized with the optimism that all the chatter about how much better bourbon is becoming has finally developed a basis in fact. Let's jump to the chase and not leave you contorted in suspense. It has not. Bourbon is still... bourbon. Shocking.
Before I go on and stoke a flood of hate mail, let me be clear that I fully recognize that this is completely subjective. Some people love bourbon. Some people love vodka. Some people love water. Everybody has their own preferences. We, at the Cabinet, love scotch. So scotch has an automatic and deep advantage in any contest against any other beverage. But we did try to level the field as much as possible by pitting one of the best reviewed and most expensive bourbons available locally against a middling scotch in the same price range and roughly similar style. Nothing peated. That would be putting Conor McGregor in the ring with... me.
So it was the Michter's Small Batch Kentucky Straight Whiskey against the Auchentoshan Three Wood. The Michter's was fine, but dull. Malt and alcohol. No finish to speak of. Nice colour though. The Auchentoshan Three Wood was also "fine" and also dull, but less dull. Some other stuff was going on in there. We like the other stuff. An easy win. God Save the King.
We also tried the Basil Hayden's Kentucky Bourbon which has a pedigree extending back to just after the Whiskey Rebellion. Also fine but dull.
It was turning into a bit of dud of an evening. Not socially or conversationally, mind you, but with the tasting. Fortunately we had a clever guest that night who brought along a special bottling of a "Secret Speyside" by Glenkeir Treasures, which I understand to be a housebrand for the Whisky Shop. Leif brought it from Edinburgh many years ago. Marvelous. Light in colour and body, but feinty and sharp on the palate with a lovely long finish.
Had George III plied the colonists with something like this, history would have taken a different course. I'm sure of it.
Slainte!
No comments:
Post a Comment