Monday 25 January 2010

#366 - A Brave New World

It's 'Burns Night' tonight - as good an opportunity as any to pour myself a stiff dram and kick off this second phase (or actually the third phase) of my 'Liquid Log' on MM

I started my log about single malt whisky in 1997; well over a decade ago. That whisky log wasn't actually a "blog'' in the modern sense of the word yet; I never intended to confront readers with my rants and raves every day like Serge manages to do on his excellent WhiskyFun website. 

But wait, there's more... 
The general population didn't have the opportunity to comment on the articles, other than by e-mail. This new blog from Google should allow me to do some stuff I couldn't do on my old 'HTML' blog on Malt Madness... For one thing, I should be able to share 'external' links much easier than on Malt Madness. The software I've been using to publish the main Malt Madness website since 1999 tends to become unstable if I use too many external links. As a result, I was never able to use a lot of links to other websites. Google LOVES links, so I should be able to use much more links in my posts... 

So, I'll finally be able to use the full interactivity of the interwebs in my rants and raves... For example, one external link to a quirky website I'd like to share is 'Sip, Smoke, Savor'. I have to admit that I would NEVER pollute a fine single malt with chocolate or a cigar myself, but I've come to accept the fact that there are people who are less fundamentalistic about these matters than I am. Besides, my objections only concern the mixing of good whisky (or rum, or cognac) with chocolate and/or cigars - they can actually IMPROVE my enjoyment of a glass of Jack Daniels or Johnnie Walker Red Label. So, check out www.sipsmokesavor.com and see what you think...

Meanwhile, I'm suffering from a 'bad nose day' yet again, so opening one of the circa 200 samples with new discoveries tonight would be pearls before swine. Instead, I'll try to polish off some of the bottles that have been on my shelves for far too long, quite frankly... All are still more than half full so they're probably all still drinkable, but most will have changed considerably. Take the Macallan-Glenlivet 8yo 1989/1997 (61.5%, Milroy's Speyside Reserve) for example -a rare bottling from the 1990's with a little sticker that corrects the 62.5% that's printed on the label. It starts out much fruitier in the nose than a few years ago, but after a few seconds painty aroma's take over. Not much complexity left. On the palate it's sweeter but also smoother - more like an Irish or a grain whisky. No, wait - now the complexity actually returns in the nose with blueberries and gentle marzipan. Later on some spices too - that's a nice surprise! And when I checked the Malt Maniacs Monitor I found our that I hadn't submitted my score yet - 84 points. When I opened it I wasn't too enthusiastic, but I need to give a small whisky tasting on wednesday and I think I'll bring this one too...

That's already 'it' for today. I have to get on my home trainer now to lose some of the superfluous fat on my body. I hate the wasting of time, but at least my bachelor's life allowed me to put my home trainer in front of the TV so I can watch the news while I torture myself. I doubt Robbie Burns ever took the time to excersise - and look where that got him ;-)

(Click HERE to read older entries in my Liquid Log) 

Sweet drams,