A beverage of leisure

Colours that tell us a lot about aroma, taste, and a state of mind!

Leisure never comes alone. It brings with it a lot of other friends… some go along with books, some with words as they are in a conversation, some with game-playing, and some chill out with their beverage of leisure!

‘Aha! What is a beverage of leisure?’ asked his friend Ginger, ‘is it something that you add to your leisure moments or is it something that adds leisure to your moments?’

Now this was not such a simple query and needed a lot of deliberation, a leisurely deliberation to answer it. He just got up, paced the long length of the room a couple of times in deep thought and then ambled off to the kitchen. The friend was confused when he saw his friend come back with a couple of his prized crystal glasses. But then when the glasses were followed by a bowl-full of ice cubes and then a bottle of Black Dog Whiskey, he smiled and asked, ‘So this is how leisure and moments merge’

‘You got it!’ said Malt, and then took out a book of quotations, flipped a few pages and then spoke, ‘Haruki Murakami writes that whiskey, like a beautiful woman, demands appreciation. You gaze first, then it’s time to drink.’

‘Right,’ agreed Ginger, ‘no rapid gulping and slurping and anything that is even remotely slap-stick would go with the ritual of whiskey drinking.’

‘Yes,’ he replied. No, his name wasn’t malt, but all his friends gave him that epithet as whiskey was one of his fascinations!

The friend than asked him about all the various brands of whisky that were available the world over. ‘Well,’ he answered, ‘Glenlivet 18 year Scotch, Bushmills 16 year Irish whiskey, Origine Bourbon, Glenmorangie 12yr Quinta Ruban Scotch, Glen Taite 19yr Scotch, Glenfiddich 21yr Scotch, Grangestone 12yr Single Malt Scotch, Glengoyne 1996 Scotch, Gibsons 12yr Whisky, and Early Times 354 Bourbon are just a few of the leisure beverages that the world likes.’

Ginger stared as this long list was rattled off without a pause… and Malt savoured the moment before he began again, ‘But I love Black Dog the best of all. This one is matured for 12 years and captures all the flavours of Scotland.’

The magical wonder called ‘Black Dog’!

A shot to emphasize the convergence of woodiness and the tinge of sherry!

Whiskey was then poured into the glasses, by sloshing around 60 ml over a few ice cubes already placed inside. The room was filled with a mellow woody aroma with a tinge of sherry and vanillic sweetness smiling as it went in and out of the aromatic field. No, there was no soft musical notes floating around, no rooms darkened… this scotch had just a lovely translucence to it that light made the its world seem so much better and our conversation with mingled whispers of peatiness of this beverage made any form of music just redundant!

The first sip… and the palate experienced a beautifully rounded, heavy body. Later there were the woodiness and fruity sweetness that became slowly obvious. ‘Hmmm… tastes heavenly,’ said Ginger.

Malt smiled and just looked dreamily through the translucent liquid in his glass. Even the ice cubes seemed happy to be destined to dissolve in such an intoxicating space! As was his habit, Malt again flipped through his favourite book of quotations and paused when he found the right one. He pointed out the words of Raymond Chandler to Ginger. Ginger leaned forward and read:

“There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others.”

‘Point understood,’ he said, ‘but this one is really dancing on my tongue!’

Malt nodded in agreement and told him that it was Walter Millard who named this whiskey ‘Black Dog’. ‘No, it was named after his favourite dog,’ added Malt, on seeing the puzzled expression of his friend, ‘this name was in honour of his favourite fishing fly used in the Spey and Tay rivers!’

‘Impeccable!’ said Ginger appreciatively… and the evening gently rolled on with its mildly informative lilt.

The carton in which this 12 year old Scotch rests!

Review of Black Dog Scotch Whiskey. Thanks to GingerClaps: Facebook | Twitter | Website

Black Dog Facebook page | United Breweries

Arvind Passey
26 September 2012