Angus Meat and Old Malt

I and two other bloggers (their blogs may be found here and here) went to a local promotional event for Macallan scotch whisky. I had previously gone to a promotional event for Johnny Walker Black in New York City, where a Johnny Walker representative gave us several of the component scotches in Johnny Walker Black and then asked us to try the end product. My takeaway? Forty ugly, disgusting, or plain old flavorless scotches make one tolerable blended malt.

Me? I generally drink the Balvenie Doublewood 12, which is a smooth, complex scotch which is also not ruinously expensive per bottle. My good friend and blogger Emily2 loves the Lagavulin, which is peatier, if I remember.

Anyway, the event began with everyone getting some hors d'oeurves (little veal cutlets with blue cheese foam for dipping, cheeseburgers with caramelized onions, mushroom puffs, little pizza roll-like things with nacho cheese inside) and some Macallan Fine Oak 10, which tastes like something you'd get if you really like Dewar's but want a classier label. Maybe there was too much ice in mine, but it wasn't great.

That was the last mediocre scotch, though. We tried a succession of scotches, each with a video clip to show us how long ago the scotch was laid down. 2007 is a bad year for memories, but at least they showed us clips of the first Gulf War, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the OJ trial, and not reminded those of us under thirty of the awkwardness of our teen years.

The first scotch was the Fine Oak 15. A strong but smooth scotch, it's similar to the Balvenie. The second scotch was the Fine Oak 17, which was like a light caramel mixed with a hard scotch. I liked it a lot.

Then there were the spanish oak scotches. The 12 tasted a lot like sherry, and it's aged in sherry casks, and the 18 just tasted darned awesome. If I had $200 to blow on scotch, it's a contender.

The $300/bottle Macallan 25 was not to be seen. But no matter, I got a free glass and sample of Macallan 12 out of the whole affair. Score for me!