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| STFU |
So it's the winter season and that's peated drams for me, shazam I opened two bottles of Islay whisky, and this is a review of both of them, how they contrast and perhaps, even, how they compliment each other? As I write this, I am sure, things are happening that are more important but that's always the case at all times unless you are saving a bus of babies from crashing into a power plant or something, or even brushing your teeth, so best not to think about all that and just sit back and relax with a whisky while reading this review, if that's what you intend to do. Perhaps, even, you could sit down and read this review with one of the whiskies I am reviewing, or even both, and we will get to that in a second, so I shall just mention that I am reviewing one readily available whisky, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, and a not so available whisky, a Bowmore from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society called En Garde! which has a bottle code of 3.326 and was drawn from a cask that 'rendered' 240 bottles and so on, and indeed, so forth. I will, of course, say that if you have the opportunity to better this world by doing something else other than reading this whisky review, then you should do it, please, don't let this relatively unimportant event stop you from helping, nurturing, supporting and gifting your time to others. The point is, one is expensive and rare, the other is cheap and available. Which will win, are there ever any winners, is the Bowmore worth the 4.5 bottles of Laphroaig Quarter Cask you could buy for the same money? The answer is, of course, no, but it is better. Or is it? Will this opening paragraph ever end? Of course it will, no-one has ever written an infinitely long opening paragraph, of course, but some opening paragraphs, can, of course, be too long, and, indeed, be riddled with, unnecessary punctuation and boring prose, none of which is relevant to the main focus of the writing, which is, of course, a review of two whiskies, which I will, in some time, get to, I am sure. Of course.
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| How it should be |
Yes this is a whisky review but honestly it's really about pitting things against each other, and why we do that, and perhaps, sometimes, things actually might go well together rather than being kept apart and made enemies. I have really, really enjoyed drinking these two whiskies together, and here, before I even give you the tasting notes, I am drawing up my conclusion, not at the start as I have previously done, but right in the middle, here we go here we fucking go. I think I like the Bowmore slightly more due to the alcoholic strength (cask strength crusade) when I tasted it with the Laphroaig. I love the Laphroaig and really I shall be buying more, and of course I won't be buying more of the Bowmore for two reasons. One is that I can't get it at RRP anymore, and the second is I simply would not at that price. It's great whisky, but I have a whole bottle of it and I am glad I have, but my next purchase won't be at the 150 euro mark, I think. The Bowmore is more refined, more elegant, has a little more about it rather than the pure burnt everythingness of the Laphroaig, but drinking the two together, is magical, fantastical I tell you, it's a great combination. You can read the tasting notes below and I have scored both whiskies the same, for whatever that means, I think it means something. Basically what I am trying to say is that I would probably be 'as happy' with either bottle, I guess. Update, I could be buying another, very similar sounding SMWS Bowmore but that would actually be 5 bottles of the Laphroaig!
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| These chaps are best friends in real life |
But it's got me thinking, what kind of things should we be putting together rather than pitting against? Here is a list of things I suspect might well be better bedfellows than gladiatorial combatants. Please, if you are reading this on Twitter, leave a comment on things you think might be better together than are traditionally apart. So then
- Rangers and Celtic or any two football teams from the same city
- Government and kindness (compassion)
- Israel and Palestine
- My small hands and an operation to make my small hands bigger
- Twitter and the general population of the United Kingdom
- THESE TWO WHISKIES!
- Islay whiskies and cola (more on this later)
- Dogs and cats and mice and rats
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
ABV: 48%
Colour: Caramel Colourant e150 Added
Smell: Starting off by saying I think this smells absolutely wonderful, just wonderful. I can't say smoked bacon but I will say frazzles, it's a great smelling whisky and I could smell this forever. I think it actually smells the best right from the bottle. In the glass you get a more salty less sweet aroma, in my humble opinion, more of that iodine vibe. I love sniffing this whisky right from the bottle
Taste: Here I get burnt caramel and maybe even a little bit of pickle juice, of course smoke as this is a Laphy innit I really like this whisky. No more tasting notes other than maybe burnt apples. It's burnt everything, is the pickle juice burnt, or even smoked? It might be, or it could be smoke and pickle juice.
Finish: Smokey salt, have you ever had beechwood smoked salt? I have and it tastes like this, which reminds me, I should probably get some beechwood smoked salt
Score: 8/10
Bowmore 2004 SMWS 3.326
ABV: 58%
Colour: Natural Light Brown
Smell: Very light smoke indeed and dare I say, a little bit of 'baby sick'. Some might be put off by this nose but not I, no not me. What has this baby been eating? Refreshers and chicken stew with sweetcorn in my humble opinion.
Taste: I really like this. I get some menthol and spoiled rum raisin, perhaps even some dark chocolate with raisins in it. It's initially very sweet that's for sure, and the rum influence is apparent. Makes me want to drink some rum actually.
Finish: The rum raisin continues with, yes, I am going to say it, 'whisps of smoke' and finally some liquorice. It's about the same length of finish as the Laphroaig, perhaps due to it's alcoholic strength
Score: 8/10
But together is what this blog is all about, and I sit here typing this with these two drams next to me, after having been drinking them both over the last few days, and I really think they are completely intertwined in my mind. I love jumping back from the rum baby sick madness to the fire and brimstone of the Laphroaig, and back again, and back again, and so on. Now, you might think, well, you have two drams here, why not simply mix them together, so I did that, and here is a review of that malt blend, which I have done 50/50
Bowmore SMWS 3.326/Laphroaig QC Malt Blend
ABV: I guess around 53%
Colour: LMAO
Smell: I thought there would be more of the Laphroaig smoke coming through here, but it seems to be very much negated, and honestly for some reason it smells to me like a little like a Laga 16, and perhaps it smells quite refined. There is a lot going on here, an earthiness a dankness if you will, lemons are there with a kind of petrol station vibe. The 'baby sick' is still there, if you look for it, and if you really concentrate, some of that laphy smoke
Taste: Honestly I am getting Laga 16 again, sweetness, iodine, this is really good in my opinion, can I just say tasty? Some overly ripe banana ever so slightly with ash coming through
Finish: Reasonably long with that liquorice note appearing again, coal even, although isn't that a strange note as I don't go around licking coal, but I did spend a lot of time around coal as a child and that probably explains a few things, I get the coal when I breathe out
Score: 9/10
Wait holy shit I am now trying them both with coke LMAO
Laphroaig Quarter Cask with Coke a Smokey Cokey
I shall just just to the chase and say this is the perfect smokey cokey. I drink through the mouth and breathe out through the nose, like a dragon, the smokey cokey is both smokey and cokey and I would say at 35 euros or so, it's OK to drink Laphroaig Quarter Cask with coke it makes a great Smokey Cokey. I should say I am using original coca cola and if you use anything else with your smokey cokey you are an animal, including those awful cokes they make for mixing they are no good you need the original base here, I know what I am talking about as I have been drinking coke since I was a wee laddie.
Bowmore SMWS 3.326 with Coke a Winston Churchill
OK look it's not often I mix such an expensive whisky with coke but I am doing it, and it is really good as the rum mixes in well with the coke and you still get the smoke, but not as much. In fact the rum mixes so well the coke retains its sweetness more and you are drinking something that tastes rather nice and it's getting me rather drunk due to that high alcohol percentage which I do love. I have no idea why I am calling it a Whiston Churchill to be honest. This works really well. Time to finish up this fucking mess of a blog.
Well then, all there is left is a he-man meme and what might become a regular feature in my blogs which is to wish you well and say thank you for reading, well done you
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