Laphroaig
I remember my first Jim Beam when I was 17; I remember having a polite chuck immediately afterwards. I’ve come a long way since then. Earlier in the year, Brad introduced me to Glenfiddich, which I thought was very fine indeed, making my transition from bourbon to scotch whisky. But six months later I found myself having to move on…
It was a lovely night at Robot and Jean’s work-J introduced me and the Lee to our new drink: Laphroaig (“la-froyg”), single malt scotch whisky. Lee bought himself a bottle the next day! I bought one not too much later; and now I’ve started slowly on a second. This is alcohol to be appreciated. This is Iain Banks’s favourite whisky and he just wrote a book on finding the perfect malt.
“If you love it so much, why don’t you marry it?” Well I’ve become a Friend of Laphroaig, which makes me an owner of a plot of land on the island of Islay. Is that good enough? I’ve also put myself in the running for special quarter cask Laphroaig. Here’s hoping Christmas comes for me there!
“How do you drink it?” Take it neat or with a splash of soft water. Roll it around on your tongue. Release the pungent, earthy aroma of the blue peat smoke, the sweet nuttiness of the barley and the delicate, heathery perfume of Islay’s streams…