Whisky Galore

[Freelander Sporrano]

Yesterday evening Sten Rune and I had a company outing to Oslo.To be more accurate the Caledonian Society's annual whisky Tasting
http://www.cally.org/
As you can see by the link it was a vertical tasting (Should have been horizontal) only joking. A vertical tasting is tasting whiskys of accending age in our case Talisker 10 ,18, 25 and Distillers edition.Talisker is a unique Distillery as it is the only one on Skye and at least 2 hours with a car to the next Distillery.
This has caused the distillery to develop it's own way of doing things . For example they used to triple distill now they double or distill 2 and a half times due to a unique return system where early .condensation is returned from the pot still arms to be boillied one more time.

http://www.uisge.com/ud/talisker.html

The guest speaker Chris Maile grew up on Skye so he had lots of stories to tell us . One was about the "Dram Line" It was tradition for all the workers to have a Dram before work for the day commenced. There was a tap on the wall and all got a share of a vatted malt. Not only the workers but the villagers too.The old and infirm and thoose with sick children. This queue was quite a long one and it all happened again after lunch and again at knocking off time . Our speakers Grandmother used to queue for her "Sick Children" although the distillery manager thought otherwise. However at a recent 175 year celebration for Talisker Chris spoke to the then manager and told him we was one of those sick children. His granmother gave him "Tallimilk" to drink.A clear case of child cruelty The Dram line was discontinued in the 70's because of health and safety reg,s

Soon we all had our favorites . I found that the older the whisky got the more refined they became. I'm afraid I like the 10 best of all it Exploded on my palate and I can recommend it heartily. The evening was polished off buy a raffle for three bottles of Talisker and a good hearty meal. Not to mention the usual social banter which only corpious amounts of whisky bring out.

As a foot note Chris Organises the Oslo Whisky Festival
http://www.whiskyfestival.no/
So if you're passing stick your nose in .... ;)

[David in Maryland]

Aahh..Taliskers. The real reason why us MacLeod's made the MacAskills a sept. The other story told is that when a raiding party of MacDonald's landed to attack the MacLeod's, the MacAskill's saw this. The MacAskill's were a small group and waited for the MacDonald's to go inland a bit, and then they pushed the boats out to sea. After the fierce battle in which the MacLeod's whooped up on the MacDonald's, a few MacDonald's retreated back. The MacDonald's, beaten down from battle, met the MacAskill's. The MacAskill's marched to Dunvegan with the heads of the MacDonald's on pikes, and presented them to the MacLeod chief. They were then made a sept, and became military leaders.

But us MacLeod's know that the MacAskill's are some fine distiller's and let them build a distillery in the Cullin's, which was MacLeod land.

I always keep a bottle of Taliskers 10 year in my bar. 10 year has been all I can find in my area.

[Freelander Sporrano]

Interesting stuff .No doubt the two rivals can raise a glass together.

[macwilkin]

Aahh..Taliskers. The real reason why us MacLeod's made the MacAskills a sept. The other story told is that when a raiding party of MacDonald's landed to attack the MacLeod's, the MacAskill's saw this. The MacAskill's were a small group and waited for the MacDonald's to go inland a bit, and then they pushed the boats out to sea. After the fierce battle in which the MacLeod's whooped up on the MacDonald's, a few MacDonald's retreated back. The MacDonald's, beaten down from battle, met the MacAskill's. The MacAskill's marched to Dunvegan with the heads of the MacDonald's on pikes, and presented them to the MacLeod chief. They were then made a sept, and became military leaders.

But us MacLeod's know that the MacAskill's are some fine distiller's and let them build a distillery in the Cullin's, which was MacLeod land.

I always keep a bottle of Taliskers 10 year in my bar. 10 year has been all I can find in my area.

Great story, David -- where did you find that?

Cheers,

Todd

[macwilkin]

The Dram line was discontinued in the 70's because of health and safety regs...

Much like the daily issue of Rum in the Royal Navy...the daily "tot ration" was done away with in the 1970's for similar reasons...

Sounds like a great time, Freelander...did they have any of the Macallan?

I just found out that a Cumming was the founder of the Cardhu distillery; now I'm going to have hunt down a bottle of that for the Clan tent at the games so I can give new "recruits" a "wee dram" when they sign up!

Slainte!

Todd

[flyv65]

Interesting story about the dram line: the Coors Brewery out here in Golden used to have taps in all the cafeterias at the plant(s), but they discontinued the custom about the same time (rumour has it due to a driver accident).

On the uisge beatha side of things, I've never tried the 18 or 25 Talisker ( I do like the 10 I've had), but I very much liked the 25 Macallan and Highland Park I've tried. Did you enjoy the 25? How did it compare?

Bryan...I'm a lush...

[David in Maryland]

Great story, David -- where did you find that?

Cheers,

Todd

It is part of the MacLeod oral history. I have heard it from other clansfolk. I also think it is on display at the distillery from what I have heard. I have asked some of people who know more of the oral history than I do when this supposedly took place. We have always said that it was a cover story so that people would not think that us MacLeod's were drunks. Us MacLeod's know that we are drunken Norsemen who had a thing for Celtic women, and appreciated the gesture of someone presenting us a gift of a head on a pike.

Now, to bring this back to the topic of whisky. Freelander, who said that you liked the 10 year the best. I have noticed that on quite of few single malts, the 10 year is the best. Case in point, Ardbeg.

David

[GMan]

David,

Glad that you two could have a "company meeting" at a location like that. Very informative as far as history.

Which kilt were you wearing?

[Freelander Sporrano]

To Fly65:
I must admit that the 25 was a little to refined for me It had a delicate taste that after the 10 y.o didn't really win though. Of course the 10 really is a powerful contender that wonderful peatyness is more in the background with the 25.

GMan:
I was wearing my 8 yard handsewn Modern Gunn with new Tweed jacket. Sten Rune wore his 8 yard Bear in Hunter Tartan.

[David Thornton]

I thought you were going to tell us about the next James Bond girl.

David