Garcons will be Garcons...

[f4f3]

I'm feeling in curiously good form considering the amount of whisky I had to drink last night - basically once you were in the tasting everything was free. None of this poncing about with tokens, or plastic thimbles of whisky, it was regular drams in regular SMWS glasses, and ten bottlings to taste from. Ardbeg, Glenmorangie, Arran, Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, Lomond, Dalmore, Glen Murray, Mannochmore and a single grain from the North British distillery in Edinburgh. There wasn't a dud in the bunch, although I can't say I liked the grain that much, and I went away with the Mannochmore, a remarkable peated Speyside which will make a good companion piece to my unpeated Caol Isla.

psychochicken , curious_orchid and the un-lj'ed Greig and I then repaired back to the West End for, um, more drinks at The Chip. I'll draw a veil over the rest of the evening, I think, but I was up before my alarm this morning, and in work very nearly on time.

It may be that I have some residual alcohol in my bloodstream, though, because I'm suffering from a very strange impulse to buy designer clothes. Despite the icon, I have a couple of clothes labels that I do like - Paul Smith and Ted Baker, mostly, and Thomas Pink if they count. One of the others is Commes des Garcons, who used to have a shop in Glasgow that I popped into quite a lot in the 80's.  I love their minimalist, monochrome suits and shirts, but I've never been able to afford more than the odd splurge during the sales.

Well, apparently they're doing a collaboration with H&M, and some of the stuff looks rather tasty. I think I'll pop into town tomorrow and see if there's anything left in stock. I could do with a new suit...

Comments

[mhaithaca.livejournal.com]

Good God, that sounds like a fantastic tasting. Pixel hosted a Glenlivet and Chivas tasting a couple of weeks ago, and I went, but while I certainly appreciate some of their bottlings, there wasn't a Glenlivet there I hadn't tasted, of the five they poured. (I know, I'm quite difficult.)

I do have to say, I was more impressed with the Chivas 18 year than I expected to be. As blended malts go, I find the Chivas 12 to be moderately inoffensive, but the 18 was downright drinkable.

I've been contemplating hosting my own scotch tasting again soon. The one I did last fall was quite a hit.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

It really was a first class selection - probably the best I've had at an SMWS evening (my favourite tasting still has to be the vertical Highland Park tasting at last year's Whisky Live).

I don't mind Chivas - I used to have a bottle of Chivas Regal floating about somewhere for cocktail use. I realised that I'd never be a converty to blended whiskies after trying Johnnie Walker Blue - a lovely enough dram, but when I found out how much it cost I almost fell off my seat.

[mhaithaca.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's quite a nice blend, and fairly drinkable compared to most such offerings, but at 20-30 quid a dram, I'd much rather enjoy a malt with its own flavour, thanks.