There and back again

[f4f3]

Back home again, sixty hours and 400 or so miles since leaving for work on Friday morning. Unfortunately all the distilleries in Speyside were closed on Saturday, but I managed to pick up two nice bottles from the fairly awesome Dufftown Whisky Shop - an independent bottle of Talisker, which was wonderful, and a bottle of X4, Bruichladdich's "Islay Spirit". This is basically new make - distilled spirit which hasn't been aged in barrels, so it can't be called whisky. It's also completely clear. I bought it out of curiosity, since in my head most of the character of whisky comes from the barrel and the aging process within it. I was pretty surprised - although the taste was a little sharp, a little simple, it was definitely Bruichladdich. A very, very strange bottle.

On the way back unblinkered and I stopped in Footdee (pronounced Fitty) a charming little fishermen's colony at the mouth of the Dee river (the Foot of the Dee) where two of her friends have taken up residence. I got to meet their new baby, Thomas, who was charming, and confined the projectile vomiting to his father. The drive down took a shade under two and a half hours, a suspiciously good time when I wasn't really pushing hard. unblinkered caught up on some sleep after Dundee, and I used Radio 4 to keep me company - Poetry Please, File on Four, and a profile of M.I.A., the Tamil singer who is up for an Oscar for her song on "Slumdog Millionaire".

I'm now starting to fade, but we should probably get to a supermarket before I flop...

Comments

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

You do get around, sir!

We tasted some of the pre-cask Oban as part of the distillery tour. I actually found it easier on the palate than the finished product. But that was before my epiphany that is Lagavulin.

Glad you made it home safe.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

'tis nice stuff, the Oban.