Whisky with Oscar

Whisky with Oscar...just think of it like "Sheldon Cooper's Fun With Flags" but I get slowly more drunk throughout this post.

So, as we were...first an introduction is in order. I'm Oscar, Lou's fiancé at large if you will, and I am a little bit of a whisky nerd. This post and subsequent series is the product of some incessant nagging about the volume of my (read "Our") whisky collection. The whole premise of this series is to talk a little bit about whisky and how much I love it! I plan to spend this post (and the rest of the series for that matter) talking a bit about which ones are my absolute favorites and why...possibly with some absolutely useless whisky factoids along the way.

This post I'll be focusing on this little beauty, the whisky that started it all for us. This is Bruichladdich - The Laddie Ten. Firstly a little story is in order, all about how me and Lou fell in love with a small, windswept, damp Hebridean isle and the golden nectar it produces.

A few years ago, when we first moved to Kent/Essex we were traipsing through a nondescript Asda with Lou hankering for some Scottish goodies for Burns' night. First thing we found were Scotch pies (hidden in the, and this is what Asda called it, 'Ethnic Food' aisle) which did nothing to inspire any confidence that this trip would produce anything worth talking about. After this we did our obligatory tour of the booze aisles to look for our major tipple at the time which was gin. The juniper based pickings were slim, but then out of the corner of my eye a glorious azure turquoise tin glinted at me. I was sold. I didn't even know what was inside it but I wanted it! NOW!

After collecting the last of the tins the store had, we scarpered back to our hotel at the time - casa Hilton. I raced upto the room with the bottle in tow and proceeded to wash out the glasses that the hotel left for us in the bathroom. Then me and Lou gathered around to open the tin. All I can say about this moment is that it opened with a most satisfying pop to release the prize within. We then argued. We argued about who got to remove the little foil cap. I lost. 

Once said little foil cap was removed, not by my own fair hand I hasten to add, we pulled out the silver painted wood and cork stopper. A little squeaking and "Thunk" later and we were in. Any seasoned spirits fan will know exactly what noise I am trying to evoke. It is absolutely heavenly and usually means I won't remember most of the night that follows. 

We then proceed to pour this gorgeous example of Scottish craftsmanship at its best. It filled the room with a wonderful mix of fudge, honey and a spritz of sea salt and lemons. I had never had something this amazing before. Pardon my french but from now on b*llocks to your Bells, this is the one for me! 

When I finally overcame the smell, the taste hit me. It is a impeccable mix of honey, salt, vanilla and fruits with a slight hint of peat just to liven things up. Unlike other, more acerbic whisky from this neck of the woods, the Laddie has a sublime creaminess to it. 

Possibly my favourite ever. Possibly.

Now for the bad news. They have stopped making this flagship for the range. They have moved onto pastures new with a totally different spread of whisky. A shame yes, but the other drams they craft are also superb. We fell in love with Islay when we went for a little holiday there last year. It is the most idilic place you could ever wish for, it even looks beautiful in the rain. On top of this it is also the home of eight of the best distilleries in the world. And we went to every damn one. Even if it would of killed me I would have bagged them all. But it didn't kill me, it just led to Lou losing most of the holiday to a drink fueled haze. I can't say that I blame her, it was her birthday after all.

We went to the distillery and had the obligatory tour around the fermenters and the stills and had a little try of the Laddie at it's home. Then it got interesting. I had booked a little tasting session in the warehouse without Lou knowing. We got led away from the group by our guide and proceeded to spend the next hour and a half sampling whisky straight from the cask. It is an amazing experience and I can recommend it wholeheartedly to any spirits fan. After this we went back to the shop and bought a lot of booze.

I think we were drunk. That is all I can blame it on. I think it was the whisky cake they gave us that pushed us over the edge. Or possibly the 6 or so cask strength whiskies and G+T they offered. I still reckon it was the cake though.

Anyhow. That is a wrap. Now go and have a whisky and comment below to tell us what you're enjoying.

- Oscar