TC, JK, JS and I have business to do in the land of kilts and sheep. We all board an early train from London to Glasgow, where we pick up an automobile.
It is then an easy drive north to Loch Fyne, although the roads are busy, especially at the base of Loch Lomond. We make it barely on time for our lunch reservation at Loch Fyne Oysters, where we are joined by B.
It is a mad seafood meal: I have a crab as big as my head, which I cannot finish, due to lack of time. The claws are so big that the nutcracker I was given is inadequate. It breaks my heart to have to leave three legs untouched, but the time is really tight, now.
We have to speed up to Kennacraig. The roads are busy again, though more manageable than further south. Still, we have no time to stop in Inveraray -- in fact, I have to squeeze it to an almost dangerous point, considering I don't know the roads very well. We also seem to always be stuck behind a small, blue car. Whenever we manage to overtake it, another small, blue car is ready to be an obstacle. Argh.
We reach Kennacraig with less than a minute to spare. The CalMac guy tells me he was about to close the gate and reallocate our spot -- phew!
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| And this makes up for all the prior stress |
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| Landing in Port Ellen |
It is an easy and relaxed crossing (even if the urinals are overflowing by the end), then a short drive to Bowmore, where we will be based for the next few days.
After a shower, we make our way to the bar. JS orders a Bowmore Tempest VI; it is not available any longer. JS asks for something fruity as a backup plan: "None of them tastes fruity; they all taste like whisky." She goes for the Bowmore Small Batch, which I realise I still love... and is very fruity indeed, despite what the helpful staff might think.
Short stroll onto the pier to unwind, then off to bed.
Day 2
Full Scottish breakfast with crispy bacon, yay. Hard to beat such a start to the day. JS has eggy bread with bacon and maple syrup, JK has eggs and salmon.
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| Can't |
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| go |
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| wrong |
Today's plan is to drive to the Rhinns for a hike in the Loch Gruinart RSPB reserve. There, two dogs welcome us.
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| "Pet me, already!" |
A guide advises us he is doing a guided walk in ten minutes; we happily join.
As he starts his explanations of what we are about to see, the Broom family enters. I greet Dave, who pretends very convincingly that he recognises me.
DB -How are you?
tOMoH -Fine. Surprised to see you here.
DB -Why?
:-)
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| DB later tweeted that lichen photograph |
The "hike" is a sluggish walk alongside moorland and through light forestry, but the wildlife is plentiful: wrens, buzzards, chaffinches, robins, and even a linnet or two -- a first, for me.
Lots of lichens, flowers and plants, elm trees, deer, the biggest dragonfly I have ever seen, and many other things we would not have noticed without a guide. Highly recommended!
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| It was really around 15 cm tall |
After that "exhausting" hike, we drive to Ardbeg for a bite: the Old Kiln Café has never failed to impress, and today is no exception. My cauliflower soup is excellent -- the waitress is lost when I ask her if it is Caol Ila-flower, JS's fish pie is great and TC's haggis chicken is to die for.
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| "Is this made with Caol Ila?" |
Our next stop are the Kildalton crosses. Third time on Islay, for me, and the first time I am going to make it there. I suppose being motorised helps: it looks close on the map, but it is 15 or 16 km from Ardbeg, and no bus goes there.
The place is peaceful, mystic. B spots a handful of deer from a hillock.
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| The large Kildalton cross |
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| Italians were here |
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| Fern on the wall of the ruined abbey |
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| Lichen on gravestone |
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| View from a cross Can't take any more |
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| The presence of the dead does not prevent local humour |
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| The small Kildalton cross |
The rain becomes heavy; we have a dram of Gerston to warm up before we call it a visit.
We drive to the Laphroaig museum and shop. No 32yo left in the shop, nor much of interest that is affordable, in fact. The museum has a 40yo and a 1974 on display; my two favourite expressions.
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| Hello, you! |
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| The view from the pier is still very nice |
We drive to Oa for another hike -- the road is very sporty, this time. I have a lot of fun at the wheel, but I am glad there is no traffic at all!
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| That is not a salary increase, btw |
We spot herons, a huge curlew, jackdaws, hooded crows, buzzards and... a Guinea hen, in the middle of the road.
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| And reach this |
The hike on Oa is ambitious, seeing as it is 17:30 when we set off. To make matters worse, we stop swiftly to observe seals and goats, surrounded by cows as we are.
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| Friendlymoos |
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| The seashore is packed with howling seals |
Off to the American memorial, where we see gannets and have drams of Gerston.
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| Where is the flag!? |
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| "I hereby declare this land mine." |
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| The heather is not far from blooming |
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| Harmless goats |
The journey back to our ride takes us through pastures, very close to a muscular bull (yes, we are inside his enclosure), then another with lots of cows and calves. JK is attacked by a shaggy calf she found cute a minute ago. I try to scare him away, unsuccessfully. Slow movement it is, and it works. We make it to the car safely. With a story to tell.
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| He comes closer, probably curious |
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| Wochoo lookin' at, eh? |
It is an eventless drive back to Bowmore for a shower, then supper at PeatZeria.
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| Boom-tsch |
Margherita, Glas Raich, Meatballs and bbq sauce, and pulled pork pizzas. All good in the hood.
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| Pulled pork |
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| Margherita |
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| Glas Raich (top) Meatballs and bbq sauce (bottow) |
Need to hit he sack: we are now truly exhausted.
Day 3
Full Scottish breakfast with crispy bacon again, yay! JS has eggs and salmon. JK joins us later and I cannot remember what she orders.
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| The Harbour Inn View's conservatory. Living up to the name. |
Slow start, today. We have an 11:00 engagement, but nothing before. We set off around 9:30 and arrive very early.
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| Destination: Abbey Road! |
It is 10:00 and Bruichladdich is very busy already. We meet Americans who are here for the same reason we are (it will become clearer on Day 6). TC recognises them and chats ensue.
11:00. We embark on the warehouse tasting. This is not a tour, but a sit-down in a dunnage warehouse, with three casks and a valinch. The Americans discover the concept of a valinch. By the way, there are eleven people on this session, and I am the only non-American.
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| Bruichladdich 28yo d.1989 |
The highlights of the event are very generous pours of a 28yo Bruichladdich from 1989, a 2004 Port Charlotte, finished in a Mouton Rothschild cask since 2012, and a 2005 Octomore, a 60.04% beast. All of them are splendid, but the first is truly special. Unfortunately not available to buy. I am driving, however, which means I do not even have to hide to sample it.
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| Port Charlotte d.2004 |
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| Octomore d.2005 |
Another punter, who looks like Chief inspector Clouseau, pressures the poor girl into serving huge measures -- he says he is filling up for both him and his wife, plus he is driving, so his share goes into samples.
The girl who leads the tasting has a voice extinction, which makes it hard for her to speak. Some of her answers to our questions are well off regardless:
tOMoH -Tell us about the cask! I don't think Rothschild give their casks to just anyone.
Bruichlassie -We are owned by Rémy Cointreau and they have access to those casks.
Rémy Cointreau bought Bruichladdich in 2016. If the whisky was re-racked in 2012, that answer makes no sense. I decide not to point out to her that the previous owner's family had a wine business for decades and all the connections that go with that and that the cask comes from there. Although I do not like wrong information being given to unsuspecting visitors, I also do not want to be that guy.
She further confuses a barrel, a hogshead and a butt, at which point I cannot refrain from correcting her. One has to know where to draw the line, and I love saving butts.
After the tasting, we do a bit of shopping, then drive to Port Charlotte for lunch at Yan's Kitchen. I have the soup of the day (I am far from hungry and think we eat too often), JS has fish and chips. The Bruichlassie, who recommended the place to us, shows up. A family business, likely. :-)
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| This herring gull seems interested in us |
We undertake the short walk from the parking lot to the lighthouse. The weather is brilliant.
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| Rains all the time, in Scotland |
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| JK shows us the secret of chamomile: it smells of pineapple! |
We drive across the island to Lagavulin distillery for their Core Tour. A group of French cyclists take the same tour. They are a bit puerile and noisy, and they seem to struggle with the Scottish accent a bit. We try to pay no notice.
It is a standard tour, not super exciting, but honest. The girl knows what she is talking about, although she plays down her answer when I ask about Malt Mill.
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| One would think having this in a glass cabinet would be a matter of pride |
Back in the tasting room, we try the core range indeed -- with a twist. First is the 8yo for the 200th anniversary (to commemorate Alfred Barnard's visit, during which he had an 8yo). It is a very dispensable dram, one-dimensional and quite boring, if not undrinkable. Second up is the Double Matured, more interesting, if still not something I would buy. Lastly, we have the Feis Ile 2017 -- this one is very well made; we all like it.
We drive back to Bowmore for a shower and supper (fast becoming a routine) at the Harbour View Inn.
Service is very slow (almost an hour), but we are not really hungry and there is a wonderful rainbow to entertain us in the conservatory.
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| It was really that sharp |
When it eventually shows up, my lamb is exquisite. Well worth the wait.
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| Baaaah! |
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| JS's lobster macagrat is also not to scoff at |
B wants ice cream for dessert. He buys it pre-packed from the local grocery shop... and buys too much. I have to help him out, since no-one else will.
We have a nightcap on the shore of Lochindaal, near the distillery: Bowmore 13yo 2003/2016 (56.7%, Cadenhead Wine Cask, Hogshead, Refill Burgundy Cask since 2011, 264b) (Thanks RO)
Superbly picturesque. B plays ricochet on the calm Lochindaal, JK takes a few 360° snaps, and TC fills his memory card with photos too. We all agree that life does not suck, right now.
Day 4
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| Something missing? |
Last and early full Scottish breakfast. Well, it was ordered last night for 7:30 and we are served today at 8:05, later than the Belgians who turned up at 8:00. I am slightly annoyed. JS is more annoyed: her eggy bread with bacon and maple syrup are served without maple syrup. Or bacon. I give her mine instead of kicking up a fuss. Change an Ileach's routine and it seems they lose all their marks.
The early-but-not-quite-as-early-as-planned drive to Port Ellen is hassle-free, despite the busier-than-usual roads. We stop at the distillery to stretch legs. B goes satisfy a natural need at the ferry terminal, while TC, JK, JS and I drink a sample from a private cask of 1967 Port Ellen in front of the distillery. Special.
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| This, my friend, was made... here |
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| Breakfast of champions |
It is an easy, if slightly sad, crossing back to Kennacraig, then a long, but easy drive to Inveraray.
The shops there have interesting things, yet the prices are ludicrous. It is obvious Inveraray is milking the fact it is the midway halt of buses to Campbeltown -- even the public toilet has seen pay-gates installed, since we were here in May this year.
Heavy rain starts falling on the town full of tourists. I hate Inveraray, today, for the first time.
B wants food whilst we shop. It results in many phone calls to determine who is where, which frustrates me. What happened to deciding on a meeting point and a meeting time and sticking to them?
Finally reunited, we drop B off at the Loch Fyne Oysters restaurant, where his car is parked. The four of us contemplate lunch there, but decide against it, due to the rain: it will make the drive miserable, let us not delay it on top.
We head back to Glasgow, pick up the recent haul on hold (don't ask), drop off the bags at the hotel, then return the car. We drove over 570 km with half a tank of petrol (29 l). That is 5.1 l/100 km on country roads. This Golf Blue Motion is the bee's knees!
Time for a shower, then we proceed to the Butterfly and the Pig for supper. It is fully booked, but they are happy to sit us in the bar area. The food is excellent, as usual (black-pudding salad, then piglet burger with blue cheese -- unfortunately, the haggis chicken I had ordered has run out).
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| Black-pudding salad for me |
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| Haggis and tatties for JS |
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| Piglet burger for me |
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| Baked salmon for JS |
TC takes us all to karaoke at Cosmopol, where all the Glaswegian stereotypes are represented. TC nails it and it turns out to be quite some fun.
We decide to have a final dram in the hotel lounge before bed: the 10 cl bottle TC bought in Inveraray.
Day 5
We are tired and some of us are hungover, which means we have a late start to hit G-town. Interesting things here and there, but we resist temptation in every shop.
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| Poor Wellington lost his cone to his horse |
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| Genious product |
What we do not resist, however, is Bread Meats Bread for brunch. Killer, as usual.
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| Americans meet burgers |
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| My Caribbean burger |
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| JS's BBQ pulled-pork sandwich |
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| JK's Reuben pastrami sandwich |
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| TC's fried chicken, cheese and bacon burger |
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| Sweet-potato fries |
We chill out at the hotel lounge for an hour or so -- a waste of time, perhaps, but we are properly wrecked. The intense days on Islay are taking their toll, now. Later, we head to Queen Street station to take the train to Edinburgh. It is pouring, by now, and does not look like it is going to calm down any time soon.
In Edinburgh, we part ways to our separate accommodations and stay separate for the day.
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| We do not eat here, but I make a note for next time |
JS and I end up in the botanical garden to see and smell their amorphophallus titanum. Big plant, though not much is left, in terms of smell, sadly. The other greenhouses are nice too.
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| Amorphophallus titanum Yes, that translates into: giant, shapeless dick. You're welcome. |
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| Oh! It is nicknamed New Reekie. For those who do not know, Edinburgh is known as Auld Reekie. |
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| Leanopteris deparioides |
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| Yellow-and-red flower |
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| Giant, green quiche pans |
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| Nymphea lotus, variety: thermalis |
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| Opuntia crassa |
Early(ish) night.
You will observe that we ate once, today. Phew!
Day 6
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| Auld Reekie from above |
Sluggish start again, then JS and I go up to the Royal Mile and its usual shops.
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| Usual shops |
Everything is overpriced, there is not much of interest anywhere. The city is so overrun by tourists for the Fringe it is painful. Contini is not a deli any longer, only a chichi restaurant; the whisky experience and the Amber bar are fully booked. Edinburgh is as appealing as Inveraray, today!
We end up in Albanach (which is surprisingly empty) and enjoy a delicious meal. No whisky.
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| Haggis pie for me |
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| Chicken Balmoral for JS |
With fuel in, we go home for a nap. Somewhat rested, we make our way to Borthwick Castle, which is a half-hour away by cab.
This seems an appropriate time to explain why we are all here.
JS, JK and TC went to the same school: MIT. There, TC was a member of a fraternity, the name of which is not important for this story.
A decade ago, another MIT friend told us how three brothers of that fraternity travelled to Scotland in 2002 and, young and foolish, were lured into buying a cask of whisky. The three spoke of vague plans to open and drink the whisky with their friends, which we thought was funny, yet knew would probably never happen.
Fast forward almost fifteen years and those vague plans have slowly solidified, much to my surprise. In August 2017, a mix of seventy-five-or-so MIT alumni and their partners (and children) would go to Scotland to drink the fabled whisky cask.
Although the possibility of sitting with a collection of Yanks who do not know the difference between a malt and a blend, surrounded by screaming children, worried me, when I realised I was given the chance to sample something as exclusive as a private cask on Scottish soil, with many friends (since many of them are indeed friends), I was kind of interested. I signed up.
Until very late, I was utterly convinced it would not happen. For example, the initial idea was to host the party at the distillery and drink straight from the cask, so as to dodge the tax man. Of course, that was not possible; I thought that would kill the initiative stone-dead. But no. The owners soldiered on through the "minefield" (sic) of the whisky industry. The product has to be bottled in Scotland by an accredited bottler (which they found). Tax has to be paid for consumption (which the bottler sorted). That was a huge obstacle, however: if they could not have the whole cask at the distillery, the owners understandably wanted to enjoy their whisky from the comfort of their homes... in the USA; that meant finding an importer, a distributor and a retailer: one does not smuggle two hundred bottles of whisky to Uncle Sam's in a suitcase. One would easily understand that, if the whisky had to be taxed in the USA and, therefore, could not be consumed in Europe, that would axe the whole idea of a party in Scotland.
But they made it happen anyway.
Forty bottles were HMRC-taxed for consumption in the UK (albeit with a US label), whilst the other one hundred and eighty-eight will be shipped to the States -- and will all be bought by the owners, before you ask.
That is right: you buy a cask, you pay tax on it, you pay for it to be bottled, then you sell the bottles to the importer, who passes them on to the distributor, who supplies them to a retailer, from whom you can purchase them. Purchase the bottles that you paid to bottle, containing the whisky you bought in the first place.
But they made it happen anyway.
And here we are. American friends have flown in from far away to partake in this. Many of them had never been to Scotland. Some of them had never been to Europe, even. Naturally, JS and I were happy to show those closest to us who were interested around. That meant a trip to Islay and a few days in Glasgow and Edinburgh before the party.
And here we are. A grand castle in Scotland, men in kilts (likely a gaffe from our friends from across the Pond), friendly atmosphere and anticipation.
The hosts have a dram of the stuff as we arrive. I am curious. They say it is brilliant. No point gauging their references; we will be trying it ourselves shortly.
We are served apéritif in what looks like an old-school library. It is a bit of a frat reunion and I have little to contribute to it, personally. The mood is inclusive, however, and there is no awkwardness anywhere.
Soon, we are called downstairs for supper in the dining hall. It is there that the glasses are lain, with whisky breathing in each of them.
A piper welcomes us all and proposes a toast to Bruichladdich, the distillery where the whisky was made. It was no coincidence that that is where we had the warehouse tasting, a few days ago.
Incidentally, this is the point the lid on the camera lense refuses to open. No more photography, sadly.
A toast it is, then. it is welcomed with all the subtlety of a herd of buffaloes -- whistling, shouting and yells of "Sláinte mhath."
Nae bother, though: it feels almost as if we are at theirs.I start nosing the whisky, rather than neck it, because, well, because.
Oh! my word. It is amazing. The mouth and finish confirm my impression.
Supper is swiftly served, which is just as well: those hungry Americans are not used to 60+% ABV. I chose the vegetarian menu, for some reason: heritage tomatoes as starter. Wonderful.
The piper comes back for another round. The menu says we are having a (vegetarian) haggis taster. In this setting, it is not going to be a discreet event. The piper does the address to the haggis with the theatrical performance of an actor used to Shakespeare plays, causing the audience to cheer and roar multiple times. He even picks on me -- and I fight back, much to the audience's pleasure.
The haggis, too, is spectacular. As is the grilled aubergine tart that follows, then the tonka bean poached william pear.
David Stirk, from The Creative Whisky Company, is here. He bottled the cask. We chat for a while about whisky, people and international etiquette. He confirms he is impressed by the whisky. He expected a random cask of Bruichladdich, not this fantastic Port Charlotte (the heavily-peated expression made at Bruichladdich). He hoped to keep the cask for himself.
DD spots me with a hipflask and tells me I am the craziest person he knows, coming to a cask party with my own hipflask. I reply I did not bring one hipflask. I brought two.
I pour Bruichladdich 1989 and Gerston a lot from those flasks. Most importantly to tonight's hosts, to thank them for organising this and having us. The main protagonist, who is of Scottish ancestry and harbouring his clan's tartan, spends ten minutes telling us the story of the cask, how they visited Bruichladdich and were asked whether they would be interested in buying a cask ("Who does that?"), before being given some whisky to sample (after which the question became: "Who doesn't do that?"), how they went for a hogshead, because it sounded much cooler than a vulgar barrel, how they chose to make that hogshead a sherry hogshead out of pure lack of wit and, ultimately, how difficult it was to go through the hoops of HMRC and US imports. That is the point he asks JS and me who we are and how we managed to get an invitation. The easy answer leads to an offer for a small sample, which means I will be tasting this properly again in the future.All at the party agree how lucky it is that the whisky turned out to be so marvellous, and how different the party would have been, had it been dreary. One says he is relieved; he hoped for it to be excellent or plain disgusting, not middle ground. He wanted it very enjoyable for all, or so bad that one would spit the first sip, then be able to laugh about it. Certainly not mediocre, meaning one would have had to pretend it was good.
It is a hectic night. The pours (someone poured me 15 cl in one sitting) and the high alcohol strength make me think there will be a lot of sore heads, tomorrow morning. We know our own limits, used as we are to this game.
JK, JS and I take a late cab ride to town (with a much better driver than on the way to the castle).
Our hosts are still up, watching baseball. I have a dram of smoky Corsair whiskey with them, then aff tae bed.
Day 7
We sleep in -- kind of: I am up at 8:00. I rush to the shop to buy a souvenir, then back to my hosts' to veg out until 14:30. At that point, JS and I have a lunch meeting with our hostess -- at Spitaki, which is Greek for "Crash Here."
Greek mezze: melitsanosalata, taramosalata (typo on the menu?), grilled octopus, kalamari, gigantes (giant beans), all finger-licking good.
We make our way back to our hosts', finish packing, then off to the station, where we meet TC and JK. The train leaves on time, and the good bit stops here.
Trespassers on the track cause a forty-minute delay, loud crowds board in York (Friday night, innit), the auto-opening door means the quiet carriage is as "quiet" as whoever stands between the carriages (see: loud crowds), an old couple is bickering for hours, which would be cute, if it were not in the quiet coach, the guy ends up whistling, he attacks (verbally) me when I point it out to him and two people take phone calls. There are no manners, anymore.
In bed at 2:30, much, much later than anticipated.
