An online speakeasy of potent potables and other pabulam.

My First Encounter

I can remember clearly the first time I had an Ardbeg scotch.? I was with a few friends at Jack Rose Dining Saloon-which happens to be the largest whiskey selection in the country offering over 1,600 different bottles.? I asked the bartender, ?Could you pour me a few different scotches for the boys and one for me that will definitely blow my mind??? Little did I know what was about to ensue. Guess which scotch blew my mind?? Ardbeg 10 year.? And this is when the love affair began.

Ardbeg is a scotch you will taste and never forget.? Whether you like the heavily peated scotches is one question, but I guarantee you will not forget the experience.? Ardbeg is a great scotch to teach beginners what the term ?peaty? is all about.? If you don?t know what peaty means, just smell a dram of Ardbeg 10 year and then from that point forward you will grasp the concept.

I often describe Ardbeg 10 year?s peat flavor as a rich cigar smoke mixed with an open-door bon fire.? As you swallow, the burn is fierce, but the best part comes as the flavors linger for minutes afterwards.? Even the nose on an Ardbeg scotch is unforgettable.? Some patrons swear it burns your nose hairs, but I always tell patrons to breathe in slower!

Ardbeg Committee=Ardbeg Day

Another great thing to know about Ardbeg scotch is how loyal they are to fans.? They have an Ardbeg Committee with worldwide membership of over 50,000.? You can sign-up online and it?s free!? Once you have joined, the Committee will send you a welcome package all the way from Scotland.? However, the best part of the Committee is Ardbeg Day.

Ardbeg Day happens once a year and is on the final Saturday of the Islay (pronounced ?eye-laah?) Whisky Festival (end of May or start of June).? Islay is the island on which Ardbeg is made and many other peaty varieties of scotch.? On Ardbeg Day, Ardbeg launches a special committee bottling of Ardbeg worldwide.? Every year is something different and committee members around the world can join in on the festivities.? Ardbeg hosts parties in cities around the world offering members tastings of the new release. ?This year Ardbog Day happened and I attended at A&D bar in Washington DC.

Ardbog Day

So what did I think of this year?s release?? It was delicious and I was a big fan!? Ardbog is matured for ten years in traditional American oak ex-bourbon barrels and then aged further in rare ex-Spanish Manzanilla sherry butts. ?It is non chill-filtered and bottled at 52.1% ABV. ?I approve of the proof but the best part for me was the sherry aging in combination with the heavily peated flavor.

My personal favorite scotch is Ardbeg Uigeadail and Ardbog was reminiscent of this. I really enjoyed the subtle sweetness in flavor of Ardbog.? It is a wonderful edition for the summer months when scotch lovers may be looking for something peaty, sweet and a little on the lighter side.? Is Ardbog going to replace Arbeg Uigeadail as my favorite scotch?? Not a chance, but this special release gets two thumbs up for sherry aging maturation and is a must try for all Ardbeg lovers.

**Picture Credits and Details: Picture 1 ;??Ardbog dram, photo courtesy of Anthony Rivera. Picture 2; Ardbog Welcome Banner outside of A&D June 2013. ?Picture 3; Arleigh, bartender and Harvey Frey, Scotch Consultant both representing Jack Rose Dining Saloon at Ardbog Day. Picture 4; ?Ardbog Tasting Table at the event.

While tasting whiskey is the most important introductory step one can take to begin understanding the vast world of whiskey, EDUCATING one?s self about whiskey is step number two. As you begin reading about how whiskey is made, you will not only learn the science behind the process but the history of whiskey will begin to reveal itself. So start reading! As a whiskey connoisseur and whiskey teacher, I stress the importance of reading as it is through this process you will begin to understand the quality of what you are drinking.

So where to begin reading? Begin by buying David Broom?s book, The World Atlas of Whisky: More Than 350 Expressions Tasted – More Than 150 Distilleries Explored. Not only is this a beautiful coffee table book, but this is the one-stop shop for understanding the whisky world. Do you know who David Broom is? If not check out his biography and a class he offers online here.

The above resources have been instrumental to my personal whiskey journey and I hope you will find them helpful as well. One last tip: as you start reading about the various whiskey flavor profiles, never underestimate your own taste palette! Keep tasting and taking notes along the way and you yourself will quickly become an expert. Good luck with your reads and please feel free to share other materials you find helpful here as well.

People often ask me, ?What?s it like to work here??

I am a bartender at Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington DC and this bar houses over 1,500 bottles of whiskey. Yes you are reading this correctly, over 1,500 bottles of American bourbon, rye, single malt scotch, Irish whiskey, Canadian whisky, Japanese whisky and many more international whiskeys. Name a bottle of whiskey you love and odds are we have it, plus many more options you probably have never heard of. To give you an idea of the vastness of the collection I work with, we have over fifteen different types of Macallans to offer.

It?s incredible! So, have I always loved whiskey? Where did my knowledge come from? How did I ?stumble? upon this job which is geared around recommending this fabulous libation?

The truth is I did not always love whisky. It all began as I delved deeper into learning how to be more creative with all types of spirits, liqueurs, spices, juices, syrups, etc. What differentiates a good bartender from a great one is their ability to create a cocktail on demand that is a reflection of whatever the customer?s whim or wish may be. My journey to falling in love with whiskey began with making cocktails for customers, including a great deal of whiskey. The more cocktails I made, the more my taste palate developed. I began to understand the small and large nuances between whiskies in terms of the entire tasting experience. This includes starting and lingering tasting notes, smells, textures, and overall mouth feel.

I quickly became obsessed with trying as many whiskies as possible, as I wanted to understand how each one could affect an entire cocktail?s flavor profile. What better place than to expand my knowledge than at Jack Rose Dining Saloon. As every bartender?s dream with so many options available to create with, this place became my playground. I fell in love with whiskey pretty quickly and there is no turning back.

For only being 26 years old, my taste palate is that of an old man or a middle-aged man, but I do not despair. I want to share my passion for whiskey with you. If you don?t understand, it?s time to sit down and have a flight of whisky. Item number one: TASTE.

I often use music as a metaphor to whiskey. I try to entice new beginners who are apprehensive about trying whiskey by pointing out that one cannot say they hate all music. There must be one song out there you love? The same goes for exploring the world of whiskey. What people too often fail to realize is that the world of whiskey is so vast and has so many options for you to try. Many people do not realize what is available to them. What are you waiting for?

My tip for enjoying whiskey:: Keep tasting as many as possible because the options are endless.