Ardbeg Ten Years Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

As yet another bottle of whisky bites the dust it is time to pen some notes on the dearly departed. Ardbeg Ten Years Old is an Islay Single Malt which rings in at 46% ABV, but doesn’t kill you with alcohol as much as it slays you with peat smoke. Once you get past the ashy nature you’ll find some nice complexity with vanilla, leather, and fruity notes coupled to peat smoke. Nuts and sherry lurk not far behind, especially in the nose. Somehow honey presents and in the end instead of sitting around with a mouth full of ashes you have an impression similar to the smoke character which excites the palate after some wonderful smoky barbecue. I had a difficult time getting past the smoke in the first few glasses I tried, but eventually came to love this for what it is, a very nice Islay Scotch. I think it was 50 beans or something in that world and at that price is not a difficult decision for a nicely complex and smoky whisky. If you don’t like the smoke, steer clear, but if you do, this is a nice glass.

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Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey

As I drain the bottle of Tullamore Dew it seems appropriate to pen a few words about this Irish Whiskey. At 40% abv the whiskey never was hot or bothersome, but retained a honey sweet character throughout to provide balance. The flavor was complex with hints of leather and tobacco coupled to a very light pepper spice attribute. It had a light floral note with an apple-like nose. While not the most complex alcohol on the planet at a sub $30 price point it did not disappoint although I might gravitate to something else if the price crept any higher. I see some sites with it listed closer to a $20 price point and if that was the case I would keep a bottle around all the time. So if you find it at a great price dive in headfirst, if it’s higher than $30 I would suggest to look for something in a similar price point which might be more complex.

The Macallan Fine Oak 10 Years Old

I purchased The Macallan Fine Oak 10 Years Old when it went on sale at NCABC for about $45 which seemed to be a bargain for any single malt from The Macallan. The 40% ABV whisky was perfect neat without any hot or higher alcohol flavors. The aroma was filled with honey and fruit with hints of leather, oak, and earth. The flavor showcased honey up front followed by fruit with a finish of leather and oak. While a touch sweet at first the flavor mellowed into the aftertaste as the sweet notes faded into oblivion. The issue with this scotch, if there is one, is it needs to be consumed with a clean palate because this nuances of this whisky which are complex and interesting could be trounced by a strong flavor before or with this scotch. So if you find this one at an affordable price give it a whirl, you really do have nothing to lose.

Kirkland Signature Aged 16 Years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Bourbon Cask Matured

Sometime last year I spotted the 16 Year Old Kirkland Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky for $49 at a Costco liquor store. I passed on the opportunity for a purchase on a few occasions, but finally succumbed to curiosity during a recent visit to a Costco liquor location. Reviews had been mixed and the price point was very good for a 16 year old scotch. At 80 proof the Scotch was never hot and worked quite well neat in a glass.  The Scotch was aged in Bourbon casks, but most of that character IMO was contained in the alcohol presence which was not overwhelming. The flavors which came to mind were chocolate, honey, leather, tobacco, vanilla, and a bit of oak. The aroma was floral, with chocolate, caramel, honey, and leather. While it was a quite enjoyable glass, it really didn’t seem complex enough to command the 50 bean price point. The sweetness was enough to balance the alcohol and perhaps just a tad bit high. I liked the whisky, but cannot see purchasing another bottle when a handle of 12 year old blended is better more than double the volume and a $38 price of admission. Give it a try if you are the type of whisky aficionado who has to try everything, otherwise I’d suggest you find something more interesting and spend your money on that.

Bump Fire Stocks – Do We Need Them?

It appears the murderer who terrorized concertgoers injuring over 500 and killing 59 utilized bump fire stocks to carry out his mayhem. I can recall taking a look at them as a novelty which might be fun for a trip or two to the range several years ago, but when you couple the cost of the stock with the cost of ammunition they just don’t make sense. You can approximate automatic fire with them, but at the cost of accuracy. Unfortunately the gunman in Las Vegas didn’t need to be very accurate as he had 22,000 targets in the crowd.

Let’s circle back to the topic of the post. Bump fire stocks were declared legal by the ATF and are only considered a firearm part, like any other stock. The reason is they are not a firearm and accept no ammunition. On this point I have to agree with the ATF. It’s what they do which is suspect. They allow a semi-automatic rifle to approximate the firing rate of a machine gun. While one half of my brain hates governmental intervention in our daily lives, the other thinks we as a society decided machine guns needs to be regulated. I think owning a machine gun would be interesting and fun, but I still think they need to be tightly regulated. Can you imagine the death toll in Chicago if every gang banger had a functioning machine gun? If we need to regulate machine guns then by the same token a device design to circumvent normal operation and approximate automatic fire should similarly be regulated.

I don’t believe for an instant the shooter in Las Vegas would have been stopped if he didn’t have bump fire stocks, but I do believe he would have fired less rounds during his assault and may have injured less people. How many less is unknown, but even if the numbers were cut in half it would be better. With the even still fresh in my mind, my position is we don’t need devices designed to create the rapid fire characteristics of regulated weapons unless the devices are regulated. Thoughts?

Tragedy In Las Vegas

This morning I awoke to learn of the tragedy which happened last night in Las Vegas when a single gunman was positioned in a high rise and shot down into a crowd of 40,000 attending a concert. The police have indicated one person caused this tragedy and he acted alone. Early reports indicate he had at least ten rifles and shot into the crowd for at least ten minutes killing at least 50 with more than 400 transported to the hospital.  I watched some videos and it the gunshots came rapid fire as if the firearm was fully automatic. Those weapons are highly regulated and legal owners are registered or criminals have illegally converted the firearm to be fully automatic. Crimes committed with machine guns are few and far between.

The events in Las Vegas are terrible and the facts are not yet known. I hope society will focus on the victims and their families because they need our support as those who were injured heal from their wounds and the families of those who were killed mourn the loss of their loved ones.

Glen Moray Single Malt Aged 12 Years

Quite some time back I noticed 12 Year Glen Moray Single Malt was on the NCABC discounted price list, but in the meantime I found it for less in South Carolina. I seem to recall the price landing somewhere between $25-$30. Now I would not expect much out of a $25 bottle of single malt scotch and while this will not blow your socks off, it ain’t a bad bottle of scotch by any means. To me it had subtle hints of oak coupled to honey, caramel, and a floral/herbal nature. I found myself tipping the bottle on and off and found it to be quite enjoyable neat. At 80 proof it is smooth and never hot and with an underlying sweetness balances well on the palate. While I would not run out to find another bottle, I would not pass it by if I spy it for 25 beans again. I wish it had more complexity, but when I remind myself of the price point I shrug it off as no problem at all. Give it a whirl if you find it at a great price!