low_delta

Every year the Milwaukee St. Andrew's Society hosts the Robert Burns Banquet. It's a formal event. I plan on upgrading my outfit so I can go in black tie next year. Earl always invites us to sit at his table. He and his wife provide springs of heather for us to wear. Another guest at the table gifted us with copies of his daughter-in-law's book, The Distance Between Us. Cocktails, then dinner of steak and salmon (which are always most excellent).


This is Ian giving his rendition of "Address To A Haggis" complete with (half of the) honor guard. That's my dad with a sword, second from the left.


Two pipe bands performed, and these four members of the second did their own performance. A singer performed one or two songs, but was often drowned out by the bagpipes.


There were several performances by Scottish dancers. Later, there was Scottish country dancing with instruction for people to join in.

Last week, my dad and I drove down to the Union House to try to get some planning done for our upcoming Scotch tasting. Didn't get much done, but we got the ball rolling with Curt, the owner. I had a glass of Inchmurrin, which wasn't very good. I should have had another glass of something else, but I didn't.

Monday night, My dad and his cohort, Larry, were running a tasting for his St. Andrew's Society, so I went to that. I sat with my dad's Scotch-drinking friend Tony (one of the two guys who he started drinking the stuff with) and two of his friends, Pat and... somebody.

The six whiskies were all independent bottlings, so it was interesting to compare them to the distillers' own offerings. We had a Signatory Glenlivet 15y (46%, first-fill sherry cask #144361). Even aside from the sherry, which wasn't as obvious as sherry usually is, and the extreme cloudiness from it being unchillfiltered (most of these were cloudy), it was very different than normal Glenlivet. I would never have recognized it. Mainly because there was no oak. Duncan Taylor's Ben Nevis 1990 19y NC2 (46%). Most people didn't care for this one. Vinegar? I got peanut out of it more than once. Odd stuff. Signatory Highland Park 1991 18y (46%, sherry cask 15110). HP is unique stuff. I have a bottle of 18 at home right now, and this was not much like it. This was slightly sweeter, and much more like a "normal" Scotch whisky. Duncan Taylor's Bunnahabhain 1997 12y NC2 (46%). Good stuff. Smoky, Christmas spices, light, slightly salty and sea-breezy. Signatory Laphroig 2000 9y (46%, hogshead #4138). Not bad, but disappointingly light. Chieftain's Cigar Malt 1995 15y (46%). This is undoubtedly The Dalmore. Very good. Sweet. Orange and sweet chocolate.

Afterwards, I stayed and talked with various members. Every time I hang around, I meet more of them, and they're all nice people. I guess it's about time I join. I would have joined that night, but my dad was busy running the tasting (he wanted to make sure he was there at the time), and also they didn't have much time for it, since they needed to start the tasting. I'll miss April's meeting, but I'll join in May. They're off for the summer (no meetings, anyway), so that'll be my last chance for a while. It should be fun. Not like I really need more things to do...