It has been a year since I started the journey for the perfect scotch. While I have discovered many enticing lads in this time, I still hold Talisker Storm close to my heart. For those scotches that have come close to replacing him, I've decided it is time to truly put them to the test and do blind tastings, side by side. This series of standoffs began the other night, after I went to a dance class in one of the styles I have longed to learn for years.
I grew up familiar with flamenco dancing and the fiery spirit of duende that infuses Spanish culture. At family gatherings, dancing was a constant; although we didn't know the steps or patterns of actual flamenco, we all honored our heritage well - never lacking in passion and soul. Most of the women in my family had at least one traditional decorative doll styled as a flamenco dancer with beautiful ruffled dresses and silky, fringed shawls that draped elegantly over their shoulders. Each was different, but all were beautiful.
To one degree or another I've always wanted to learn flamenco, and have searched for classes on and off through the years to no avail. Recently however, with the help of a couple of friends and perhaps some providence, I found out about a teacher offering flamenco dance classes at a studio here in town. I'm excited to learn and would love to study it seriously and make it an integral part of my life. This is a part of my heritage that calls to me strongly, and it seems I'm finally able to listen...
If by some chance you are unfamiliar with flamenco, here is one of the many examples that gives a good sampling of the dancing, song, & soul - filled with the passion that is so integral to this tradition.
Whisky Jar is the only bar in town that I can find both Talisker and a wide selection of other scotches. I've been there several times before to meet new lads, and I expect the bartenders there will be seeing a lot more of me in the coming months.The first challenger was Ardbeg Uigeadail who I met in February. I was excited, but also nervous. What if I couldn't recognize Storm, and what if I liked Uigeadail better? My commitment to know my true favorite led me on though.
John, the bartender, poured me a dram of each and, at my request, did not tell me which was which. I took them both outside and began the conversation.
I began with the one on the left - and found his nose to be like the sea brine, sweet, with fire and spice. I thought immediately that this was the Storm. The one on the right had a milder nose that was hard to sense and seemed more astringent and medicinal.
I took time to taste each slowly, alternating and sipping water in between to keep my senses fresh. Before adding water, the one on the left was strong, spicy, and creamy. I tasted smoke, a bit of ash and a slightly bitter finish. The right side dram was sweet, smooth, and a little spicy. I tasted cinnamon, and on the finish - citrus.
I added equal drops of water to the two glasses, and approached them both again: the nose for the left one softened and unveiled a sweet, peppery, vanilla aroma. On the right the nose did not seem much different except for a hint of brine.Something that I realized as the conversation progressed is that I did not sense the very strong smoke that I usually do with Storm; this, coupled with the fact that I had remembered Uigeadail being very strong (which the one on the right was not), made me wonder if my first impression was wrong.
Perhaps the one on the right was Talisker - and did not really stand up in depth and character to the Uigeadail when in such close proximity.
I pondered this, but then tried to push those thoughts out of my head. I wanted to experience them both as if it were the first time with them - no preconceived notions or expectations - just honest, authentic reactions. Which, in this moment, did I prefer?
Keeping this in mind, the tasting continued: I found flavors of pepper, ginger, sea salt, and pineapple in the one on the left. On the right, I tasted creamy sweet vanilla, with hints of smoke and ash, spice, apple, and a citrusy lemon nuance. The right side dram was smoother but flatter; the dram on the left had a much nicer nose, a spicier and stronger finish, and was more complex.
As the bottom of the glasses got closer, and the conversation was drawing to a close, I was not confidant that the one I thought was Talisker Storm at the first sip, actually was. There were things I definitely liked better about the one on the right, and I had to really be present with them both, and myself, to decide which of the two I liked better. My thoughts drifted back to duende...
Something that is different about flamenco than most of the other types of dance that I've done is that it's so much more than just the steps, and the movement of the body for fun. Flamenco is a being onto itself - the music, the dance, and the song all come together in a synergy of expression - to tell a story. And unlike much performance dance, where plastering a large smile on your face is good form, this is not so with flamenco.
I once had a teacher years ago who, after I asked a question, suddenly blurted out a comment about how severe the expression on my face looked. I was quite taken aback, and not really sure of what he meant. In the years since, I've had many occasions of people misunderstanding my demeanor or expression - often thinking I was angry or stressed when I was not. Recently I've noticed that when I look at pictures of myself where I am not smiling, even I think the look is pretty intense. Watching videos of flamenco dancers, I think the same thing of them; their faces and my face, they are intense - they are filled with the all the passion, experiences, and emotions of life - and they tell a story, for those who are able to listen.
I realize this isn't for everyone, and I'm coming to a place where I am okay with that. A friend of a friend at the bar had a t-shirt on that conveyed this message in perfect metaphor:
I realize I like my whisky like I like my dance. I don't want just the simple, sweet, and straightforward enjoyment. I want the fire, the complexity, and the intensity too. I want my whisky to tell a story. During this standoff I became unsure as I sipped them in turn, one and then the other. Eventually, as I finished the last bits with each of them, I realized that I very much enjoyed the one on the right - and might choose him over the other on a hot summer day. But the deeper truth was, I preferred the one on the left - he was more intense, for sure, but it seems that's the way that I like it.
When I returned to John for the unveiling of the two drams' identities, he confirmed that the one on the left was Talisker Storm. I stayed true to my favorite...at least for another day.
