A Wee Dram

I'm  41 years old, very much a grown man. As such, it is incumbent upon me to be sober and deliberate in my enjoyment of items found in the Collection of Masculine Amenities. That being said, there is a certain subject that, when brought into conversation, causes me to revert to boyish enthusiasm. That subject is Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

For the uninitiated, types of "Scotch" are often divided by region of origin: 

• Lowland — only three distilleries remain in operation: Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, and Glenkinchie.
• Speyside — has the largest number of distilleries, which includes: Aberlour, Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Speyburn, The Glenlivet, The Glenrothes and The Macallan.
• Highland — some Highland distilleries: Aberfeldy, Balblair, Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Glen Ord, Glenmorangie, Oban and Old Pulteney.
• The Islands, an unrecognized sub-region includes all of the whisky producing islands (but excludes Islay): Arran, Jura, Mull, Orkney and Skye — with their respective distilleries: Arran, Isle of Jura, Tobermory, Highland Park and Scapa, and Talisker.
• Campbeltown, once home to over 30 distilleries, currently has only three distilleries operating: Glen Scotia, Glengyle and Springbank. 
• Islay (pronounced IPA: /ˈaɪlə/) — has eight producing distilleries: Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin and Laphroaig.

As one would suspect, each region has distinct flavor characteristics, and many devotees to each region's particular flavor signatures. I, for one, am a fan of both the Highland and Speyside regions. The Islay region tends to contain flavors that are very hard for me to get behind. Some of the Islays I liken to chewing on a adhesive bandage while smelling old fish.

The Scotches I prefer tend to have flavors like honey, plums, dates, wedding cake, smoke and heather. What's not to love there?

One of the great joys of tasting Scotch is doing so in a proper glass. None is better than the "Glencairn". Named for the company that designed it, the Glencairn is a glass modeled after the "copitas" used by whiskey labs for testing. This glass allows the ethers to gather at the top for proper nosing, has a neck long enough to test the whisky's "legs", and is bulbous so as to allow the natural warmth of  your hand to bring the spirit to life.

See, I'm getting worked up already. I think it may be time to pull a cork.

-The Chairman