World Whisky Day at Idle Hands

Last night we gathered in celebration of World Whisky Day at what may most certainly be, my new favorite bar. Idle Hands located between 3rd and 2nd on Ave B, touts one of the largest bourbon lists I’ve ever seen. Mixed with an impressive collection of International and unique American bottles, it’s clearly a new Nobler destination…

At the core of the Nobler Experiment, the fascination with booze, particularly whiskey can probably be perceived by some as an overindulgence. But it’s nights like the last where a group of friends gather to chat, laugh, and pontificate about the world we live in that is a clear reminder on why we drink in the first place. Added to the nerdy enthusiasm that goes with distinguishing the mash ingredients and processes that go into a specific bottle of whiskey, it’s easy to see why at least a few glasses are enjoyed over the course of a gathering. Hope you all enjoyed a glass or two!

And Happy Day After World Whisky Day! Okay, now it’s an overindulgence…

World Whisky Day!

Next Tuesday, March 27th, gives us all the opportunity to celebrate our love for whiskey with those that share our passion across the world. Because lord knows, I need another excuse to drink!

But seriously, this is a pretty cool initiative being started by Blair Bowman, a young whiskey enthusiast, and I’m glad the Nobler Experiment can be a part of it. Details are still in the works, but next Tuesday evening, we’ll be gathering to enjoy a glass (or a few) of our favorites and to toast whatever seems appropriate.

For more information on World Whisky Day, check out the official website here, and for those instagram lovers (like myself), take a look at the photo competition and get snapping…

Thirty Years Aged

I was hoping to follow-up the “future of American whiskey” discussion with a little more love for the blends but I had to wait until today as to not spoil the surprise…

My brother Steve turned 30 earlier in the month and we finally were able to make it down to celebrate. I had considered using the Whisky Blender site I posted about not too long ago but I wasn’t too sure of the timing and plus, I sort of liked the notion of really knowing and tasting what I was blending. By creating my own blend of commercially available  single malts, I was able to create a really smooth and delicious blended scotch that I hope he will enjoy for a long time.

This may sound a little silly, or even worse, a little like a Tupperware party, but I’m thinking this could be a fun Nobler activity. Everyone brings a bottle of single malt and with a few graduated cylinders and some mason jars, you could quickly see how blended scotch night could become a huge drunken hit. But as simple as I making this sound, the activity also enlightens you a bit about how great some of the “master-blenders” are. To consistently create masterful combinations of whiskeys that succeed on all fronts is no easy task. And one that can only be appreciated that much more when you give it a shot on your own.

This weekend also saw another batch of home-brew get kicked off. This time, a slightly smaller batch with Steve that should be ready in a few weeks. Between blending, brewing, and drinking I’m developing quite a few partners in crime. Even my little niece got in on the action!

Happy (belated) Birthday Steve!

 

 

The Future of American Whiskey

As you probably have guessed, I’m not the only one out there who loves a good American Whiskey. Because whether you’ve been following the specifics or not, our nation’s re-birth in the whiskey world is in full-out growth mode and the obsession with small batch, craft distillation has followed suit. It really blows me away to see projections like those in this article from Serious Drinks that predict the number of American craft distilleries to balloon to over 400 by 2015. But with all the competition sure to brew (or should I say distill), I really love the model and suggestion brought out referencing true elegance in the liquor industry.

The Scotch business years ago, much like the current American Whiskey industry, grew like wildfire as the techniques and processes were perfected with local and regional practices taking shape in the form of Single Malts. But as competition grew, and “master blenders” began to tout the beauty of  blended scotch, the single malt distilleries needed to adapt to remain in business. As the article suggests, many of these single malt distilleries sell up to 90% of their output to those same “master blenders”. And the outcome is really ideal for all of us. The pressure to produce high quality single malts keeps the distilleries in business with the blenders and in parallel, allows them to remain focused on their uniqueness; the very thing that got them into business in the first place.

So looking forward, as a number of craft distilleries take form in the states, will a similar model be adapted? I think certainly some aspects will have to. Brands will have to capitalize on the quality of small batches to offer up highly marketable blends to keep a leading edge in the industry. But there is an interesting wrinkle taking shape that may provide for even more stateside excitement. As more of our craft distilleries begin production, more of them are looking to break the mold of what we know as a traditional bourbon or rye. By differentiating from the classic designations, we are in line for some pretty exciting stuff. The times of ordering just any “bourbon” are coming to an end (or probably already have) and we all stand to gain on this one. It’s time to get on board!

The Erythromycin

Since the Nobler Single Malt Tasting, I couldn’t stop thinking about that Phantom Peat. The Laphroaig’s complexity and bad ass peatiness had been following me around for days after consumption and the 1/4 full bottle had been tempting me each and every night.

Yet despite my new-found affinity towards the Laphroaig, for me, it’s a situational drink. That is until last night, when friend and fellow nobler @scientistmike suggested a fantastic combination of ingredients that I imagined could work perfectly with the bold Laphroaig and mellow out some of the intensity. The “penicillin” was a cocktail he had at The Jakewalk and the mix of blended scotch, Laphroaig, lemon juice, and ginger syrup sounded frigging fantastic.

But I’m allergic to penicillin…

For my version, The “Erythromycin”, I went with the same basic flavor profile but substituted in some ginger beer for the syrup to give the drink a little fizz. The blended scotch helps carry the strong flavors of the Laphroaig, and the lemon juice cuts through the sweetness and peatiness of the drink perfectly. With the new Jack White 7 inch playing in the background, this cocktail was perfection.

The “Erythromycin”

1 oz Laphroaig

2 oz Blended Scotch

1 oz lemon juice

2 oz ginger beer

2 dashes lemon bitters

In a rocks glass with ice mix all of the ingredients. Garnish with a lemon peel and serve with a little “love interruption”.

Single Malt Noblering

As I mentioned a few weeks back, for the fourth Nobler Gathering the plan was to take a little spin around the distinct regions of Single Malt Scotch. But after some extensive research and some help from single malt lovers, it became increasingly clear we needed to start off a bit more simple.

The uniqueness from region to region and even more so from distillery to distillery is what makes the Single Malt world so fanatical. It’s also why imbibers tend to find one they like and stick with it. So for our Nobler introduction we decided to go with two distinct single malt scotches, the Highland, Glenmorangie and the Islay, Laphroaig, and paired it up with a seriously hyped newcomer to the single malt world, the Japanese Yamazaki.

With some Cow Thieve’s ale acting as our palette cleanser we made our way through the three varietals taste by taste and in some cases, being bombarded by the major differences between the three. The Glenmorangie and its light body, straight forward maltiness was a flavor everyone could wrap their minds around. It’s why so many of these Highland scotches are made and so many of them are considered favorites. But the Laphroaig was without a doubt our favorite. The Islay Scotch was complexed with peat and smoke and based off of a few texts and tweets from the morning, it seriously made it’s mark. I can attest that right now, my tea tastes like peat!

And then there was the Yamazaki. I was really pumped for this one. Because I’ve been hearing a non-stop pile up of praise for the Japanese who have decided to get into the single malt game. Remember, these aren’t single malt scotches because well, they aren’t made in Scotland. But regardless, we were unanimous in our criticism of this underwhelming 12 year version that seemed to lack complexity and richness. I’m committed to giving it another shot (not within the same 48 hours of drinking some of that peat monster, Laphroaig) but all in all, I think we’ll stick with the years of experience and variety coming out of Scotland.

You’ll notice I’ve been quiet about the Nobler eats for this Gathering…That’s because Scottish food isn’t exactly my strong suit and cooking up a batch of haggis wasn’t exactly on my bucket list. But luckily, Alu, an active Nobler came up with a loop-hole. It turns out, Chicken Tikka Masala, was first created by an Indian chef while in….Scotland. Boom! Good enough for me…and good enough for the Noblers…

Scotch, Scotch, Scotch

So, a few weeks back I went on a little rant about single malt scotch and how they weren’t really my thing. And it’s true. They aren’t. But after doing some extensive research for the upcoming Nobler Gathering, I think I’m ready to open up. Because in reality, my aversion to the historically rich whiskeys has more to do with the attitude that too often comes with them, than from the flavors and complexity in the glass itself. But there is no denying the fascinating details that go into Single Malt Scotch and even more so, the nuance from distillery to distillery. That being said, I’m still a bourbon guy…

For the upcoming Gathering, I plan on taking the Noblers on a little tore of the Scottish regions of single malt. Often compared to the diversity of French vineyards, regional variation in Single Malt is what makes this class of whiskey what it is. As one might expect, there is still quite a bit of nuance within distilleries of a given region, but in large part the characteristics come directly from the terrain and the proximity to the water. And when your Wikipedia reference reads “The first written mention of Scotch whisky is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, 1495. A friar named John Cor was the distiller at Lindores Abbey in the Kingdom of Fife.”, it’s worth paying attention to what is now over 500 years of history.

While there tends to be a bit of an overlap depending on who you ask, there are four major regions: The Lowland, the Highland, Speyside, and the Islands. The Islay region is often considered independent from The Islands, and is most distinct for its peaty flavors. I think the best description I’ve heard on peatiness is the smell and flavor of “damp vegetation”. I guess it doesn’t translate so well in writing but you’ll know this flavor when you taste it. Because of the Islay location off the coast of Scotland, the marine qualities are also extremely apparent. The more recognizable distilleries available are Laphroaig and Lagavullin. As for the others…

I’d hate to give up all my secrets before the Nobler Gathering. But what about you? What are you favorite single malts?

 

A Little Introspection

Late in college, a good friend and I went through a single malt scotch phase. This may sound odd to some, as most college liquor phases include cheap vodka and a porcelain bowl, but for us, the single malt represented something more. We both pretended we were worthy of evaluating the nuance of the Scottish distillations. The peaty varietals from the Islay. The more rounded offerings from the Highlands. But at the core it was about remembering those iconic bottles our Dads would pour out of at the end of a long day. It was a symbol of maturation.

Truth be told, I kind of hate the stuff…

Okay, hate maybe a strong word. But I can’t say single malt is on the top of my list these days. Don’t get me wrong. It has its place. And every whiskey lover should probably have a bottle. But it’s an aggressive liquor. Yes, the best and most popular are smooth and complex, but still aggressive nonetheless.

So why the ramble? Last night I was cooking up a beef tenderloin and a potato gratin for my client’s dinner party and there it was. That bottle of 12 year old Macallan. The same bottle that I linked to my so-called maturity. It made me laugh.  Maybe some day, I’ll be a single malt guy. But for now, I’m pretty happy with my bourbon…

Despite my personal feelings, I will say that single malt has a pretty cool story. The name “single malt scotch” implies two key characteristics. First, and my favorite of all the whiskey regulations…call it a scotch and it must be made in Scotland. Love that rule! Secondly, single malt implies that the product was made from only one grain, malted barley, and only one distillery. This is why there is so much to argue about. Single distilleries located in distinct parts of Scotland create true one of a kind flavor profiles. It’s on my short list to take a trip to Scotland to check out the madness!