Sunday, October 28, 2007

Welcome

Welcome to the Northwest Whisky blog.

This is the story of my own emergent Whisky appreciation and that of my friends and associates, located in the Pacific Northwest.

My own appreciation of Single Malt Whisky began as a trio of events in 2004 - 2005.



First was the tradition at the of my then-fiancee, now lovely wife's family to toast holiday occasions with a round of shots. They typically drink blendeds, mostly Crown Royal. But it introduced to me the idea of Whisky as a family, celebratory beverage, and it became a regular part of my holidays.



Second, I survived what was to be my last great night of drinking beer. Beer and I had always enjoyed a bit of a love-hate relationship. I loved it, but come next day, it hated me. Long painful hangovers were the rule, to the point I has resigned myself to painful recovery as "just normal." The regular beer hangover was exceeded by the two days it took to recover from what we came to know as "The Fin-du-Monde night." Coworkers played a big role. We met in a local establishment, the beer flowed fully, and the table was soon filled with empties.

That was awesome, but so was the 2-day hangover that came with. Something about the sugary, beery beverages that finally just hit home, not unlike a sledgehammer: My beer drinking days were coming to an end.

Finally, the following year, my employer sponsored a Whisky Tasting event at a company party. It was there that I first sampled Single Malt Whisky. The most memorable that evening was Bunnahabhain 12, at the time an 86 proof, 43 Alcohol expression... This tasted quite unlike any of the Jack Daniels or other blendeds I'd had before. It tasted amazingly smooth, with little flavor notes I wasn't quite able to identify. But I knew I'd tasted something quite special.

Unlike my experience the next day with beer, my experience with whisky has been a revelation. Hangovers are (almost) a thing of the past. Unlike the dizziness and impending doom that followed a moderate night of drinking beer, I found that the day after with whisky, for me, was as gentle as a puppy. No headache, no stomach burn, just a bit of the grogginess, easily assuaged with a cup of strong coffee. The choice was obvious.

Since then has been an ongoing exploration into the Single Malts of Scotland, the USA, Japan, and maybe elsewhere. Along the way it became apparent that sooner or later, I needed to start documenting my interest. For my own reference, as well as for those that might be similarly intrigued by this most interesting of beverages.

So welcome! Northwest whisky fans, fans of Single Malt whisky anywhere, and anyone that enjoys a fine dram every now and then.

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