Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Wednesday, February 13. 2019

The Maggie's Official Scotch Whisky, and guys' nights out

I am more of a beer or wine guy, but for treats with buddies I am known to go for a whisky. That means Scotch, not bourbon. No bias, though.


I was introduced to Highland Park by Craig McDonald in Scotland.  A man who knows his whiskys and lots of other things. If you can put up with male teasing, he's good company on hill hikes in the highlands.


With the kids mainly out of the house, I began a plan in 2017 to catch up with pals alone or as couples at least twice a week. It has been great fun. As a natural introvert, I recommend it as a plan. 


I am blessed with interesting, smart, creative, and amusing pals who, like me, always have stories to tell. It's a very good thing for guys to get together, and not just in guy Bible study groups, poker, or with sports. A good reality check, laughs and tears, tragedies and triumphs. Very little politics.


Mrs. BD has been in charge of the social life in the past, but I take care of my own now. Drinks, burger, whatever. Connecting is not just for the gals. I believe that gals need gal time and guys need guy time. 


A whiskey makes guy communication more open, because guys tend to be reserved. God made spirits for a reason.




Posted by Bird Dog in Food and Drink at 16:45 | Comments (16) | Trackbacks (0)

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Bob's got a new Bourbon whiskey, Heaven's Door... Can't find it in Maine yet...
#1 The Distributist (Link) on 2019-02-13 17:22 (Reply)
Every man in Scotland is an expert on whisky, just ask them! It's 75% the story and 25% the taste.

There is a new gin distillery in Tarbet, Isle of Lewis that's selling for their Harris Gin for close to $50.00 a bottle. I'll eat my hat if the bottle doesn't cost more than the gin. It's got a great story too and they even go so far as to extol the virtues of the paper the label is printed on! As a gin it taste just like gin.
#2 Frp on 2019-02-13 18:17 (Reply)
$54.99 a bottle? More power to you.
#3 snopercod on 2019-02-13 20:15 (Reply)
In 1984, Highland Park was the only whisky ever to have scored a rating of 100% by the regular tasting team of The Scotsman, a national newspaper of Scotland. Whisky reviewer Michael Jackson has called it "The greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky. Wikipedia
#4 Ns on 2019-02-13 22:56 (Reply)
12 year "Highland Park", now renamed "Highland Park Viking Honour", is about as good as whisky gets. You can spend another $9-10 for "The Macallan" 12 year but I'm not sure any sane man could favor one over the other.

My point? Well Bird Dog, you now have an interesting evening of taste testing ahead for you and yours. My personal opinion: save the $10 and go with the "Highland Park".

Oh, ahem, one more point: The word is Whisky, not Whiskey. The added "e" indicates the booze is American not Scots.
#5 Michael Scott on 2019-02-14 03:33 (Reply)
Yeah, I know. Sometimes my keyboard just puts the e in there.

Glad to see that Highland Park is popular in the US. Not easy to find.
#5.1 Bird Dog on 2019-02-14 09:24 (Reply)
The added "e" indicates the booze is American not Scots.


Or Irish.

Americans adopted the Irish rather than the Scottish spelling.
#5.2 james on 2019-02-14 18:13 (Reply)
Until about the mid-20th Century, whisky and whiskey were used relatively interchangeably (you can still encounter vintage "Irish Whisky" ads decorating pubs).

Now whiskey denotes American and Irish while whisky denotes Scotch, Canadian and a few other whiskies.
#5.2.1 JJM on 2019-02-15 10:27 (Reply)
thanks. My education continues.

I googled old Irish Whisky posters- I suspect many of those were aimed at the American market. I don't recall ever seeing any posters here in Ireland with the "whisky" spelling
#5.2.1.1 james on 2019-02-15 19:20 (Reply)
Bourbon v. Scotch: A topic upon which reasonable men of good will can disagree.
#6 Another guy named Dan on 2019-02-14 09:51 (Reply)
I drink very little whisky, or whiskey, because even one usually gives me a headache the next day. Especially, single malt scotch. Of all of them, I found Highland Park to be the most benign in that regard. Also very tasty. I was drinking the regular grade though, not the expensive high-test stuff.

For Irish, I like Kilbeggan. (I always pronounce it as though I were Tim the Enchanter from the Holy Grail movie.)
#7 Phidippus on 2019-02-14 10:06 (Reply)
You don't care for bourbon because you haven't tried Knob Creek. Bulliet ain't bad, Russell's is pretty good, but Knob Creek …….. sublime.
#8 RJT on 2019-02-14 10:23 (Reply)
If you have a few spare 100 dollar bills, try a bottle of Blanton's whiskey--the one with the horse and jockey on the bottle cap. A treat for yourself or for sharing with your hunting or fishing buddy after a day in the field or on the river.
#9 rocdoctom on 2019-02-14 10:40 (Reply)
My wife, who's one of those "supertasters" - yes, they exist - tells me that the Japanese whiskies that I've drained differ considerably from the bourbons (including Blanton's), scotches, ryes, Irish and Canadian whiskies that I've run past her taste buds. She says that Toki, Hibiki, and Yamazaki all lack a certain harsh chemical taste that she finds unpalatable in all the others that I've been through. I don't taste what she does. In a way, I pity her.
#10 nellborg on 2019-02-14 11:18 (Reply)
"Guy time" Does this mean that men are beginning to re-gain some of their organizational skills? Building again their networks of male comrades (like the women have done so successfully during the past 30 years)? Will this new focus on male networks enable them to get organized and confront evil where they find it--even, if sometimes that evil is a group of well organized feminists? Are you white guys going to finally stand up for something in an effective way? That would sure be great and if it takes a couple of sips of the good stuff-- then fine!
#11 faculty wife on 2019-02-14 12:22 (Reply)
re A whiskey makes guy communication more open, because guys tend to be reserved.

I believe that to be true. I don't think guys are as talkative or as nosey as the fair sex. In my case I am often admonished by my wife for not asking questions that are none of my business.
#12 feeblemind on 2019-02-14 14:04 (Reply)

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