Whisky: My Single Malt vs. Blended Journey

On a humid June Sunday evening, in a sober state of mind, I decided to read a BBC travel piece about Scotch. The article didn't drive me to drink, but it did remind me of my adult journey into the misty world of whisky -- not whiskey -- appreciation. Apparently, the Scots call their famous adult beverage "whisky." That's not how I was raised. My dad, who wasn't much of a brown spirits man, called the strong stuff "Scotch." He also claimed it was a Wall Street favorite, with the implication that the drink found its natural audience among hard-headed bankers. It wasn't the people's choice among my crowd, which had just obtained the right to vote. If my friends and acquaintances had held an election for the leading juice, they would have stuffed the ballot box for vodka.

View of Lagavulin
(Image: islay.org.uk)

Well, times and tastes change. A couple of presidential elections later, my Scotch appreciation ratio substantially changed through the influence of a teacher where I worked. She had lived a rather worldly life in Scotland and developed a perspective on whisky's hierarchy of quality. During one of her trips to the UK, I asked her to bring me back a bottle of "something good." I had a brand in mind, but she suggested Lagavulin. I went along with the recommendation of the voice of experience.

Peat mound
(Image: islay.org.uk)

Some weeks later, she presented me with a bottle of smoky bliss. She also insisted I consume the whisky "neat," which I did. The beverage, prepared over peat fires, communicated the character of Islay, the island of the drink's manufacture. I've made it a point to have some Lagavulin on occasion. Many years ago, my wife purchased on sale some Baccarat highball glasses for me. They work nicely with Islay's gift to whisky.

Until two years ago, I entirely focused on consuming single malt Scotch. However, I've made one concession to financial common sense, in that I order a blended whisky as a dinner cocktail. A dear friend talked me into it. She found the blends easier to drink and that's what mattered to her. I conceded the point. It also helped me economize on my whisky purchases, as blends are much cheaper than single malts.

I suppose the world of Scotch whisky drinkers will always be divided between those who prefer blends or those who demand their favorite single malts. (The nearly religious differences over individual single malts is a discussion in itself.) My theory is a simple one: I enjoy both styles and drink both types. And I've yet to have a conversation with a Wall Street banker over a glass of whisky, but I suspect that day will come.