@TpR

Audiophile/Dipsophile

I am a musician and audio producer. I live in minute details as well as bigger pictures. I try to take this ability into my sensory exploration with things I consume, whisky seemed natural to me as one of the many things I can ponder the layers, depths, and nuances of.

Perhaps I chose whisky because my parents were wine merchants and foodies, and over many years I watched them taste many wines, ponder and create fond memories with them. Growing up I learned of the unique styles and was introduced to the concepts of tasting, taking notes, nosing etc. While I do enjoy fine wine, there is a depth in spirits that I noticed only a rare few were able to enjoy due to its potency.

Now, when I was a kid(15 or so), I enjoyed Maker's Mark because I was told that it was quality whisky, and after a couple sips, i began to see that it was, of course, until the youngster in me would have one too many. I imagine this is most people's story, except many never break the cycle and learn their limits and really explore. Perhaps this is why so often I've gotten recoiling reactions to me suggesting "Wild Turkey 101" at a bottle shop. Most people look for some sort of characteristic involving "smoothness" as a measure of quality. Anyone here knows what a farce the idea of smoothness relating to quality is. The rugged allure of whisky (and tom waits for that matter) really pulled me into trying to develop my taste for bourbon whisky, and then one day it happened...someone bought me a bottle of single malt whisky at just the right day and the right time. I remember it fondly, it was Macallan 12 year, the first sip i took instantly teleported me to fly fishing with my father when i was 10. I was hooked.

Ever since I had that bottle of single malt, i've tried 100s of whiskies. I spent a fucking fortune doing something I will never ever regret. That said, pour me an Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star, and I can enjoy it just as much as a 500 dollar single malt. Its all there, the experiences, the notes, just waiting to be created or conjured.

I also must thank my wife for buying me my first peated whisky, Lagavulin on our 6th anniversary. She also is a lover of whisky, but a teeny tiny lady, which equates to mostly gin & tonics, with the occasional glass of one of her favorites. She has an uncanny ability to find very profound tasting notes, that can sometimes come off as brazen, but are invariably always true. There is a bottling of Octomore that I will never be unable to taste a note of roasting hot dogs thanks to her(or no thanks ha!)…go on…give it a go…I dare you.

I must also mention one of my very dearest best friends, Allgood. While growing up we'd sipped our fair share of liquor, it was only a couple months after I started building up my whisky collection, that I gave him a sip of an Ardbeg which blew his mind and subsequently he very quickly began building his very substantial collection. So we created our little "club" always trying new things together, saving those special tipples and having amazing flights together on into the wee hours of the mornings. I can not tell you how many times we've been reduced to tears of joy just from how much pleasure we derive sipping whisky together, my wife says when we are together, it is as if we are reciting poetry. I see merit to this, as i can only be a megaphone for the poetry that is inside the bottles i sip from.