Personal Musings

Wow, it's been two full months since I last wrote an entry in here! To say that I've been busy is an understatement. Let's see... I am involved in a complex upgrading of all our computers and computer systems (ongoing) and working a lot of overtime... I've been moving (packing, transporting, living around stuff, trying to unpack, trying to find specific things that are still packed, etc.)... and I've been away, with no access to a computer. (Huh? It's possible to find someplace left in the world with no computers??? Apparently so!)

Moving has been the biggest part of my absence, though, mostly because it is so disruptive. In this case, however, it is also a really big life-change. My wife and I decided that we like each other so much more if we don't have to live with each other under the same roof, so now I'm living in a studio apartment. Sure enough, we talk now instead of fight and we meet each other and enjoy each other's company, which we never did when we lived together. Ah, the joys of matrimony. Not to mention that it is SOOOO nice to be able to stay longer at work on the spur of the moment without ruining dinner, and to be able to buy the foods that I like, and to walk around the apartment nude if I want.

To celebrate, I bought a bottle of 12 year old Talisker Scotch. Scotch comes in many different price ranges and from many different places. The quality of the brew is reflected in its price, but not the taste. Scotland is known for producing five (some say six) different malts. The regions are consist of "Lowlands," "Highlands," "Speyside," "West Highlands," and "Islay." Some people consider the Isle of Skye to be part of "Islay" while others consider the Isle of Skye to be a sixth region. The argument for calling Talisker Scotch an Islay single malt comes from the fact that it is the only single malt that comes from the Isle of Skye. The argument for considering it to be a sixth type of malt comes from its distinctive flavor.

The differences come from the growing conditions of the malts as well as the materials available for the brewing processes. Most of the common brand name scotches are blended scotches, made by blending several different malts to produce a product that consistantly tastes the same. Single malt scotches are different. Each has its own unique taste. Cheap scotches taste like kerosene, no matter where they come from. But the expensive scotches are a delight, full of flavor and smoothness. Talisker tastes smokey with a sweetness lying in the background. It feels silky as it slides down your throat.

So, anyway, I bought a 12-year old Talisker to celebrate. Sipping it, I can almost smell the North Sea winds, the heather and the peet.

Cheers, everyone!