Daily Loaf

The Dalmore is a classic name in Scotch — located way up in north Scotland, just past Inverness and the Highlands — but one that has received little credit here in the colonies over the past decade or so. With a change from Jim Beam to a new marketing company, and an alliance with big daddy Southern Wine and Spirits for distribution, The Dalmore is trying to change its image here in the States.

Which is why I found fully-kilted Richard Patterson — Master Blender of The Dalmore’s parent company Whyte & Mackay — in my office, pouring much of The Dalmore’s line. Although most Scotch distilleries try to maintain a “house style” that’s consistent through the years and across different varieties, this was different. Each pour opened up a whole new range of textures and flavors, with a few subtle notes tying the line together.

Here’s the rundown: Read the rest of this entry »

The Glenlivet XXV
Single-Malt Scotch Whiskey (Speyside, Highlands)

In the old days, I frequented a bar in Sarasota called The Gator Club. Downstairs it was a meat-market for the lower-end middle-aged set, complete with cover bands and cheap cocktails. Upstairs, however, was a different scene.

There was a pool table, aged leather couches, hidden nooks and Randy Adams. During his reign over the bar up there, The Gator Club had the best selection of single-malt Scotch in the state. Now, Randy gets to pimp his favorite beverage full-time as Glenlivet’s Brand Ambassador to the Southeast U.S..

Thankfully, I still get the occasional slug of free whiskey thanks to Randy, but rarely is it as nice as the bottle he brought by the office last week. Read the rest of this entry »