...into my belly, watch it go down. Can you name the movie that quote comes from? ANCHORMAN of course! Watching Ron Burgundy sip on scotch at work cracked me up as I remember my own father bringing his portable cocktail mixing set on business trips with him. My how times have changed...However, I DO love scotch!
I was turned on to single malt scotch by a friend during a dinner date one evening. I didn't think anything of it until I gave it a try. My first impression was NOT good though--WAY too smoky for my taste! However, I figured that there HAD to be a scotch out there for me. The process of finding My Favorite Scotch has been long, but well worth the effort. It has also been highly amusing.
Can you believe that in this day and age women get hassled at the liquor store for inquiring about scotch? It's almost as bad as when I call a mechanic for an auto repair quote. Most guys have NO idea how women are STILL treated like second-class citizens, or at least as if we are morons when dealing with some of the last bastions of male dominance. Trust me, it STILL happens, even in the very progressive Bay Area. I vividly recall my experience when inquiring about the scotch selection at a local liquor store during a trip in February. I walked in and one of the salesmen ran around the counter to apprehend me. When I asked him where the scotch was, he shot back at me, "You drink scotch????" It was if I were asking him where the Kryptonite was kept. When I replied that, yes, I DID indeed drink scotch, his look was incredulous. He kept at me as if I was REALLY going to be purchasing a gift and that it couldn't possibly be for me. It was at that moment that I SO badly wanted to tell him what I did for a living, just to see the look on his face. However, discretion is the better part of valor and I politely followed him to the appropriate aisle and made it clear through my body language that his assistance was no longer needed.
It was roughly at this same time of year that I was able to have a wonderful experience at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco. Turns out they have a FABULOUS selection of scotch ( the menu was like a phone book), and I was able to stumble upon my new favorite. Cadenhead's Authentic Collection Tomatin's Distillery 17 yr was a single malt we chose more on a whim than anything else. I can hardly describe how wonderful it was. It felt like oil as it slid down my throat--it was so smooth. We finished the small amount they had left in the bottle and I made sure to take down the name so we could purchase more. Yeah right. Turns out this particular scotch is no longer available in the US, and my sources have only been able to locate it in Germany and Amsterdam. However, since I will be visiting Amsterdam in October, I have every intention of purchasing a bottle while there. Thus, if anyone who reads this blog knows where I could obtain a bottle of this fabulous elixir of joy, let me know.