NEEDLING

I’ve done the unthinkable, the perplex, the damned me once if I start it’s down the drain from here. I’ve opened my bottle of Lagavulin 16 years old Scotch and poured myself a healthy glass. One sip and I understand finally why this is the most coveted bottle of Scotch anywhere, at least in this part of the world. Desperate times demand desperate measures. This puts Caol Ila 18 years to shame almost (though I'm still a big fan, it's simply different and not of the same intensity). And all this time I’ve been selling Caol Ila 18 years as a substitute for the Lagavulin 16 years. The later has a much deeper orange color, and the smoke blasts you in the mouth upon first sip, yet the medicinal properties, though entirely alive, do not beat you upon the head, they are sneaky and come through almost without your awareness. It is thick, chewy, nutty, and long lasting. JESUS, your monks invented the ancestor of this potent liquid, and I thank you for that. They paved the way for this magnificent grain spirit to a place among the great distillates. May we rest in peace and be pickled silly.