Well an entire summer has come and gone and Rob and I have been too frickin’ busy to write posts, but there is quite a lot to report. First off, we really must welcome our fifth member, Dave Stoyles. Dave and his wife Nancy of “Northofqueen” are really the right kind of weirdos, much in keeping with the Leslivillians we tend to be and/or hang with. Now with regards to the many crazed nights of yummy single malts that have happened since the Scotch Hole, I will begin with this one: June 18th, 2008. Ginette and I had just gotten our new gas stove. According to my notebook, in attendance were Dave , Rod, and Myself. As you might expect the line up for this night was stellar: Highland Park 15, Oban 14, 3 Laphroaigs! the 10, the 15, and the Quarter cask, Caol Ila Cask Strength, The Rare Malts Blair Athol 27, the old Pulteney 12 from Rod and Ginny’s Buffalo trip, a Glen Garioch 15 and lastly, the Deerstalker 10. That’s 10! In retrospect, we probably should have guessed that 10 single malts multiplied by 3 guys would equal: no post on the website, you poor hung over fool. Anyway an amazing time was had, and we took tasting notes and everything before calling it a night.
Obviously there is no way to catch up on all that has happened this summer, but there were a great many highlights, not the least of which were: Communal Camping and Josie’s Birthday at the Blue Moon. All members are currently being asked to do a formal inventory for the Collection so we can get our number straight and add the appropriate tasting notes to the site. Later tonight, all of the members of the Leslieville Scotch Society are taking Rod out to the Feathers to celebrate his 45th birthday. I will be very surprised if any member is capable of adding a post about this event anytime soon.
It had been a really long time since the 4 of us had been able to be in the same place for a nosing, and this one was a doozy. The whole affair began with a shopping trip to Bayview Village for some new bottles. Sadly, there wasn’t a Rare Malt in sight. What we purchased was: The Royal Brackla 18, a Poit Dhubh and a Te Bheag by Rod, a Highland Park 18 and an AnCnoc 30 by Bryan, and lastly a Bowmore 18 and a Glen Scotia 29 by Rob and Matt. Upon returning home that evening, Matt read a less than favourable review of the Glen Scotia online, and seeing as it was very expensive, there were some second thoughts. The following day, after conferring with Rob, it was a forgone conclusion that the Glen Scotia was going to be exchanged for something else. But what to get? Some online hunting narrowed the choices to a Caol Ila 25 or a Glen Ord 25. The Caol Ila turned out to be at an LCBO out in God’s country, so on to the Glen Ord. A call was made and the bottle was put aside for us down at Cooper street. However when we arrived (Rod had come for the ride and Rob was indisposed) there sitting by itself in the vintages cabinet was an option we hadn’t known: an Old Malt Cask bottling of a Port Ellen 23! The Glen Scotia’s return had given us enough to get the Port Ellen and a little bonus, the Nikka Yoichi Japanese single malt. Okay, so now our final line up for Saturday’s big “game” was in place. There was one more last-minute addition courtesy of Virginia: a bottle of Peat Monster. So, 9pm at Bryan’s rolled around and the table looked like this: Highland Park, Bowmore and Royal Brackla 18s, Connemara Irish, Nikka Yoichi Japanese, and Pendaryn Welsh “Not Scotch” Single malts, a Balvenie 17 New Oak, Poit Dhubh and Peat Monster vatted Malts, and lastly the transplendent Port Ellen 23 and AnCnoc 30. That’s 11 and should have sent up some red flags… a minimum of 11 ounces of whisky per guy… this could (read “will”) get messy. In addition, of course, there were some vittles: a Sashimi platter, shrimp in red curry and Marlin steaks in green Thai curry, various nuts and munchies. Extensive tasting notes were taken (coming soon), and not suprisingly, we all got wrecked. Somewhere around this point, Bryan, in a wisdom all his own, suggested that we really should finish theremaining half bottle of Connemara…I mean it’s only 59.5 % ABV, how could that be wrong? The rest of us agreed (a little too readily) and shortly thereafter Rod’s whisky glasses box had its clasp ripped off by Matt, Rob announced “I’m a big guy” to the rest (at 6’5 it wasn’t really a suprise), we yelled stuff at Bryan’s neighbors, and then, so I am told, Rob, Matt and Rod went to Rod’s for some extra curricular activities. All of this part of the night exists in a place Rob referred to as the “Scotch Hole” a black empty void measuring about 1 hour by 2 city blocks that left no memory on those caught within its grasp. Apparently, Matt did an imitation of his two-year-old Arthur, complete with screaming and running/bouncing of the walls as he ran headlong at the sober and scared Virginia. Then for reasons unknown we spilled into the street in front of Rod’s house, where Rod did a couple of pratfalls into Berkshire Avenue. Not to be outdumbed, Matt discovers how to fire his booster rockets and launches himself northbound towards Queen… luckily Rob helped with the atmospheric re-entry and made a course correction, sending Matt towards the blackness and blankets of his own home. All in all, enough Ya Ya’s were got out to last a good long time for all involved.
It’s Easter weekend 2008. Ginette has gone to New Brunswick to celebrate her grandmother’s 90 th birthday. Matthew is flying solo with the 3 youngins. Rob and Rod come for a visit Saturday eve, and we start the night by listening to a fairly awesome Mariachi band from Montreal. It’s not long before we get thirsty and, well, bottles start come down from the shelf: Connemara Cask Strength, Glen Morangie Lasanta, Rob brought his birthday present, The Glen Tauchers 14, then I think we had Longmorn, Scapa (possibly), and Lagavullin Distillers. We are all now finely tuned machines, so let’s check out YouTube for comedy and tunes and the extraordinarily strange “Melodyne Direct Note Access”. The night is crowned by listening to the ridiculous guitar stylings of Danny Gatton. Little did Matt know, but about two hours after Rob and Rod went stumbling homeward, he was going to get up to see about crying 2 year old Arthur, and put his back out in biblical proportions. 10 days later as I write this, I have been on a journey of pain coloured by something called cyclobenzaprine, codene and even morphine to sleep. But relief has started to show up from time to time, and I’m just about off the pain meds. As soon as I am totally clear, I’m thinking…Ardbeg.
Gather round and hear tales of this strange and wonderous place: NORTHOFQUEEN. Some of the residents adorn their dwellings with hundreds of teddy bears. Others conjure music from button covered boxes. Two denizens of this wild and foreign land, Nancy and Dave, invited a contingent of southern dwellers to come and enjoy their hospitality. In attendance were: Rod and Virginia, Rob and Regan, Matthew and Ginette, Nancy and Dave, and Nick. On the bar was, Glenmorangie 15, Dalwhinnie 12, Balvenie 12 Double Wood, Glen Breton 10 Canadian Single Malt, Connemara Cask Strength Irish Single Malt, and Laphroiagh Quarter Cask.
The food table was outstanding featuring Taramasalata and some exotic cream cheese and hot pepper blend. Many fine herbs and spices were employed, the use of which contributed significantly to the concensus that many objects, including Dave and Nancy’s new door, may have in fact, been Photoshopped.
Another insane poker weekend at Rod’s cottage has come and gone. Sorry Rob and Bryan, I haven’t figured out which of Rod’s old friends to bump off to make space for you, but I’ve narrowed it down. A good time was had by all in attendance. So much in fact that at one point I lost the use of my limbs! What was drammed was: Glenmorangie Original 10, Bowmore 12 (Thanks Virginia!), Strathisla 12, Cragganmore 12, and the ever drinkable blend, Hogshead.
Poker was played, money was re-distributed, awesome food was eaten, dogs were good and evil, snow was pissed in, the lake was hiked to, and tunes were rocked out to. All said, it was a great time.
We had just finished throwing Ruby’s six year old Spy Birthday party, an affair which had taken weeks to prepare, and it was time for the adults to relax. Rod had read somewhere online that any single malts with less than a third left should be finished within six months or the malt can lose its flavour. There didn’t seem to be any clear cut decision about this in any other source we could find, so we decided to play it safe and polish off some some old favourites. In attendance were Rob, Regan, Rod, Virginia, Regan’s super friend from way back Jocelyn, Deniese, Diane, Bryan, Annie, Ginette and Matthew. The gals drank bubbly and something called Bull Piss, and wine while the boys drank yummy single malts, making detailed tasting notes before finishing the following bottles: Cardhu 12, Glenmorangie 10, Glenmorangie Port Wood, Glenmorangie Burgandy Wood, Bowmore 15, Longmorn 15, Bruichladdich 10, Macallan 12, Connemara, Lagavulin Distillers Edition, and Scapa 14. That’s 11 down! Also sampled, but not killed, were the intriguingly mysterious Mactarnahan and the always outstanding Caol Ila 18.
Much of the night’s conversation had to do with who would be on your top 10 “Can sleep with without any marital consequences” list. The subject matter combined with the copious quantities of alcohol made for some big laughs I think but can’t exactly remember.
Last-minute babysitting issues gave rise to a technological leap forward for Leslieville – a Skype-enabled multi-location party! Well, maybe not forward, but it was pretty cool.
Several new bottles were added to the collection, and of course sampled…
Thanks to the generosity of Rob’s family:
- Bowmore Mariner 15yo
- Glenrothes Select Reserve
- Glen Breton 10yo – “Canada’s only single malt”
and thanks to the generosity of Rob’s Leslieville friends:
- Glentauchers 14yo Cask Strength (James MacArthur’s Old Masters)
Also, three of the society members were presented with Riedel hollow-stem nosing glasses by their wives (who informally make up the Leslieville Champagne Society; website forthcoming)
All in all, a typically raucous gathering, with guests arriving from as far away as the Danforth! Regan outdid herself in the kitchen, producing an amazing array of savory and sweet treats, and topping things off at around 2:30am with gourmet grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches.
I think this impromptu gathering technically falls just outside the proverbial “12 days”, but nevertheless…Â there were gift certificates that needed to be liquidated, so Rob, Matt and Rod made a short excursion to the Queen’s Quay LCBO. No one came away empty-handed.
There followed a highly-enjoyable tasting session, featuring two of the evening’s new additions – a Dalmore 12 and a Talisker 25. Oh, yes.
Also sampled were a Strathisla 12, a Ben Nevis 12, and the always transplendent Talisker 20 (for comparison’s sake).
Seeing how many of us got scotches for Xmas, it seemed necessary to get together and have a major tasting. Friends Chris and Gabriel were in town from Montreal and so, it’s party time. In attendance were: Bryan and Scarlett (and baby Alexander), Rod and Virginia, Chris and Gabriell, David minus Annie, Ginette and Matthew, Jim and Bob.
What we drank included: Auchentoshen 10, Auchentoshen 18, Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine, Macallan 15 Fine Oak, Macallan 18, Jura 10, and Jura Superstition.
This one is a shoo-in for a nomination in the “flimsiest excuse for a party” category. Matt and Ginette finally got their new counter-top installed, and the first order of business was to have a bunch of people over to make sure it was able to support many drinks. It was.
Matt, Rod, Rob and Brian assembled a collection of Scotches, while Ginette, Virginia and Scarlett made their way through a selection of bubblies. Some thought was given to the establishment of a sister-site for the Leslieville Champagne Society. We all agreed that their site would probably get more hits than ours, especially with the inclusion of a tight T-shirt photo gallery.
Anyhoo, we managed to compile tasting notes on the following Scotches:
- Premium Bottlers – Linkwood 10
- Glenmorangie Lasanta
- Highland Park 15
- Scapa 14
Also consumed were Ardbeg 10, Hog’s Head, and Té Bheag.