Edinburgh - Part Deux

2-5 January, 2015

Wall of Scotch

In part one I think we covered things at a macro level, now let's talk about a few of them in detail. If you imbibe and you're in Scotland then there are two things (well, maybe three things) that you need to give attention to. The first, obviously, is Scotch. If you're like me (and I think most Americans are probably at the same level my son and I were when we first sat down at the bar one evening) then you've had a bit of Scotch here and there, it was probably a bit on the smoky side, and you didn't think very highly of it. So, while you might be a lover of bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, and other variants of aged brown spirituous grain products, you wouldn't consider yourself much of a Scotch drinker. You may want to take a step back, seek some knowledgeable help, and reconsider your stance. To be called Scotch it must be distilled in Scotland and aged in oak casks for a minimum of three years. Single Malt Scotch must be produced in a single distillery using a pot still from a mash of barley. Blended Malt is simply a mixture of two or more Single Malts, while Blended Scotch is a mixture of Single Malts with grain alcohol. Single Malt Scotch will be reasonably consistent from year to year, with slight variations due to such things as weather. Blended Malt is more consistent, due to the flavor profile coming from multiple sources. Blended Scotch is the most consistent, due to the larger number of ingredients and the addition of grain alcohol to produce a signature taste year after year. Chivas that you drink today will be pretty much identical to what your father drank and what your children might drink in the future.

There are five recognized Scotch regions: Speyside, Highlands, Lowlands, Campbeltown, and Islay. Each region produces a distinct flavor profile and about 90% of all the Scotch produced is in the form of Blended Scotch (Johnnie Walker, Dewars, Chivas, and Cutty Sark, for example.) Blended Malts are generally a good value proposition, lacking the huge marketing budgets of the big name blends for the most part. Monkey Shoulder is an excellent value and generally available in the USA (even in NC, which isn't known for diversity in its state-run ABC system.) Sheep Dip is another example, and Johnnie Walker Green receives rave reviews but demands a premium over other blended malts due to the brand strength. The reviews I've read on it say it's worth it. [Update: 10 May 2017 - Just discovered that Johnnie Walker Green was re-introduced in 2016, which I think is a good thing.] When you move to Single Malt things get more confusing and, I think, more interesting.

Speyside has the largest number of distilleries at about 105 (almost half of the total number), but the Highlands produce more whisky with fewer distilleries. Islay, with only eight distilleries, is immediately recognizable by a pronounced peaty smoke. The Lowlands have five distilleries and Campbeltown, once home to thirty, now has only three operating. [Update: 7 May 2017 - Another "unofficial" region is now commonly recognized. The Islands is, technically, a subdivision of the Highlands, but tends to be more peaty (but not Islay-peaty) with hints of Speyside. I think it's a more peaty presentation of Campbeltown, which is quickly becoming my favorite source of single malt.]

Now that you have the Cliff's Notes, I suggest finding somewhere to try some Scotch! We sat at the Scotch Bar in The Balmoral on a quiet Monday evening. Cameron was nice enough to chat with us about what we knew about our likes and dislikes (knowing your favorite bourbon is a good starting point) and then chose a selection for us to taste. Since we were the only ones at the bar that afforded us the opportunity to split pours and sip thoughtfully, with plenty of water in between to try and keep our taste buds lively. After an initial round of selections I chose a favorite (Strathisla) and my son chose a favorite (Deanston) - then we "parted ways" and Cameron selected a few more for each of us to sample, based on our demonstrated preference. After round two I settled on Old Pulteney and my son chose Balblair. I'll share a more detailed description of our new "friend" that we met at the bar another time. He was (is?) quite a character.

My wife is an avid quilter and can sense a fabric shop from miles away. This is how I found myself giving a cab driver directions to an obscure side-street in Edinburgh one afternoon. Alison is the proprietress at Edinburgh Patchwork and we were met with a warm welcome. I took my usual stance in such situations (which is to say out of the way, amusing myself with my cell phone, and offering opinion and calculation services as asked.) While I know my way around a sewing machine, and have learned a fair amount about the art of quilt making by assisting my wife from time to time, I am not, by any measure, a quilter. However, I do appreciate the art form and find the geometric aspects quite intriguing. I also enjoy the colors and patterns of the fabrics. The analytical side of my brain (definitely the most active side) enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the differences in the textile industry afforded by our little fabric buying adventure. All said we spent over an hour browsing and chatting while Alison measured and cut a rather healthy quantity of fabric. Thankfully we planned ahead for this eventuality and had ample space and weight available in the suitcases.

No trip to the U.K. is complete without having afternoon tea at least once. The Palm Room at The Balmoral does an excellent service that is rather indulgent (read: bring your appetite.) For the level of service, quality of food, and sheer quantity of food the pricing is not unreasonable and could easily be considered a bargain when compared to afternoon tea at The Ritz in London.

I thought I was ravenous when I sat down and ended up throwing in the towel with a final round of sweets yet to be served. My benchmarks for tea are two of the items that you'll find offered with every afternoon tea; salmon and scones. Suffice it to say that the Scottish salmon presented on toast and lightly dressed was simply divine. The scones were large (just look at the photo) and had amazing texture (not overly crumbly, not overly dense) and were accompanied by some of the most amazing clotted cream and strawberry preserves I've encountered anywhere.

Edinburgh is home to Innis & Gunn, brewers of some amazing beers. They've only been around since 2003, which is quite a contrast for an ancient city. I didn't discover that they had a restaurant, The Beer Kitchen, until we returned home and I started searching for availability in my area. Their beers are oak aged, which adds an interesting character. They have become wildly popular in Canada but have limited distribution in the USA at present. I warn against developing an insatiable taste for it until you determine if you can source it at home. I'm still licking my wounds and searching for a bottle near me.

In summary, we found Edinburgh to be an enchanting city. I can usually walk a few blocks in a new city and have a feel of it. Edinburgh speaks to me and I can't wait to go back and discover more of the city as well as Scotland as a whole.