My wife and I stopped in at the Elephant and Castle on Pennsylvania Avenue for a nightcap last night after supper, expecting only the usual meager selection of The Big Six.
But -- lo and behold! -- behind the bar, on a shelf off to the side, I spotted three familiar bottles which were not mentioned on the Scotch price list: Compass Box "Monster," Jon Mark & Robbo's "Rich and Spicy One," and the Distiller's Edition double-matured Cragganmore. Even better, all three were brand new bottles, so open them all we did!
The Rich and Spicy One lived up to it's name -- as I've mentioned before, it's been one of my everyday whiskies for the past couple of years. The Cragganmore was a bit muted compared to the distillery 12-yr. bottling, but subtly complex. It simply pales next to the spice and sherry of the JM&R. The star for me, of course, was the Monster, and Monster it is. Almost no color, but a wonderful, pungent taste of the sea.
What a welcome surprise, since these are three bottlings rarely found in our area. Unfortunately, all three bottles now show extensive damage ... 8;(
-- Larry