Day 23 and my alarm goes off as it usually does on
a Friday, however, I’m not getting up to go to work. I am on vacation. So what,
pray tell, is the Lassie up so early for?
My lovely husband and I are driving to Boston
today (7 hour drive) to go to a New England Patriots game on Christmas Eve.
Now, some of you might think that sounds a little crazy right before the big
day but honestly, I am not a huge fan of Christmas to begin with so when Graham
surprised me with this little trip, well… this Lassie was overjoyed because he
knows how much I struggle this time of year. This is exactly the perfect gift
for me. Thank you Graham…
So the adventure began early enough where I was running
around the house, packing Patriots gear, checking weather reports, getting the
animals ready to go stay at “nanny & grampy’s” and packing up a care
package for my dear friend Bob in New Hampshire. Car packed by 8:30, a few last
minute items to take care of and then run down the stairs to open #23 and #24
(I am not cheating, I won’t be home tomorrow!!) I was stunned to see another
Samaroli in my advent calendar, this is really going to be a great trip
indeed!!! I won’t reveal what day 24 was, but also excited about that one.
We were on the road by 10:30 am. Passports? Check! Patriots’ tickets? Check!
Whisky & glassware? Check! And…most importantly: Patriots scarf, hat, long
johns and jersey CHECK!! We have other things that we need like warm clothes, podcasts
downloaded (Hey Mark Gillespie), directions to our hotel and a last minute
surprise whisky tasting with our friend Darren McInnis from the North Shore
Whisky Club later tonight.
After crossing into the United States through the
New Brunswick/Maine border, we listened to a podcast, ate some lunch, talked
while Graham drove. It was a sunny and somewhat mild afternoon. The sun
glistened on the trees and we both sat in silence, simply mesmerized by the
beauty of the scenery around us. It’s rustic, majestic and lovely. We drove through Maine, New Hampshire and arrived in Mansfield to meet our friend Darren at the Norfolk Wine & Spirits where @CachacaDave (Dave Catania) was pouring some Amrut Indian whiskies.
Meeting the legendary Bikram Singh that I had heard so much about was fantastic. He did not disappoint! If ever you are in the Boston area, a trip to his shop is well worth the effort. Rare, interesting and many "off the beat and path" whiskies from all over the world, including SAMAROLI!!! Thank you Darren for this gem of a find!
Now, speaking of Samaroli, back to my day 23 dram:
Samaroli Peaty Blended Whisky 20 year old, 45% ABV. Refill sherry butt Cask #54.
Colour: Pink gold!
Nose: Another smoky whisky. The peat is a bit more predominant on this one for me. Reminds me of wet dark earth. Not overly sweet on the nose.
Palate: Thick, viscous and again peaty goodness. A bit of creamy lemon on the backdrop. It's a lovely "aged" peated whisky.
Finish: Long lingering and quite satisfying. This could easily be a dram that Graham would love after a cold dog walk in January.
Another triumph for a Samaroli. I cannot tell you how impressive these are. I'll be talking to Jonathan to see if this is one of the bottle that will be available.
Check out what he thought at: www.singlemalting.com
As for this Lassie, day 23 was simply phenomenal. I love the #whiskyfabric and can't wait to tell you what is in store for tomorrow.
Cheers lovely people!!
Lassie
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