Guest post - Savoring every day...

I'm not on hiatus I swear... just busy. I guess this is what happens when you transition from a blogger musing about your personal journey through whisky to being paid and published, hehehe...  Not to mention, it's whisky presenting season and I've got 'gigs' lined up right up until the end of May?! I'm not complaining or bragging - Just letting you know that I do have pieces 1/2 to 3/4 written, I simply haven't taken the time to get them finished. 

It's the goal for March & April before I leave for my annual trip to Scotland. Yes... headed to Scotland again. It's become a yearly tradition than I simply can't seem to stop but again, I'm not complaining or bragging I assure you ;)

My friend Rick likes to write. Many times out of the blue he will send me an email with a piece he's written. Some are not exactly what I think my readers would enjoy but others are simply put - Lassie approved!  This is one of those cases.

I am a sap for romantic stories (yes, be shocked...) I have watched the Notebook about 20 times, usually alone with at least one box of tissues. Deep down, I will always believe that love between two people is intimate, special and under the right circumstances forever...  So, when I read this piece that Rick wrote I was transported somewhere where Felicia & James may be...  and, as I often say -> Sometimes it's not so much about the whisky but everything else that envelopes it.  

Rick Culver: "This started out as a post about age statements, but it isn't. It became about 'old things'. I like old things. You can easily find me wandering around antique shops. If I lived in an area that had independent liquor shops I would be one of those people spending time looking for old dusties. I mean really, who doesn't love old things? They stir feelings in us and create emotions that slowly bubble their way to the surface, sometimes diving down again for further thought or contemplation before rising within us again. Ever watch someone pour a Guinness ;)

There is nostalga pulling out an old bottle of whisky, preferably with an age statement, to share with friends. I often stop to ponder what was going on in the world when it was distilled or bottled and I'll ask what people were doing that year. So back to browsing antique shops. There is one I love going to and I popped in not long ago to look at the new acquisitions from an estate sale. 

This... caught my eye:

It was a mini Glenfiddich whisky bottle. I am not sure what year but that didn't matter because it's what was inside that raised my eyebrow. I didn't make a big deal out of it nor did I take it out of the bottle at the shop. There is no use driving up the price of the prospective purchase by announcing to the owner that the bottle contained a map of Black Beard's treasure on Oak Island. I offered him two dollars for a labeless mini whisky bottle and went to run the rest of my errands. Much later, once I was home, I opened the bottle and found the following:

It seems fitting as we near Valentine Day to raise a glass of something special to toast Felicia & James and the deep feelings they seemed to share for each other. Left to the imagination, we can only guess why she decided to put this heartfelt message in a bottle. Perhaps she tucked it into a spot where she knew he would find it while she was away. We will never know. What I do know is that old bottles will never trump old relationships. 

So it really doesn't matter if you are pulling out an old bottle with an age statement or not to toast your loved one with. Whether you are celebrating many decades together or just at the very beginning of a long and lasting relationship; here's wishing you a happy Valentine and hoping that like Felicia & James, it's still as passionate as a flaming heart.

I know... How could I not use Compass Box as a great example? Flaming Heart, 15th anniversary edition. John Glaser does NAS whiskies extremely well. Those looking for the spiciness from a new French oak hybrid cask containing a blend of Clynelish, Dailuaine & Teaninich combined with the lovely sweet and smoky backdrop of Caol Ilay get, IMO, a satisfying and rewarding dram!

Perfect dram for Valentine, or toasting peope like Felicia & James."

Agreed Rick... Compass Box whiskies are often fantastic examples of how No Age Statement (NAS) whiskies can be made. Quality that stand the test of time just like a note written long ago and stuffed into a small bottle.

I also raise a dram to people who make their relationships work. It's not easy, if anything truly loving someone can be extremely difficult. My only caveat: Don't wait until a marketed day, once a year, to let them know how much you care. Tell them and celebrate surviving together as a couple... every day.

Cupid awakens Psyche - Louvre visit 2007

Cheers to all and a special thanks to Rick for sharing this wonderful discovery.

Lassie