Welcome to the world of Scotch whisky!

I've decided to start a new blog, this one centered around whisky... specifically, single-malt Scotch whisky. This blog is meant for everyone who enjoys a good dram of single malt, a nice fireside chuff of a fine blend, or that particular and unmistakable slip of peat on the tongue. It's also aimed at the drinker who finds poetry in a good sip, and doesn't mind a few flights of imagination now and again when the drink inspires. 

I am coming to the Scotch table rather late in the game - I'm in my mid 30s, and have been drinking spirits - especially my previous favorite, gin - since I was about 18, like most red-blooded Americans. But I only discovered my palette for Scotch about a year ago. I understood the subtleties of gin, bourbon, cognac, but the wonderful world of scotch blossomed unexpectedly late one night at a board game party where I brought some Glenlivet 12 Year.  

I have no mouth for wine, so the esoteric reviews that feature "oak, with a little candied green apple peel, maybe tanned leather, plums, fried peach skin, onion straws, and maybe .... maybe... yes, cherry wallpaper paste," were completely lost on me. Yet with Scotch, my mouth came alive. 

I suspect this is a similar experience for many Scotch drinkers - suddenly, descriptions like "Honey, heather, soft caramel, young herbs, and light smoke," make perfect sense. Sure, every tongue is different - I have read reviews of bottles that I found insane - I smelled varnish and wood glue, they somehow smelled vanilla and cream (!?) - but I think my mouth "understands" Scotch well enough that most reviews make perfect sense, and I have a good idea of the basic and, to a lesser degree, advanced flavors happening in Scotches good and indifferent and bad. 

So, I aim to post at least once a week, and hopefully much more, about some Scotch or other I've sampled, using the usual "nose/mouthfeel/palette/finish" method, and rather than give a score (which is unusually arbitrary, I think), I will follow ScotchNoob.com's example, and use a system that varies from Find This Immediately to Recommended to Avoid At All Costs. 

Prost!