Monday's MVP

Monday night, which of course would have been Game Five, had there been a Game Five, I found myself in Manhattan with G-Man, and by some kind of coincidence, the two of us found ourselves back at the bar at Keens Chophouse on 36th Street. Funny how that happens. Seems like every time Chuck and I meet in New York, we end up on 36th Street. But that’s a good thing, not merely because it’s becoming familiar to us, but because I’ve yet to find a better selection of malts anywhere. And although this blog has chronicled our visits to a number of great whisky drinking locations, none matches the variety of malts, nor the remarkable combination of great whisky and incomparable steaks.

We sampled four malts, two rounds, and the bartender was kind enough to suggest splitting the pours, so that made things easier for G-man and me. We started with Aberlour 16, which John and I had once tasted at the City Bar, in the Lenox Hotel, the day we ended up at the Last Hurrah. Perhaps because we drank such fabulous whisky later that day at the Last Hurrah, or perhaps because we drank so much whisky later that day, the Aberlour 16 seemed to get overlooked. But this is really a very nice Speyside malt. John and I are huge fans of Aberlour, and I thought that the 16 had replaced the 15, which was their first malt finished in sherry casks. Now I’m not so sure, because the Aberlour website is once again listing the 15. Either way, 15 or 16, this malt is more finished, and more flavorful than the 12, also finished in sherry. Also, Aberlour’s sherry finish is less overpowering than say, Macallan’s, leaving more of the original malt flavor, and a more subtle hint from the sherry casks. Very enjoyable drink. The Aberlour was complimented by Bunnahabhain 18, about which I have posted at length –it’s one of Danny’s favorites.

Round two, we had a cask strength Cragganmore, which was a touch rough around the edges, although full of flavor, but which suffered by comparison to the star of the evening- Macallan Fine Oak 17. I’ve come to prefer the Fine Oak series of Macallan more than their sherry finished whiskies, and one can find the 15 rather easily around town. The 15 is terrific; for most occasions you can’t ask for anything more. But somehow, the extra two years in the cask, which doesn’t sound like it should make that much of a difference, just astonished me. I could hardly believe how good this whisky was. And just to keep things in perspective, this was still before we had the porterhouse, still before I had become intoxicated with Keens overpowering flavors; and I think I was still able to judge this whisky dispassionately. So my objective and unemotional assessment of this whisky is that it’s fucking unbelievable. That’s my review. Forget about its finish, its nose, its flavor, all that business. Just expect to have your mind blown when you drink this whisky. Unfortunately, it’s a little too pricey on the shelf, if you can even find it on the shelf. Close to $100. So I won’t be stocking it regularly in the cabinet. But for Monday night in New York, at Keens on 36th Street, with my boy G-man, it won the MVP.