Delight is to him
Over the past year or so I've been making monthly whiskey trips to New York City. Actually, I'm working for the Metropolitan Museum, but I can't really consider these trips work-related because the focus has always been on friends, food, and of course, malts. After each trip, I've promised a post, and now that the Master distiller of Ardmore is reading this blog, I really can't make any more excuses.
The cast of characters always includes Toons, aka Brooklyn Rico. Some readers of this blog might be wondering about Rico's comments. I wish I could clarify these for for you, but his posts are more Joyce than Montiagne, and I usually have no idea what he's talking about. Andy might be able to understand him better; they share some of the same passions.
I bring up Rico, formerly Unkle Rico, because we just spent an evening at the bar at Keens. We enjoyed our steak (and it was delicious) at the Tunick household in Scarsdale and took the rails into the city for refreshments. My evening began with a Rosebank, 13 years old. Keens used to have two Rosebanks, but now only one remains. As time goes by I imagine we'll see less and less, so I always order it if it's on the menu. I have a bottle at home, reserved for Boston championships. That rule is putting my supply in demand, as I'm sure the New Yorkers reading this blog are well aware. Toons opened with a Cragganmore Distiller's edition. One of the great things about Keens is that they have the best version of everything. We followed with a pour of Hirsch Bourbon, another endangered whiskey. Hirsch is the richest Bourbon I have ever tasted. Only the Pappy 20 year old comes close to it's smoothness, but Hirsch has a lighter, golden taste, and a buttery texture. I can't do it justice; the readers need to try this whiskey before it's gone and know for themselves.
The only problem with Hirsch is that it's so good I'll buy it at any price. Once you're willing to pay for a glass of whiskey with multiple Andrew Jacksons, you start to lose track of valuations. Toons and I started to eye the Rockefeller flight and it's $140 tag didn't seem so absurd any more. In fact, it was tempting. Somehow we came back to earth and decided to order the After-dinner Flight: Bruchladich 21, Macallan Cask Strength, Edradour Ballechin, and Talisker 25. Wow, what a line-up. I could go on-and-on about all of these, but the one that deserves special mention is the Ballechin. This is another new release, and like Ardmore, is a peated highland. It's one of the most complex malts I've ever tasted, with a woody nose and a totally unique taste and finish. It has a big, unusual flavor that seems perfectly designed for the experienced Scotch drinker. It definitely doesn't try to please everyone, and I can imagine some novice drinkers getting freaked out by it.
I've put together a solid list of whiskey bars in New York, and I'll list them all in a future post. In the meantime I'll leave you with a quote from Melville, who was probably thinking of Brooklyn Rico and drinking Ballechin as he put pen to paper: "Delight is to him--a far, far upward, and inward delight--who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self."
The cast of characters always includes Toons, aka Brooklyn Rico. Some readers of this blog might be wondering about Rico's comments. I wish I could clarify these for for you, but his posts are more Joyce than Montiagne, and I usually have no idea what he's talking about. Andy might be able to understand him better; they share some of the same passions.
I bring up Rico, formerly Unkle Rico, because we just spent an evening at the bar at Keens. We enjoyed our steak (and it was delicious) at the Tunick household in Scarsdale and took the rails into the city for refreshments. My evening began with a Rosebank, 13 years old. Keens used to have two Rosebanks, but now only one remains. As time goes by I imagine we'll see less and less, so I always order it if it's on the menu. I have a bottle at home, reserved for Boston championships. That rule is putting my supply in demand, as I'm sure the New Yorkers reading this blog are well aware. Toons opened with a Cragganmore Distiller's edition. One of the great things about Keens is that they have the best version of everything. We followed with a pour of Hirsch Bourbon, another endangered whiskey. Hirsch is the richest Bourbon I have ever tasted. Only the Pappy 20 year old comes close to it's smoothness, but Hirsch has a lighter, golden taste, and a buttery texture. I can't do it justice; the readers need to try this whiskey before it's gone and know for themselves.
The only problem with Hirsch is that it's so good I'll buy it at any price. Once you're willing to pay for a glass of whiskey with multiple Andrew Jacksons, you start to lose track of valuations. Toons and I started to eye the Rockefeller flight and it's $140 tag didn't seem so absurd any more. In fact, it was tempting. Somehow we came back to earth and decided to order the After-dinner Flight: Bruchladich 21, Macallan Cask Strength, Edradour Ballechin, and Talisker 25. Wow, what a line-up. I could go on-and-on about all of these, but the one that deserves special mention is the Ballechin. This is another new release, and like Ardmore, is a peated highland. It's one of the most complex malts I've ever tasted, with a woody nose and a totally unique taste and finish. It has a big, unusual flavor that seems perfectly designed for the experienced Scotch drinker. It definitely doesn't try to please everyone, and I can imagine some novice drinkers getting freaked out by it.
I've put together a solid list of whiskey bars in New York, and I'll list them all in a future post. In the meantime I'll leave you with a quote from Melville, who was probably thinking of Brooklyn Rico and drinking Ballechin as he put pen to paper: "Delight is to him--a far, far upward, and inward delight--who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self."
posted by john rothenberg | 9:15 PM
3 Comments:
Ah yes, the after-dinner flight. G-man and I visited Keen's on Saturday night, and partook of the very same, after-dinner flight. Extensive notes are on my desk, and I'll try to post as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, how about that Ardmore comment? Is that awesome or what? We are definitely visiting the Ardmore distillery, just as soon as we can manage to get to Scotland.
I await berg's sharing of the notes....in particular I'm curious if, when represented graphically, his views are at all similar to my own. For example, when analyzing each part of the flight's finish, is it an increasing step function?
Back to Hersh 28, as opposed to Hirsch 16, and I'll do my best to clarify. I'm attempting to clarify my comments from the "Be Careful What You Wish For" post. My jet fuel comment was a nod to the Rockefeller's $140 price tag which, if memory serves, is a six dollar discount to Keen's listed prices. The pecuniary analysis was extended to the other flights, all of which are discounted against the a la carte substitute.....a solid piece of minutia that I'm compelled to share.
As for the words I expected Hersh to find bittersweet, I have to say that it's not everyday that you quote someone or send him his words in their entirety, only to be told that he has no idea what you're talking about. From "all growns up" through the comment about deutschland, those words came from an email of John's dealing with feelings of nostalgia. I was going through the old records looking for a specific email, for those curious, it involves a gentleman by the name of Bush getting put in his place by our aforementioned hero. As DZ might point out, looking for something specific is a dangerous and frequently disappointing endeavor, but looking for just anything, well you'll probably find something. And, after the initial disappointment, I changed strategies and embraced the nostalgia vibe. Given berg's pitch by pitch recreation of playoffs past, I ask, is there any place more appropriate for nostalgia than Manny De Montaigne? The answer, of course, is yes, but I still deem the blog appropriate.
Nostalgia, it dominated our conversations in between sips, inspired me to look for an old gem of an email, and was the subject of the email I found which, in my opinion, contained some elegant writing and imagery that I thought would be well received.....if for no other reason than the line about Germany.
Following that, I just shared some Blackalicious lyrics from a track called "Release" off the album "Blazing Arrow." The selected lines simply being a list of "things" that may generate interesting imagery for those reading, or they might not. Regardless, it's an album I've been trying to get Hersh into for some time.
Just be glad I didn't include a line about email and fatal disease from the movie "me and you and everyone we know," and go rent it if you've yet to experience it.
As far as Ardmore goes, I may have to drive outside of Philly before my lease expires, find some whiskey spot, and enjoy some Ardmore in the town of Ardmore. You're all invited, of course, plus it's in the US. This is not about xenophobia, it's about coming full circle to jet fuel.
Also, kudos on using jewish guilt to get us to finally post ("I’m planning on introducing legislation making it a misdemeanor for any reader to visit that shrine, without posting or commenting." being my segue). And, thanks for the heads up wrt Keen's and G-man on saturday. Sure I was in Philly, but......
The guilt thing won't get you to Keen's. More like scheduling. Here's my suggestion:when John knows he's going to be in NY, he lets everyone know, and we see if it's at all possible to make the time and the travel arrangements. Not right at this moment, of course, as I've just returned. But I understand that there will be frequent visits for the Met project, thus frequent opportunities for food and beverage. Mike also insists he is visiting Ny more often - I guess there were an abundance of cute gals at the wedding.
Stay tuned for the Keen's posting.
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