A SEQUE INTO THE GOLDEN DRAMS FROM USA

I am a Scotch girl. Have been since 2009, and I feel I always will be. However, a feint knocking on my heart, and it hails from the US of A. Every time I try a new bourbon or rye, a smile creeps in, and a surprise generally always arises from my lips. “Oooo, I really love this”. A simple line, yes… but one I don’t use lightly when it comes to flavour.

Widow Jane Warehouse

From Scotland to USA the love for the Golden Spirit continues!

I was introduced to the world of bourbon in 2009 when I first delved into whisky at the, then infamous Bascule Whisky Bar at Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town. The bar back then had a plethora of aged bourbons and ryes, generally not found in any South African collection. So, my first intros to the fascinating world of bourbon were when my palate was first being acquainted with whisky, so admittedly very novice.

Widow Jane 10 year old & the iconic Brooklyn Bridge

The golden spirit, from Scotland to USA, it always delights.

Now a good few years later, a palate a touch more refined, the bourbons and ryes excite and give my first love, Dear Scotch, a good run for its money…(and I suppose it goes without saying, I’m not talking about the “run of the mill bourbons”  available in SA, yes they have their place, but my love extends a little further…).

The brands that generally make me happy…..

• Hudson Baby Bourbon
• Eagle Rare
• Blanton’s
• And my dear Widow Janes, the 10 year Bourbon and boy oh boy those Ryes!

For me, (as always, purists close your ears and eyes) I love a bourbon or rye in a heavy base tumbler and a couple of cubes of ice. Simple, clean, slightly chilled with flavours crafted and perfected over decades.

And naturally, throw in a top barman, creating an Old Fashioned with one of the above mentioned tipples, and I’m like a kid at Christmas…

Whisky is about enjoyment, drink it the way you like it, and don’t stick to categories because you “think you have to” experiment. Close your eyes, nose, taste, do you like it? Don’t you? It really is that simple.

Cheers.