Steelhead season is about done, as happens around here just in time for St Paddy's Day each year. The Hounds are at the bGReat American Music Hall nagain, this time on Saturday the 13th. I'll be there, disbursing merchandise, wisdom, and wit. Look in the back of the place, stage left, as far from the Bar as they can get me. I'll be kilted.
For some time now, I have been on a quest to find out which Irish Whiskey I like best.
This last weekend, the Hounds had a set of gigs in Portland OR, Aberdeen WA, and Ocean Shores, WA, and I went along as general factotum and chief bottle washer. Good time was had, but Sunday afternoon the gig was a bit slow, and we were in a bar called the Galway Bay in Ocean Shores, WA. The gig had evolved into a session [seisun, for you purists] and a few locals who had wandered in with their instruments were joining the Hounds in an acoustic circle. It's an old tradition, and a lot of fun, and some learning actually goes on.
I was admiring the bar's selection of scotch and of Irish whiskeys, and I decided it was finally time to find out what I liked best. I had the barkeep set me up a half shot each of Jamesons, Powers, Michael Collins, Tullamore Dew, Clontarf Gold, Connnemara, and Jamesons 18 yr old. They had Redbreast as well, but I already knew I preferred Jamesons to that, so I skipped that. [OBTW, thanks to all of you who have paid, do pay, or will pay Social Security...] My son Michael, the guitarist / data analyst, assisted; and we tasted sequentially, with a drop of Jamesons to cleanse our palates between the other competitors. I was a bit surprised. From the bottom, my choices were: Connemara; Michael Collins; Clontarf Gold; Tullamore Dew; Powers, Jameson, Jameson 18. To be sure my memory was not failing, I then tested a shot of Redbreast vs a shot of Jameson 18. Jameson all the way.
The Jameson 18 costs about three times what the regular old Jamesons costs, and, while better, is not three times better. The Redbreast just is not as good. The old (ten years ago?) Jameson Gold was notably better than either the regular or the 18 year old, but the new Gold Reserve is not as good as the 18 year old.
Just one man's [maybe two] palate, but there it is.
Renee has a newish hair color. I'll get it up tomorrow if I can
The picture, you preverts!!!!!
Gonna hit our local private lake here, real soon now. I'll report.
Favoured: 0
