Last week I bought a new power cord for my laptop off EBay. Total cost of the item, $2.88. This week I’m getting a few offers to by backup protection for my item, insurance against loss or breakage. For less than 20% of the price of the item I can get it protected for 4 years. Hmm, so for .56 cents I can buy insurance? You know, I’m quite certain that the is more than .56 cents in amusement in trying to buy a policy like that, not to mention that I’m quite certain their cost on this transaction is more than .56 cents, so.. seeing has how I have very little else going on in my life, I just gotta. Besides, I’m confident that there is blog material in this experience.
Speaking of blog material. Watch this space next Sunday folks.. hopefully it’s all good stuff. Here’s the deal… Last year, for you long time readers, you’ll remember Mrs S’s scotch tasting for the Boy Scouts. Actually it was for the scout leaders, but never the less it was quite the deal. She created a Fermentation Science merit badge. The folks who wanted to earn this esteemed badge were required to attend three events; a wine tasting I organized in Downtown Minneapolis, a beer making event at Vine Park Brewery in St. Paul and a scotch discovery night at the Casa Del Sank in historic Apple Valley. (historic because it is such a fantastic example of post modern suburban sprawl, which even 2 years after it was constructed had people yawning and pining for restaurants and compelling reasons not to take their own lives)
Well, that event was SOOOO well received that we’re doing it again, by popular demand. Mrs S send out the invites and as of today the guest list is approaching 45 people. 2X last years. Apparently when the Sank’s host a shindig.. the word gets out.
Last year for the wine tasting.. where BTW, I discovered prosecco, a sparkling wine I actually like, the theme was European regional wines you might not have heard of, like Veneto, Catalan, Loire, South West France.. this year we’re doing California.
She’s doing the same with Scotch, last year we did all Scotland; Highland, Lowland, Campbeltown, Speyside and Islay, this year were doing whiskey from around the world with only a limited Scotland offering. BTW, here’s the pour list, hand selected by your humble author and a bit of consulting from Sam, at Haskel’s in St. Paul.
Japan- Yamakazi 12 yr.. (My current very favorite whiskey)
Canada- Wisers.. they tell me this is one Canadian that beats Listerine in a blind tasting.That will be a first for me if it’s true. Remember kids, all Canadian is basically rye whiskey.. or as we call it in the USA “Cheapshit”.
USA- Basil Hayden. Read any summer of postings on this site and BH has been mentioned. My favorite bourbon, hands down. (Bourbon being a summer spirit in my mind)
USA- Van Winkel- Am told incomparable bourbon. We shall see.
Ireland- Tullamore Dew-Simply the finest Irish blend, and cheap too.
Wales- Penderyn single malt… The Welsh are rejoining the their Celtic brethren in the distilling tradition. I’ve heard about this for a few years. Am stoked to taste it. Better be good for what we’re paying for it.
Scotland- You just can’t NOT have Scotland when talking whiskey, or whisky as they say, so here’s the scotches we’re having-
Edradour- smallest distillery in the highlands. This stuffs hard to find and the fellows at Haskel’s are kind enough to pull a bottle out of the back and hold it for me.
Aberlour A’Bunadh Cask Strength. Aberlour is Mrs S’s favorite distillery. (the fact that my wife HAS a favorite distillery makes her cool don’t you think?) I’ve never had this. Sam tells me it is “Spectacular”. Adjectives like that make me “moist” as the saying goes.
This is will a sweet evening I’m sure. BTW, since I’m a purist, I had to tell Mrs S, that no, I won’t need a place to store a few bags of ice because we’re sipping good stuff, we don’t need any ice. I believe that putting ice in good whiskey is like putting ketchup on steak. Not gonna do it. Not gonna watch other people do it. Save the ice for chick drinks.
That’s the lineup..Before you ask, yes this event caused my credit card company to call me to ask if this was stimulus money I was spending or did I intend to drop the GDP of 3 third world countries at a liquor store. We have included stipend request for this one to defray the overhead. It’s ether that or pull the college kid home from school for a year.. the cost is about the same.
So.. that’s what we’ll be thinking about around the Sank house this week.
