In 2007, Congress declared September as National Bourbon Heritage Month. I have adopted this as a personal annual resolution since my birthday is in September and because I like resolutions I can keep. I have been strongly devoted to my cause, tasting a few of my favorites this month, including Blanton’s, Basil Haydon’s, and Eagle Rare. I also stopped by Char No. 4 on a recent evening to sample some Larceny, a wheated bourbon produced by Heaven Hill. In contrast to their wheat whiskey – the delicious Bernheim – a wheated bourbon still follows the bourbon rules of 51 to 79 percent corn, but the rest is wheat instead of, say, rye. Not too sweet, not too much of a kick in the gut, it’s a nice balance. And makes a really good Manhattan. F.X. McRory's Steak Chop and Oyster House in Seattle has enough whiskey bottles across the bar to require three ladders to reach them, and our bartender, Matt, gamely climbed up and down them seeking the right ones for our tasting: a local, American Whiskey (Bainbridge), a bourbon (Blanton's), and an Irish whiskey (Red Breast). The menu boasts a full page of just bourbon while the sign on the bar boasts, "The World's Largest Bourbon Collection," although Matt said they might be the second largest now if the rumors out of Las Vegas are true. It still takes 8 1/2 hours for two people to take all the bottles off the shelf, dust them, and put them back up. The only whiskies that aren't on the shelf are the most popular, such as Jack Daniels, Bushmills, and Jameson, that would run out too fast to make the trips up the ladder worth it. Other whiskeys can't seem to get off the shelf. One bottle had a type of seal that hasn't been used since the 1980's with a faded $3 price tag on it. I'm visiting my parents for Thanksgiving and found it surprisingly easy to convince them that a side trip to a whiskey bar near the Seahawks stadium was the best way to end a pre-holiday shopping day. My mom doesn't actually drink much whiskey, but she's a good sport and agreed to be my tasting partner anyway. |
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November 2017
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