Bigrab’s Whisky Recommendation – Springbank

At one time, Campbeltown in Kintyre, Argyll had more that thirty distilleries and was considered the whisky capital of the world. Now there are just three of which Springbank is the best known and last night at our whisky tasting group we had the pleasure of sampling some of their varied and interesting range. Those tried were the 10 year old, 15 year old, claret wood 12 year old, a cask strength 12 year old and a product called CV which doesn’t have an age statement. We also tried the 18 year old which may be a bit pricey at over £60 per bottle but awfy nice!

Usually at these tastings there will be one or two whiskies perhaps not up to the standard of the others but this wasn’t the case last night. Each and every dram had a great complex flavour and the quality was consistent whether from sherry, bourbon or wine casks or a combination.

If I had to choose one I think my preference would be for the 18 year old which has a sherry flavour vying with the traditional Springbank elements of smokiness and brine.

HOW MUCH?????!!!!

 

One of the members of the whisky group last night asked about a particular bottle of Springbank on sale at Loch Fyne whiskies. If you go to their website and scroll down to the Springbank OB WB 1919 / 51yo 46%alc, it might put the price of the 18 year old into some perspective!

Lets Faith It

“Religion is a force for good in the world” was the title for a debate in Toronto yesterday between former British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaking for the motion and intellectual journalist Christopher Hitchens speaking against it.

Hitchens, currently undergoing chemotherapy for aggressive cancer was nonetheless in characteristic sparkling form and I simply could not agree more with the majority of the points he made.

For instance (paraphrased):

Religion is destructive, is based on superstitious hokum and, a bit like communism, might briefly seem noble until you see that it steals your every freedom away. Religions require that we are created sick and then ordered to be well, and over us to supervise this is a sort of celestial dictatorship, a kind of divine North Korea … Salvation is offered at the low price of the surrender of your critical faculties.

The response from Mr Blair besides being weak saw him also spectacularly miss the point – “I do not consider the leader of North Korea a religious icon,”

An audience vote produced a victory for Hitchens, with 68 per cent opposing the resolution and 32 per cent supporting it.

I enjoyed the Hitchens book God is Not Great and found very little to disagree with. His journalistic critique of religion I’d suggest is much more user friendly than his fellow author scientist Richard Dawkins’s work.

When Hitchens broadens his scope to include international politics and war, like his nemesis George Galloway he can descend into complete craziness no matter how well he structures a point or argues a case.

On religion though he is usually just about spot on.

The Independent article reporting on the Hitchens – Blair debate is here