"I Don't Like Whisky"

The above quote is one I often hear when drawn into discussion on my passion for the water of life. Usually I meet this with the kind of look one would give a passing Martian and a blunt, grunted, "Why?"

There are two main reasons people give for their dislike. The first is a "bad experience" in their youth. Usually this involves a party, far too much mass produced spirit from a foreign climate and often a questionable choice of romantic partner or sleeping location. Often the headache afterwards is also cited as an excuse. To these people I say grow some backbone. Youth is meant to be blighted with silliness and questionable choices. Don't let too much of a bad decision put you off a lifetime of pleasure. As Oscar Wilde said, "Everything in moderation, including moderation!"

The other main reason given is not liking the experience of drinking whisky. "It burns" is a common reaction. In that case, may I suggest cutting it with a wonderful substance (and key ingredient of whisky itself) water. Naturally, Scottish spring water is the best but in the absence of this, there's plenty of the stuff in the tap! A few drops should be enough to extinguish the worst of the fire but if you want a really easy-drinking experience then I suggest adding equal measures of whisky and water. Going off on a tangent; I have recently developed a taste (probably on the back of re-reading the Bond novels) for whisky and soda. The slight bitterness of the soda offsets the richness of the whisky nicely. This is best saved for the cheaper blends though.

Of course, beyond the sensation of drinking, there are some people who claim that they dislike the taste. Usually they are in the company of those in the above paragraph; they have only really experienced poor quality whiskies or certainly ones that are not to their taste. Scotland may be a relatively small country but the diversity of flavours in the whisky is really quite astonishing. Not liking the flavour of whisky simply means not having tasted enough.

To get an understanding of the flavours available, one needs to understand a bit about the region the whisky comes from. The Scottish Whisky Association defines a whisky region as an area with three or more distilleries. In practical terms this translates to Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Island and Islay although I (and many others) would also argue that Cambletown should also be classified as a unique region. Although it only has two distilleries, the whisky produced is delicious and has some unique characteristics. However, working within the official definitions, there are still some tangible regional markers that can be used to get an idea of what a whisky will be like.

Let's start with Speyside. As the name suggests, Speyside distilleries are the ones that border the river Spey in the North East. They are noted for their light, fruity characteristics and cover giants of the whisky industry like Glenfiddich and Glenlivet. These whiskies are regarded by some connoisseurs as the best in the world.

Next are the Highland whiskies. They tend to be sweeter in character and have a smoother, creamier mouth-feel (for example Edradour). Most highland whiskies can also be found in the East of the country.

Lowland whiskies on the other hand can be found throughout the central belt of Scotland and on into the borders. These have a dry, cerial-like quality with some people describing the flavours as almost grassy. The lowland region is also home to the only distillery in Scotland that distils it's spirit three times rather than the more conventional two. This gives the whisky a particularly smooth character.

Island whiskies, as the name suggests, are produced on the Scottish islands. Given the geographical diversity of the islands, it probably won't be a huge surprise to find out that there is also a fair range of flavours in the whisky. However the dominant flavours are smoky and peaty ones with several being quite sweet too.

The final category is Islay. Although Islay is an island, the sheer number of distilleries on it combined with their truly unique style had marked Islay out as a separate region. Whiskies from here are usually very smoky and very peaty. There is also a very salty quality; almost like seaweed being used to scent the room. They are the perfect fireside whiskies but not for the feint-hearted.

All of the descriptions I have given you so far are fairly vague and broad (not to mention entirely subjective). Naturally there is considerable variation in the flavours of the whiskies produced within a region. Otherwise, where would the fun be? The descriptions are however useful in narrowing down choices when trying to find whiskies for somebody's taste. Giving someone with a sweet tooth an Islay whisky would be a mistake! Similarly, giving someone who like dry flavours a whisky from Speyside or the Lowlands probably isn't your best bet (unless your guest is as awkward as I am. For some reason I prefer savoury flavours to eat and dry flavours to drink but most of my favourite whiskies are at the sweeter end of the spectrum).

Net outcome of this post; I urge you to go out and try as many whiskies from different regions as possible. You will see that these generalisations have some truth.

Sliante.

TFB

The Lamb

We were lost. Very, very lost. Looking for a small country lane deep in the Oxfordshire countryside was not an easy undertaking. We eventually found where we were looking for but more interestingly, from the point of view of this post, we also stumbled across a rather charming country pub. The pub in question was the Lamb in Little Milton.

It first attracted out attention by virtue of the fact that it had a thatched roof. Quaint to the point of cliché but still rather fun. It appeared to be the social hub of a small community consisting largely of thatched buildings.

Initially we just went in for drinks. Inside I was delighted to find good ale at a reasonable price. More importantly, it had a warm and friendly atmosphere. However, while the inside was lovely, the real show-stopper was the outside. As well as the thatched roof and the ample car park there is an absolutely gorgeous garden complete with some very friendly rabbits (whose numbers bear no relation to the specials board). In the summer it's a glorious place to spend some time with a couple of pints.

Like our first contact with the Black Prince, our first contact was enough to have us wanting more. If the settings and drinks weren't enough, the menu was positively seductive. It has subsequently become a firm favourite and one of our regular haunts

Now on to the food bit; it's spectacular. Good, hearty country fare was the order of the day. It was beautifully cooked and elegantly presented. Better still, the portions were huge. There's no chance of still feeling hungry at the end of your meal! Style-wise; it is best described as exceptional home cooking. In the many meals I've had there I have had the pleasure of eating pate, lamb tagine, curry (not for the faint hearted), roast lunch and much, much more.

Another key point is the fact that it's dog friendly although beware; your dog will have to get on with Benjamin the resident, fluffy, border collie that roams around later in the evening. They will also have to cope with copious cuddles from Megan; one of the girls that works in the bar.

If you're looking for some good fun and a bit of a laugh to go with your meal then I can highly recommend the quiz that takes place on the first Thursday of every month. Prizes range from wine to bin bags via chocolate and cash. Rounds are on a variety of topics including beer and cakes, music  and obscure baby photos.

So in conclusion, if you want a lovely pub in a picturesque setting with the possibility of some excellent food and the guarantee of a warm welcome then you will struggle to find somewhere better than the lamb.

TFB