I’m having nightcap before heading off to bed. Pictured is the Scotch I wish were in the glass, and the Scotch that actually is in the glass. The Laphroaig 10(my favorite whisky) and cash is compensation for a friend who is going to give me a ride to the El Paso airport (45 miles away) at the butt crack of dawn on Thanksgiving morning. The Bowmore is my least favorite bottle in the house currently, so I thought I’d make a little progress on it.
A younger Bowmore (maybe 7?) was the first Islay I ever had, and I loved the raw smokiness that tasted like biting into a burning chunk of peat. It was the revelation that gave me my place in the whisky world. Smooth it wasn’t. Fast forward to a meeting of the library drinking club about a month ago and I picked up this Bowmore 12 to share. I was curious to see how it might mellow compared to the 7 of my memory, and to see how it stacked up to my current preferences in Islay Scotch. It was a disappointment. Smoother than the 7 (?) of old, but nothing special. It has some flavor notes (medicinal, maybe) that I just don’t like. It isn’t a bad Scotch, it just isn’t one I particularly like.
On a different note, tomorrow will be the start of my third week at the new job in a new career field. It is still government, but a local commission instead of an academic research library. I’ll write more about it another time, and the experience of leaving an institution I had worked at for a decade. In brief, I’m a really happy camper. The new job is awesome, a good group of people, and I’m thrilled to be learning and doing so many new things. They seem to be really happy with me, too. It is refreshing to be in a place with paths for career growth, and the resources to allow people to go forth and do things. I also get to play with toys and drive around in the desert when I’m not in the office. It was a great move, and I probably should’ve been looking to make a change a few years ago. There is a lot less time for Oppoing at work, though.