I visited with my friend Mary, who bicycled across the Isle of Islay a few years ago.  While we have talked scotch before, we have never drank any together… until Thursday night.

Favorites for the evening were the Macallan 12, Glenlivet and Laphroaig.   The Macallan 15 had previously been served at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner when Famous Grouse came as a scotch sponsor – the 15 is smooth, the 12 is nice… but I don’t much care for the 10.  Usually it’s the Glenlivet 12 that is usually served in bars and restaurants, so the 18 was nice and rich (I have a bottle of Glenlivet 15 Oak waiting to be opened).  Laphroaig is a lovely smoky Islay… one of my favorites!

I had never had the Arran Malt before.  They are the same distillery making the Robert Burns single malt – that none of my whisky drinking musician friends will touch… (except one, and he bought it on sale).  This Auchentoshan select was nothing special… I think Mary said she uses it for cooking.  But the Auchentoshan Three Wood is one of my favorites – very rich.

It was great fun to be tasting with Mary and her husband Mike, I hope to host them for an evening of tastings when they come to Vancouver.

In 2011, Mary and Mike spent the summer in Scotland.  From June to August, they hiked, biked and sailed in some of the remote areas of Scotland.

Check out Mary’s blog here: http://maryslens.blogspot.ca/