Just a wee dram for this lassie

Keep Walking
Originally uploaded by Darlan.

I am a little apprehensive about this post as I fear it may be my last coherent one for a while. As it turns out, I'm about to walk into an invitation-only event called "Johnnie Walker Journey". [Perhaps there is some benefit in passing out business cards - I appear to be on at least one right mailing list. Yay me.]

Anyway this fancy event is all about tasting Johnnie Walker scotches in all the colours of the rainbow. Lord help me. I actually have no idea if I even like Scotch, so I'm approaching tonight in the same way that I'd tackle a wine tasting; namely, that it's all about learning to appreciate the beverage, no one ever says it has to become your favourite. And sip, don't chug. Veeeery important.

Naturally I read that the hors d'oeuvres at these events are pretty darn special, so I am very much looking forward to them too. Not so keen on the pep talk that some whizkid intern from Johnnie Walker is due to give us, but I will smile politely and sleep with my eyes open (a skill I mastered in Contract Law lectures circa 1996).

My interest in this event is also due to the fact that tonight may be the only chance I get to taste Johnnie Walker Blue Label (RRP $200US) so bring it on, as far as I'm concerned.

The tasting that was....

So I survived my first "Johnnie Walker Journey" and I was particularly grateful for the advance reading I did online. I was able to say with authority that my JW Black did indeed smell of 'peat', though secretly I had no idea what that meant. As it turns out, peat smells like smoke, and JW Black is supposed to exhibit that lingering smokey smell. Gold star for Gab!

Call me a heathen, but my favourite JW was the red, because it is the consummate mixer. Pair it with ginger ale or cola, and it's the perfect girly cocktail drink. Figures. If I was going to have JW neat, I'd have the gold (which you chill for 24 hours first, and then drink from chilled glasses), or else the JW blue of course (complete with the $200 price tag).

I was really appreciative that my new Aussie friends (B & S) and my Chicago chum L came with me. Arriving ahead of my friends tonight, I admittedly held my breath when a certain gentleman shadowed me around the room from hors d'oeuvres station to hors d'oeuvres station and then struck up a conversation with me. As banal as it was at the time, I was not really in the market to be chatted up (as I was conscious of how rude I felt keeping an eye on the door for my own friends) but then voila, I got over myself big time because this guy's girlfriend walked in and she was lovely. So we ended up all sitting as a group and then had a photo taken together after the tasting...which on reflection was rather odd. Oh well, it was a good night.

Then me and L retired to the nearby Beer Bistro for a delicious burger and a couple of English beer on his expense account, then it was home to blog and bed. Blissful really.