Scotland through the Nosing Glass...
Fàilte!
Of the very many ways of experiencing a country, the one that yields the most is one that cuts through the very many cultural, geographical and historical threads that define the land and her peoples. And so seldom does one thing define and weave through every single and singular aspect of a land in such a way that one may find in its pursuit the very petals of the flower of the land peel back and lead one to the very heart of it. The matter is only complicated if the flower is the prickly Thistle in the land of the Unicorn. But as the pipers draw in a mountain of air and rest their lips on the bagpipes with the mountain air flapping their kilts, a cork is slid off and wafts of the uisge beatha fills the troughs of the melody. The dreich is lit by a hue of amber that is gently swirled in the nosing glass held in a pincer of a thumb and a finger. And it swirls with a show of legs, breathing and inviting the nose to be hovered over, and for the lips to gently draw in. The swirl again in the mouth and the dances on the tongue, there is still a Finish to be savored as you hold it up to your eyes, and it is through the nosing glass that Alba reveals itself.
As expats living in Scotland these last four years, exploring Whisky - its history and its place in Scottish culture has lent much to our understanding of the land, as much as traveling the country has. The wonderful friendships that have blossomed for us here and allowed us to inspect cultural microcosms have not been without the wee dram bonding us. The wonderful stories and experiences we've picked up from wee crannies of the country have had a thing or two to do with the spirit. Understanding the place of Scotland in Britannia and its relationships within and with the world hinge quite a bit on distillation - of spirit and oil.
And it is our pursuit of the distilled gist of the land that we hope to pen down here. The posts will focus both on Whiskies, and where they are made. For the Water of Life at its source reveals much of the history of its locale in the past couple of centuries (at least, most often than not), and at the mouth makes it all worthwhile.
Slàinte!
Of the very many ways of experiencing a country, the one that yields the most is one that cuts through the very many cultural, geographical and historical threads that define the land and her peoples. And so seldom does one thing define and weave through every single and singular aspect of a land in such a way that one may find in its pursuit the very petals of the flower of the land peel back and lead one to the very heart of it. The matter is only complicated if the flower is the prickly Thistle in the land of the Unicorn. But as the pipers draw in a mountain of air and rest their lips on the bagpipes with the mountain air flapping their kilts, a cork is slid off and wafts of the uisge beatha fills the troughs of the melody. The dreich is lit by a hue of amber that is gently swirled in the nosing glass held in a pincer of a thumb and a finger. And it swirls with a show of legs, breathing and inviting the nose to be hovered over, and for the lips to gently draw in. The swirl again in the mouth and the dances on the tongue, there is still a Finish to be savored as you hold it up to your eyes, and it is through the nosing glass that Alba reveals itself.
As expats living in Scotland these last four years, exploring Whisky - its history and its place in Scottish culture has lent much to our understanding of the land, as much as traveling the country has. The wonderful friendships that have blossomed for us here and allowed us to inspect cultural microcosms have not been without the wee dram bonding us. The wonderful stories and experiences we've picked up from wee crannies of the country have had a thing or two to do with the spirit. Understanding the place of Scotland in Britannia and its relationships within and with the world hinge quite a bit on distillation - of spirit and oil.
And it is our pursuit of the distilled gist of the land that we hope to pen down here. The posts will focus both on Whiskies, and where they are made. For the Water of Life at its source reveals much of the history of its locale in the past couple of centuries (at least, most often than not), and at the mouth makes it all worthwhile.
Slàinte!
