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A Gentlemen's Club
 * HOME
 *  ABOUT
   * About Liquorature
 *  MEMBERS
   * Curt
   * Bauer
   * Scott
   * Chris
   * Jay
   * Steve
   * Eric
   * Jesse
   *  Former Members
     * Lance
     * Robert
     * Clint
     * Pat
     * Lorenzo
     * Stuart
   * Acolytes & Disciples
 * BOOK SELECTIONS
 * DRINK SELECTIONS
 *  REVIEWS AND…
   *  LIQUORATURE BOOK REVIEWS
     *  2009 Club Selections
       * The Lion’s Game
       * Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer
       * Blood Meridian
       * Catch 22
       * The Chrysalids
       * Atlantis
       * Ender’s Game
       * Atlas Shrugged
       * The Time Traveler’s Wife
     *  2010 Club Selections
       * Survivor
       * Geonesis
       * Looking Backward: 2000-1887
       * The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
       * Honour Among Thieves
       * The Hound Of The Baskervilles
       * Sophie’s World
     *  2011 Club Selections
       * Another Roadside Attraction
       * The Fionavar Tapestry
       * Neuromancer
       * The Maltese Falcon
       * Timeline
       * The Stand
       * The Power Of One
       * The Gods Themselves
       * The Wicker Man
       * Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
       * The Godfather
       * The Gargoyle
     *  2012 Club Selections
       * The Pillars of the Earth
       * Cleyshot Cliffs
       * The Lost Symbol
       * 1Q84
       * The Lord Of The Rings
       * A Confederacy Of Dunces
       * Cell
       * Ways Of Sunlight
     *  2013 Club Selections
       * Moby Dick
     * 2014 Club Selections
   *  OTHER BOOK REVIEWS
     *  FICTION
       * The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever
       * The Robot Short Stories of Isaac Asimov
       * Under the Dome
       * Watership Down
       * Tales of the Mountains & Steppes
       * The Road
       * The Sunbird
       * The Belgariad
       * Point of Impact
       * The Godfather
     * NON-FICTION
 * ORIGINAL FICTION

HOME  ABOUT — About Liquorature  MEMBERS — Curt — Bauer — Scott — Chris — Jay —
Steve — Eric — Jesse —  Former Members — — Lance — — Robert — — Clint — — Pat —
— Lorenzo — — Stuart — Acolytes & Disciples BOOK SELECTIONS DRINK SELECTIONS
 REVIEWS AND… —  LIQUORATURE BOOK REVIEWS — —  2009 Club Selections — — — The
Lion’s Game — — — Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer — — — Blood Meridian — — —
Catch 22 — — — The Chrysalids — — — Atlantis — — — Ender’s Game — — — Atlas
Shrugged — — — The Time Traveler’s Wife — —  2010 Club Selections — — — Survivor
— — — Geonesis — — — Looking Backward: 2000-1887 — — — The Hitchhiker’s Guide To
The Galaxy — — — Honour Among Thieves — — — The Hound Of The Baskervilles — — —
Sophie’s World — —  2011 Club Selections — — — Another Roadside Attraction — — —
The Fionavar Tapestry — — — Neuromancer — — — The Maltese Falcon — — — Timeline
— — — The Stand — — — The Power Of One — — — The Gods Themselves — — — The
Wicker Man — — — Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban — — — The Godfather —
— — The Gargoyle — —  2012 Club Selections — — — The Pillars of the Earth — — —
Cleyshot Cliffs — — — The Lost Symbol — — — 1Q84 — — — The Lord Of The Rings — —
— A Confederacy Of Dunces — — — Cell — — — Ways Of Sunlight — —  2013 Club
Selections — — — Moby Dick — — 2014 Club Selections —  OTHER BOOK REVIEWS — —
 FICTION — — — The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever — — — The
Robot Short Stories of Isaac Asimov — — — Under the Dome — — — Watership Down —
— — Tales of the Mountains & Steppes — — — The Road — — — The Sunbird — — — The
Belgariad — — — Point of Impact — — — The Godfather — — NON-FICTION ORIGINAL
FICTION


LIQUORATURE #081 – “FALLEN ANGELS” (WALTER DEAN MYERS)

 Club Gatherings 2016  No Responses »
Mar 022016
 

Liquorature #081 – “Fallen Angels” (Walter Dean Myers)

Date:  February 26th, 2016

Host:  Jay

Whisky:  Johnnie Walker Green Label, Douglas Laing Premier Barrel Lochnagar 11
y.o., Douglas Laing Premier Barrel Laphroaig 8 y.o.

 

Quick!  While it’s still fresh!

Unbelievable.  These event write-ups are finally up to date.  This last one
you’re reading is a recap of a gathering just five days back.  Can’t lie.  Feel
like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  I know it is a small contingent
that actually reads these meanderings, but they’re captured for posterity
nevertheless.  The collective can always look back in fondness on some of these
old memories.  That’s the hope anyway.

‘Fallen Angels’.  Interesting pick, this.  We were sitting around at one of the
past gatherings months back and Jay had yet to make his selection.  “Hold on,”
he said.  He spent a couple minutes on his phone searching the net for ‘most
controversial books’ or ‘most challenged books’ or something, and voila!  This
was announced then and there.

I think we all came into this one blindly.  None of us knew the title, nor the
author, let alone the subject matter.  War.  The Vietnam War, to be exact. 
We’ve covered war before, of course, most recently with Boyden’s ‘Three Day
Road’ and Conrad’s ‘Heart Of Darkness’, but this would be a very different
take.  What went down in Vietnam a few decades back was a watershed moment for
many things: media, patriotism, understanding of warfare, culture, politics, on
and on and on.  Vietnam was huge.  And for those reasons, it makes absolutely
fascinating subject matter.  It has, of course, also led to some incredible
films, music and art.

Our discussion was interesting this time around.  No real dissent.  In fact
everyone really quite liked the book (conceding a few small flaws or omissions),
but where it got really engaging was in our collective understanding and
response to what went down in Vietnam and the state of the world that both led
to it and resulted from it.  Some truly insightful opinions and, much like the
conflict itself, a lot of seeming uncertainty.  This was especially evident in
discussions about whether the US should have been involved and how each of us
would have handled ourselves as draft-eligible (or volunteers) young men if we
had been around at this time in history.  The class and race aspect was given a
lot of consideration.  As was an empathetic approach to understanding the
Veitnamese side of the story.  Actually, quite an unforgettable night.

Johnnie Walker Green made its third appearance as a club selection, and was even
better than most remembered.  It was two Douglas Laing ceramic decanter releases
under the ‘Premier Barrel’ line that had us all sitting upright and taking
notice.  The first was an 11 year old Lochnagar.  Beautiful nose.  THe second
was a young and kicking Laphroaig 8 year old.  I think I preferred the former,
but the masses leaned to the latter.  Both awesome though.  And a real treat
from bygone years.

Great night, all in.  Jay’s choices of book, malts and great Vietnamese nibbles
were inspired and probably earned him just the sort of rewards he’d hoped for.

Random notes:  No Jesse, Chris or Ginger … “The sharpest thing on the table…” …
“Beat you with a dildo” … Do you guys surf?” … “You can always have more kids” …
a couple other great Laphroaig bottles … some membership discussion

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 9:46 am  Tagged with: Boyden, Conrad, Fallen Angels, Green
Label, Heart Of Darkness, Johnnie Walker, Laphroaig, Lochnagar, Myers, Three Day
Road


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Mar 022016
 

 

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LIQUORATURE #080 – “HEART OF DARKNESS” (JOSEPH CONRAD)

 Club Gatherings 2016  No Responses »
Mar 022016
 

Liquorature #080 – “Heart Of Darkness” (Joseph Conrad)

Date:  January 22nd, 2016

Host:  Steve

Whisky:  BB&R Bunnahabhain 1987 Cask #2447 26 y.o., Arran Single Cask 1997:
Sherry Cask #712, Cooper’s Choice Port Charlotte 2001Cask #1015 11 y.o.

 

Well…we kicked off 2016 – year seven for the club – in fine fashion.  While our
two newest acolytes were conspicuously MIA, we old vanguard kept ranks, did this
one some justice and knocked the piss out of some sexy bottles of single malt.

Our host for the evening, Steve, was kind enough to offer up a ‘warm-up’ dram as
we trickled in for the eve and waiting for the others to arrive.  This early
palate workout was a sexy little number from the Roughstock distillery in
Montana; the very same Black Label Jay had poured us on ‘Deliverance’ night
(hear them banjos, boys?).  I said it then and say it now: a two year old malt
whisky out of the northern US has no business being this good.  64+% of easy
drinking goodness.

Though initially I thought this book would be met with some consternation from
those in our ranks who tend to shy away from the early centuries’ offerings,
there seemed to be a unanimity in terms of general appreciation and further, in
regards to the criticisms levied.  Not often we all stand on the same side of
the line.

Let’s talk about the malts for a minute or two.  Steve poured in a complete
reverse order from the way I would have done it, but he nailed it.  While we
started with richer, heavier flavours and worked our way into lighter, more
complex elements, at the same time we kept climbing rungs in terms of quality,
ultimately finishing with an outstanding 26 year old independent Bunnahabhain. 
Great bottle find, Steve-o.  Hoping time and opportunity presents itself for me
to impose myself for another dram of this one.  Additionally, the indie Port
Charlotte we tried was the oldest I’ve yet met, at 11 years.  Neat.  I think I
prefer it younger and with a little more sass.  Maybe that’s just me.  The
others liked this one a lot.  And me?…yeah, of course I dug it too.

Great ambiance and atmosphere for this one.  Cozy little circle…lamplit…a
brilliant background of old blues tunes…and exactly the sort of camaraderie we
strive for.  Brilliant night, all told.

Random notes:  No Jesse or Eric … Roughstock warm-up … “salty dusty ****** nuts”

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 9:24 am  Tagged with: Arran, Bunnahabhain, Conrad,
Deliverance, Heart Of Darkness, Montana, Port Charlotte, Roughstock


LIQUORATURE #079 – “THE STUPIDEST ANGEL: A HEARTWARMING TALE OF CHRISTMAS
TERROR” (CHRISTOPHER MOORE)

 Club Gatherings 2015  No Responses »
Mar 022016
 

Liquorature #079 – “The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale Of Christmas
Terror” (Christopher Moore)

Date:  December 21st, 2015

Host:  Curt (but not really)

Whisky:  Lots and lots of ’em

 

You had me at ‘zombies’.

In what we’ve dubbed a new Liquorature tradition, this was our second annual
Christmas wrap-up.  We do things a bit different for this once-a-year shindig. 
No hosts…no whisky purchases…none of the usual stuff.  Instead, we hold a heels
party and a bit of a potluck noshing.  Everyone is responsible for bringing a
bottle (or three or four) and some sort of food to contribute to the feast.  The
book is shortlisted and agreed upon by majority.

In hunting through Christmas titles to follow last year’s ‘A Christmas Carol’
selection, I chances upon this little sliver of a novel by Christopher Moore. 
You may recall we read ‘Lamb’ by Moore a couple years back.  His irreverent
sense of…well…everything actually was quite a refreshing little break from the
more serious nature of so many of our picks.  It was like plunging into a cold
pool or having cask strength come out yer nostrils.  A bit of a wake-up.  And a
hell of a way to engage again with the fun side of reading.

Moore is fucked up dude.  No two ways about it.  In the vein of Vonnegut,
Robbins and other intellectual, yet humour-driven, authors extraordinaire.  But
it’s this fucked-up-edness that makes him instantly appealing.  His stories are
absurd to the point of almost becoming believable again.  Come on…we all know
some pretty colorful characters in this life If we think about it.  Now just
imagine a world entirely populated by those sorts.  Then add zombies and shit. 
Awesome.

The b’ys loved this one.  Not an intellectual puzzler by any means; simply a
great escape and an easy read for the holidays, a time in which we all struggle
to make time for the little things in life (such as books).  These sorts of
discussions are more along the lines of shared laughs and recollections of
favorite parts than any sort of true literary dissection.  The consensus was,
though, that while this was great, ‘Biff’ was better.

So…no malts to discuss.  Though we had about 25 on the table for sipping.  And
the food?  A brilliant mishmash of delish.  In a way it’s like everyone is the
host, as we all get to put our personal stamp on the night.  In fact, I’m
already looking forward to Christmas 2016.

And with that we close out another great year.

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 9:22 am  Tagged with: A Christmas Carol, Christmas, Lamb,
Moore, The Stupidest Angel


LIQUORATURE #078 – “GULLIVER’S TRAVELS” (JONATHAN SWIFT)

 Club Gatherings 2015  No Responses »
Mar 022016
 

Liquorature #078 – “Gulliver’s Travels” (Jonathan Swift)

Date:  November 27th, 2015

Host:  Scott (aka Ginger Buddha)

Whisky:  A.D. Rattray Strathmill 22 y.o. Cask #10310, Edradour SFTC Chateauneuf
du Pape 13 y.o., Signatory Bowmore 1985 25 y.o. Cask #32211, Compass Box Peat
Monster Cask Strength

 

Every one of us wanted to kick Ginger in the balls for this pick when he sprung
it on us so many months back.  Most of the guys out of sheer uninformed (but
speculative) dread.  Me, at least, out of a grounded and informed dread, as it
was one I’d read in lit classes years back.  Alas, selections like this are the
very reason this club exists.  Not a lot of ‘average joes’ out there will ever
casually pick up a copy of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ and thumb their way from page
one through to the last written word.  It would be interesting to check suicide
rates among those that have read it.  With the club, though, we are here to push
one another.  Perhaps down a flight of stairs, in this case.

We started the evening’s discussion, sipping a 22 year old Strathmill, I might
add, with a consensus to tar and feather our host before we called it a night. 
Without exception, everyone in the collective found this book a tiresome,
tedious, over-fucked and ridiculously dated piece of satirical meandering.  What
happened as we discussed, however, was one of the most interesting Liquorature
developments to date.  I had done a load of research before coming into this
evening’s gathering, figuring that a bit of historical context might help the
gang see this for what it was.  Or what it was meant to be anyway.

From 2016’s far-removed vantage, much of what made ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ a
contentious and dangerous piece of work at the time is lost on us.  Let’s not
forget, ‘Gulliver’ was originally published anonymously.  Trying to suspend our
preconceptions and placing ourselves in the political, religious, educational
and socio-economic clime, however, takes this novel into entirely new realms.  I
think by the time we were done our discussion on topical subject
matter everyone’s appreciation for Swift’s cynical and rapier-sharp societal
gutting was multiplied twofold.  Granted, they all still hated the experience of
having to masochistically plow through it.  In short…”Ahhh…I get it now.  Still
hate you for making me read it.”

By way of peace offering, Scotty, our ginger-headed host, offered up the
afore-mentioned single cask Strathmill, a unique wine-finished Edradour that was
a throwback to Liquorature’s younger years, a stunning 1985 Bowmore at the
quarter century mark and finally a magnum of Compass Box’s Peat Monster Cask
Strength.  All right, Ginger…you’re off the hook.  For now.

All in all, it turned out to be a great night of chatter and beverages.  I think
we all learned a little bit about preconceptions and as clichéd as it may sound
‘judging a book by it’s cover’.

Thanks for a great night, Buddha.  Fun one.

Random notes:  A new addition (Eric joining us) … “literary waterboarding” …
“Holy fuck!” (Bauer) … Brobdignagian dildo … “Didn’t even get a chance to catch
her at the back door” (Steve)

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 8:54 am  Tagged with: Bowmore, Compass Box, Edradour,
Gulliver's Travels, Strathmill, Swift


LIQUORATURE #077 – “UNDER HEAVEN” (GUY GAVRIEL KAY)

 Club Gatherings 2015  No Responses »
Mar 022016
 

Liquorature #077 – “Under Heaven” (Guy Gavriel Kay)

Date:  October 30, 2015

Host:  Curt

Whisky:  Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt, Nikka From The Barrel, Kavalan Solist
Bourbon, Chichibu Port Pipe

 

A few years back Lance gifted me a copy of ‘The Fionavar Tapestry’.  The whys of
this gift are a little elusive, even in reflection, as fantasy is/was far from
my preferred genre of fiction.  Previous escapades being limited to mostly a
dozen or so ‘Dragonlance’ books in my teens, earlier Liquorature selection
‘Wizard’s First Rule’ and one or two others (and no…not even ‘Lord Of The Rings’
at that time).  I’m not sure if he thought he could win me over or if there was
an even grander design.  Either way, I came away from it after turning the last
weighty pages with a great appreciation of the work, but an even more profound
appreciation for the man himself.  Kay that is, not Lance.  I already loved that
old chap.

I’ll not share details here, but several factors went into my choosing ‘Under
Heaven’ for the Liquorature crew.  First off…a few scenes in ‘Fionavar’ simply
blew me away.  Battle scenes in particular.  I wanted to revisit that magic.  A
while later, and after many a word shared with GGK himself, another one of his
works, ‘Ysabel’, knocked my socks off.  Kay’s mix of fantasy (very lightly and
deftly applied in the case of ‘Under Heaven’ and ‘Ysabel’) and history is
extremely appealing.  And in the case of the latter, Kay’s tossing in some
brilliant weavings of Celtic mythology had me turning pages through the wee
hours.  Finally…Mr. Kay is himself a malt lover.  The more he and I conversed on
the subject, the more I came to see how sprawling his knowledge and interests
really are.  Sports, literature, art, travel, politics, people, Canadiana, and
much, much more.  In many instances, the points of intersection were key enough
to make me aware how blessed we are to have someone like this share of their
thoughts via the written – and timeless – word.

That becomes paramount when diving into a book like ‘Under Heaven’, where most
of us readers will be largely unfamiliar with the time and place captured in its
pages.  More importantly, the customs and beliefs of an empire (or dynasty?) as
depicted herein, become a challenge for us in terms of relatability from our
distant vantage.  It’s how Kay handles this and empathetically leads us into
this unfamiliar terrain that is a gift from his pen to our minds.  His insights
and talent for evoking vivid imagery make Tang Dynasty era China (‘Kitai’, in
this fictionalized telling) not only relatable, but uniquely appealing.  And did
I mention it is set against a backdrop of actual Chinese history?  I’ll say no
more, lest I spoil the tale for anyone.

The lads in the club had a favorable, if mixed, reaction to it.  When I say
‘mixed’ I refer mostly to preferences for certain pieces and characters in the
story.  The writing was unanimously lauded and appreciated.  The unfolding of
the tale itself left some with conflicting opinions.  No one, however, contested
the magnitude of the work, and a couple are, in fact, going to move on to Kay’s
follow-up work ‘River Of Stars’.  Says something, aye?

In terms of playing into the theme and all that we do here in Liquorature,
well…suffice it to say there really is no such thing as a Chinese whisky
(locally anyway), and what I could source as a distilled Chinese beverage tasted
like sweatsocks and ramen noodles.  Yep.  We had to try it, of course, and I
simply have to say…not awesome.  Having said that, I branched out a bit for this
one and went with a general ‘Asian’ theme.  Some Japanese and Taiwanese malts
from a couple of consistently great distilleries.  The Kavalan was a favorite,
but the Nikkas we sipped surprised a couple of the lads.  Seems the collective
has a sweet spot for Asian malts.

Dinner was sweet Thai chili chicken over jasmine rice, bringing a mix of heat
and sweet, followed by rich vanilla ice cream and lychee fruit.  All paired
surprisingly well with big single malts.

There is more I could share here, but some has not fully played out yet (sorry,
can’t tell), and some is simply reserved for those that were there at the time. 
All in all, a special night made moreso by some help I received from the
author.  Thanks for that, Guy.  Appreciate it.

Until next…

Random notes:  Lychee cocktails … Chu Yeh Ching Chiew … Danny sat in … tried the
DI cask … a wee gift … sweet Thai chili chicken … ice cream with lychee …”The
French of Asia” … “He yin’d her yang” … “I’m just gonna roll a a twenty-sider”

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 8:17 am  Tagged with: Chu Yeh Ching Chiew, Dragonlance,
Fionavar Tapestry, Guy Gavriel Kay, Kavalan, Kay, Lord Of The Rings, Nikka,
Taketsuru, Wizard's First Rule, Ysabel


LIQUORATURE #076 – “WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS” (WILSON RAWLS)

 Club Gatherings 2015  No Responses »
Feb 102016
 

Liquorature #076 – “Where The Red Fern Grows” (Wilson Rawls)

Date:  October 2nd, 2015

Host:  Bauer

Whisky:  Oban Little Bay, Arran Single Cask 1999: Bourbon Cask #72, Ardbeg
Auriverdes, Ardbeg Ardbog

 

Ok, Bauer.  ‘Fess up.  You only picked this sorry-ass piece of sub-literate
kiddie fare to see if you could make grown men cry, didn’tcha?  Bah!

Happy to say there were no tears shed by this guy (except maybe in frustration
at the corn pone, inbred, yokelspeak and absolute unrelatability of both the
story and paper-thin characters).  Did that sound full of disdain and
animosity?  Hope so.  I was laying it on pretty thick.

I think some of the other lads were a little more generous with their
assessments of this one than I was, but this is no masterpiece to say the
least.  I think all conceded that without much debate.  Two things:  1) Rawls
was a writer by accident.  And he was a hack.  And 2) Time has not been kind to
this story.  Let’s leave it there.  After all, this is an event recap, not a
book review.

Suitably enough, two crazy ass bouncing hounds were our companions for the eve. 
Alvin and Captain Awesome, Bauer’s faithful furry companions were snuggled up
with us for most of the evening.  Fortunately for Chris, Awesome’s paws were
kept out of ‘junking’ distance from his groin this time ’round.  At a previous
Bauer-led shindig, his giggleberries had been on the receiving end of a hole
pile of Doberman punching power.  Thankfully he is done having kids.

Back to back events wherein we beat up on bottles of Ardbeg couldn’t possibly be
a bad thing either.  Last month was the Perpetuum, while for this gathering
Bauer poured both the Auriverdes and Ardbog, two limited expressions from days
gone by.  I’m an unfettered Ardbeg fanboy, of course, so I’ll refrain from
gushing here, but all the lads were more than enamored with these two drams. 
Additionally we sipped the newest NAS Oban release, Little Bay (meh…s’ok), and a
pretty damn good Arran single cask.  Arran are exciting.  Their whiskies
continue to surprise and excite.

And finally…it was a treat to check out Bauer’s new digs.  First club night at
his new place.  Very nice, buddy.  Look forward to many more gatherings here.

Random notes:  The new house … the dogs … “When my dog died…I cried.  When my
grandparents died…I didn’t.”

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 1:26 pm  Tagged with: Ardbeg, Ardbog, Arran, Auriverdes,
Oban, Rawls, Where The Red Fern Grows


LIQUORATURE #075 – “THREE DAY ROAD” (JOSEPH BOYDEN)

 Club Gatherings 2015  No Responses »
Feb 102016
 

Liquorature #075 – “Three Day Road” (Joseph Boyden)

Date:  August 21st, 2016

Host:  Chris

Whisky:  Ardbeg Perpetuum, Inchmurrin 18 y.o., Glenfarclas 2002 Family Casks
Willow Park Exclusive

 

Is Canadiana (or Canadian fiction, for that matter) always so depressing?  From
the dystopian leanings of Atwood, through the maritime poverty of Douglas Adams
Richards…from the ravages of Edugyan’s World War II era Europe to Mistry’s
teeming slums of India, our truly talented Canadian authorial elite have
emotionally kicked our asses throughout these early years of Liquorature.

Add another sadistic scribe to the mix, in one Joseph Boyden, hailing from the
center of the universe (aka Toronto).  Boyden’s narrative skill and deep
understanding of complex character dynamics are matched only by his subject
matter expertise and impressive research skills.  There are simply no two ways
about it, this story was about as immersive a literary experience as one could
imagine.  For those of us (the entire global population now) that were not
around to experience the horrors of World War I’s trench warfare, it’s almost
unthinkable to question Boyden’s portrayal, so utterly believable is it. 
Watching Elijah and Xavier change and cope (or not?) throughout this story was
one of the most brilliant examples of character development I have ever
experienced in literature.  The descent of these two men, as the story unravels,
is not only believable, but harrowing.  There’s a psychological game at play
here that hearkens back to other war stories we’ve all seen and read.  It sorta
makes us realize that we’ll simply never understand the mindset required to
survive these hand-to-hand forays into the fray.

Having said all that…everyone loved the book.  The only real division was
between those who preferred the parts that pulled us into the bleakness of the
European frontlines of Vimy et al, and those who preferred the less
claustrophobic narrative of Xavier’s three day canoe ride through the wilds. 
This is a book that is more than the sum of its parts though.  It leaves behind
an indelible mark that can only be assessed as a whole.

We revisited a malt better left unrevisited, if I’m to be dead honest: a 2002
Willow Park Exclusive Glenfarclas Family Cask.  I think Chris may have forgotten
we’d tried this one, but man…not good.  Solventy and with hints of Mezcal. 
Shudder.  To this day I have no idea why this was ever bottled as a single
cask.  An Inchmurrin 18 was a merely ‘ok’ middle act, but the Ardbeg Perpetuum
we closed with was a knockout.  Pretty sure that one was little more than fumes
by the end of the eve.

Random notes:  The appearance of a big, surly Scot … a rather sordid Glenfarclas
encounter … an extra bottle … “drop the mic” … “you need England watching over
you” … “fuck you and the unicorn you rode in on” … “that’s what Jaeger bombs
will do”

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 1:12 pm  Tagged with: Ardbeg, Boyden, Glenfarclas,
Inchmurrin, Perpettuum, Three Day Road


LIQUORATURE GATHERING #063 – “THE DARK TOWER” (STEPHEN KING)

 Club Gatherings 2014  No Responses »
Feb 102016
 

Liquorature Gathering #063 – “The Dark Tower” (Stephen King)

Date:  August 8th, 2014

Host:  Curt / Barry

Whisky:  BenRiach 1999 Cask #40043, SMWS 1.72 “Sophisticated, Delicate &
Feminine” 19 y.o. (Glenfarclas), SMWS 77.28 “Tropical Nights” 25 y.o. (Glen
Ord), Convalmore 28 y.o., Tullibardine 1964 42 y.o., Kavalan Peated Cask #02949
Distillery Exclusive

 

Some stories are just too big for Liquorature.  ‘The Dark Tower’ was one.  No
book in the series, excepting possibly the first, was what could be (or should
be) considered a standalone volume.  And, of course, asking the gang to read
seven (plus) volumes, in addition to apocrypha and other works was simply not
feasible or realistic.  A few years back I floated the idea of doing ‘The dark
Tower’ as an offline opt-in Liquorature event for any who were willing to invest
some extracurricular time to the multi-thousand page word count.  It never
really gelled as an idea, though there were rumblings of interest.  We let it
lie.

As you may well be aware by now, Liquorature fell into a period of slumber for a
brief while; a cocoon-stage which we call The Dark Ages.  It was during this
time that Maltmonster approached me, having started following the beams to the
tower himself.  “This is a big story,” he said.  “We need to discuss”.  I’d read
through the series a couple of times, and a few of the books several more
times.  I was more than willing to crash read through all again to catch up.  MM
suggested offering the former Liquorature members an opportunity to tag along on
this epic journey, and make something of the night.  A meeting at the Bridlewood
nexus, if you will (ahem…my house).  Sure enough, many were interested.  And so
it came to happen.

At this time, understand, the club didn’t exist.  It had been nearly half a year
since I Old-Yeller’d it in the back 40.  This monumental ‘Dark Tower’ event was
a one-off.  A singular gathering with a central focal point.  I guess it had as
a template prior Liqurature events to use as a Springboard, but event the simple
fact that this was primarily Maltmonster’s event should be indicative enough of
the extracurricular nature of this one.  Maltmonster was never a true
Liquorature member.  As it came to be, he and I joint hosted this one.  My
place, my food choices, etc…his malt selections, etc.

This was an undertaking, event and sprawling story of epic proportions. 
Infinite proportions, even.  While most conceded 10/10 for scope, imagination
and characters there were some criticisms for an occasionally meandering plot,
some anachronistic placements of pop culture and an authorial interjection of
the most intrusive sort imaginable (if you’ve read it you’ll understand).  But
the greatest indignation was reserved for the ending.  Some were outright
incensed; a couple reluctantly conceded its logic; and yours truly said it was
perfect, beautiful and absolutely gutting.  I remember reading it for the first
time and feeling like I’d been kicked in the stomach.  Remember, I’d been
following these characters for probably 15 years by this point.  And even the
most macho among us admitted shedding a tear and/or getting emotionally wracked
at a couple of points throughout this journey.

The discussion was long.  It had to be.  We did this one justice, I’m proud to
say.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that we were lubricating our tongues and minds with a
stunning array of single malts.  Every bottle on the table had a reason behind
its selection.  I won’t spill here (some things stay with Liquorature), but
let’s just say they were as intrinsically linked to the story as the mythical
numbers in ‘Lost’.  An SMWS Glen Ord and a stunning 28 y.o. Convalmore were
unquestionably the highlights for me.  Both sit high in my all-time rankings
now.

Taking further cues from the Ka-tet’s journey, I made my own version of
‘gunslinger burritos’.  Grilled, salted meat, wrapped in greens (with more
goodies wrapped inside of course).  Quite amazing, if I do say so myself.  We’ve
since made these a few times ’round my homestead.  Not bad for a concocted
recipe.  Note: no bumblers were harmed in the making of this meal.

Finally…it was announced that Liquorature would be born again on the heels of
this event, with this night leading the charge as the first occasion of our
second run.  The faces may be different in some cases, but most of the workings
would remain as they were.  We made something beautiful years back (before the
world had moved on), now it was simply time to strengthen the beams.

I can’t lie…it felt good to be back in the saddle.  And hopefully this time we
can keep it on the straight and narrow.

Until next…long days and pleasant nights.

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 7:55 am  Tagged with: BenRiach, Convalmore, Glen Ord,
Glenfarclas, Kavalan, King, Lost, SMWS, The Dark Tower, Tullibardine


LIQUORATURE #062 – “THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE” (HARUKI MURAKAMI)

 Club Gatherings 2014  No Responses »
Feb 042016
 

Liquorature #062 – “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” (Haruki Murakami)

Date:  March, 2014

Host:  Lorenzo

Whisky:  NA

 

And then the wheels fell off.

It was almost enough to bring a tear to my eye.  While I can look back fondly
now through rose-colored glasses, taking something positive out of each of our
past events, there was a cancer that had grown in the club.  A dark presence of
malaise.  I wouldn’t say interest had flagged, but there seemed to be less love
shown toward what we had painstakingly built up over the years.

It became harder and harder to keep conversations on track.  One or two
individuals would engage in side conversations directly over (and louder than)
others discussing the book.  Constant late arrivals and early exits.  An
increased frequency of no-shows with little or no notice.  And a voice among us
that brought a constant negativity to the table, bordering on belligerent at
times.  Frustrating and derailing at all times.

I can’t now recall what the catalyst was, but halfway through reading Lorenzo’s
pick for March, Murakami’s ‘The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle’, I’d had enough.  I
pulled the plug.  And Liquorature died.

I was pretty forthright about what was going wrong.  I had some pleas to carry
on, but the bitter taste in my mouth could only be washed away by the malts we
drank for so long.  I told the guys that I had no idea what the future might
bring, but as if now…it was over.

Needless to say we never did gather to discuss this book.  Most never finished,
as far as I am aware.  Those that did expressed sentiments straddling the line
between confusion and hostility.  Perhaps it’s best we didn’t gather on this
one.  Someone (ahem…Lorenzo) probably would have died.  Murakami’s ‘1Q84’ threw
us for a loop two years prior, but if that was a mindfuck this was a mindfuck
while on acid.  In hindsight…some of this one was ok.  Mostly it was literary
masturbation.  Hentai-style.

R.I.P., Liquorature.  You were loved.

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 12:04 pm  Tagged with: 1Q84, Murakami, The Dark Ages, The
Wind-Up Bird Chronicle


LIQUORATURE #061 – “THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO” (ALEXANDRE DUMAS)

 Club Gatherings 2014  No Responses »
Feb 042016
 

Liquorature #061 – “The Count Of Monte Cristo” (Alexandre Dumas)

Date:  February, 2014

Host:  Jay

Whisky:  Whyte & MacKay 30 y.o., Adelphi Bunnahabhain 1979 31 y.o.

 

Again I have Jay to thank for picking what has become one of my all time
favorite novels.  I had made it 35 years without ever tackling this monumental
masterpiece.  Though I rue lost time, I think maybe I was in a better place to
read it when I did.  let’s face it…this is a dense read.  It’s a story that
demands undivided attention.  And deserves it.

When Jay picked this one he offered the guys the option of reading the abridged
or unabridged edition, figuring that talking points about the discrepancies
would make for interesting discussion in and of itself.  It did alright, but not
in the way he’d hoped.  Those that read the abridged edition were utterly gutted
when they realized how much of the story had been excised in the interest
of brevity.  Devastating to have read so many pages, yet still to have missed
out on so many more that seemed to hold some of the most poignant and interested
(from our point of view anyway) bits.

One member struggled early on with this one, and gave up in a huff.  He sat
there in stormy silence as we began unfolding this story, and as he realized
what he’d missed out on by not persevering he tried to cut us short, asking we
postpone this meeting so he could finish.  Ummm…no.  The thought was dismissed
with prejudice.  Ludicrous.  This club was built on a will to betterment, not on
pessimism and negativity.  anyway…

Dumas’s ‘Count’ was met with universal acclaim.  Those that read the unabridged,
in particular, raved about it.  Layers of complexity, characters rich and
engaging, shades of ambiguity to discuss, morality to be interpreted and
debated.  So much more.  And the story…gads!  Amazing.  Simply writing this
makes me want to revisit this story of justice, vengeance and redemption.  In
fact, I will soon.

I have notes that we beat up on a 1979 Bunnahabhain, and I do know it was an
independent release from Adelphi, but I don’t have further details.  Either
way…it was universally adored.  As was a 30 year old blended whisky from Whyte &
McKay.  There is a degree of malt snobbery in the club, but I like to think it
is at least a well earned (and often justified) snobbery.  This W&M30, though,
was a beautiful drink.  Were there others sipped this night?  Most likely, but
you’ll have to forgive my foggy memory.

Yet again Jay keeps the bar held high.  Well done, mate.

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 11:18 am  Tagged with: Bunnahabhain, Dumas, The Count Of
Monte Cristo, Whyte & McKay


LIQUORATURE #060 – “SHALIMAR THE CLOWN” (SALMAN RUSHDIE)

 Club Gatherings 2014  No Responses »
Feb 042016
 

Liquorature #060 – “Shalimar The Clown” (Salman Rushdie)

Date:  January, 2014

Host:  Chris

Whisky:  Glenfarclas Family Cask 2002 (Willow Park Exclusive), Murray McDavid
Macallan 1998 10 y.o., Amrut Fusion

 

I remember Lance once expressing his outright detestation of Rushdie.  I think
he went so far as to threaten boycott in the event any of us picked one of
Rushdie’s novels.  But how could we not?  The man is arguably one of
literature’s most fascinating personages.

As you likely know if you’re reading this bit – here on a site dedicated to
fiction – Rushdie was the subject of an Iranian fatwa (death sentence) declaimed
by the Ayatollah Khomeini after the publication of his novel ‘The Satanic
Verses’ in the late ’80s.  Perceived sleights against Islam, it seems, didn’t go
over too well at that time either.  Hmmm…what to say about that?  Nothing here,
to be certain.  In our closed room this chilly January night?  Well…that was
another story.  Volatile, as you can imagine.  Very volatile.  And interestingly
enough, somewhat polarizing in ways.  Enough said.

Suffice it to say, year six of Liquorature’s existence started off with a bang. 
(That was a bad pun, wasn’t it?)

‘Shalimar’ was, I think, merely an ok story in the eyes of the gang.  The
writing was highly praised, the characters lauded, but the overall experience
was perceived to be somewhat lacking, if I recall correctly.  Our heated debates
rages around external subject matter that was dredged up over the course of
understanding culture, time and place, but wasn’t specific to opinions about the
tale itself.  On that we presented a fairly united front.  Good solid…seven and
a half (not really…just quoting ‘Beautiful Girls’ and driving home the mediocre,
lukewarm reception).

The whiskies also left us headscratching a bit.  The Glenfarclas was an oddball,
boasting notes of seventy mezcal, while the indie Macallan was top heavy with a
not altogether pleasant wine-iness.  Oh well.  The Amrut was a life preserver
thrown out into these turbulent waters.  In the end…we were saved.  And slightly
drunk. 

Random notes:  Wish we’d had Lance here for this one.

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 10:52 am  Tagged with: Amrut, Glenfarclas, Macallan, Rushdie,
Shalimar The Clown, The Satanic Verses


LIQUORATURE GATHERING #059 – “SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE” (KURT VONNEGUT)

 Club Gatherings 2013  No Responses »
Feb 042016
 

Liquorature Gathering #059 – “Slaughterhouse-Five” (Kurt Vonnegut)

Date:  December, 2013

Host:  Scott (aka Ginger Buddha)

Whisky:  Pig’s Nose, Bulleit Bourbon, Nikka Miyagikyo 15 y.o.

 

All this happened, more or less.

Man, it took is a long time to get ’round to Vonnegut.  I always thought it
would be me to pick him at some point, but our Ginger Buddha beat me to it.  I’d
have chosen something different (most likely ‘Cat’s Cradle’), but applying the
pizza philosophy, any Vonnegut is good Vonnegut.

Like most of the author’s work, there is a jumbled and disjointed mishmash of
surreality, science fiction, metaphysical, metaphorical, absurdist and
appreciably literate meandering.  Though this may sound like a convoluted way of
saying ‘what the fuck?’, the reality is that Vonnegut is hard to pigeonhole. 
He’s equally difficult to form opinions on or analyze with any true sense of
authority.  I think that’s why this choice worked extremely well for us.  In
fact, I still debate doing ‘Cat’s Cradle’ at some point, simply to be able to
revisit this mad genius.

The guys were non-committal in terms of expressing disdain or appreciation.  I
think there was an acknowledgement of something remarkable, but a lack of truly
getting on board with the delivery.  Fair enough.  I can see how Vonnegut is an
acquired taste (or an unacquired taste, as the case may be).

Scott likes to play to themes with his whisky selections, often tying his
choices back to the book in some manner or other, however I’ll be pickled if I
can remember what (if any) ties there were between the drams listed above and
this World War II era tale.  Either way…enjoyed.  In particular, the Miyagikyo
15 year old.  We’re discovering that a few of us have a rather keen appreciation
for the art of Asian distillation.

So it goes…

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 10:05 am  Tagged with: Bourbon, Bulleit, Cat's Cradle,
Miyagikyo, Nikka, Pig's Nose, Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut


LIQUORATURE #058 – “THE FOUNTAINHEAD” (AYN RAND)

 Club Gatherings 2013  No Responses »
Feb 042016
 

Liquorature Gathering #058 – “The Fountainhead” (Ayn Rand)

Date:  November, 2013

Host:  Curt

Whisky:  Macallan Travel Series “Forties”, MacKinlay’s Rare Old Highlands Malt
(Shackleton Recreation), GlenDronach 1994 17 y.o. Cask #261, Amrut Intermediate
Sherry, Ardbeg Corryvreckan

 

In the first year of Liquorature (book number nine in our queue, actually) we
had a go at Ayn Rand.  ‘Atlas Shrugged’.  Her magnum opus.  A book – and
worldview – that is as divisive as the border between the Koreas.

Things didn’t quite work out the way we’d hoped that night we gathered to
discuss.  One or two of the Collective were MIA; one arrived late after a very
long day of work; and I think another had to leave early.  There was a pervasive
sense of ‘ugh, wish this event was on another night’.  Don’t get me wrong.  We
had lots to say and everyone wanted to share, but it just wasn’t the best night
for it due to circumstance.  We did end up in some rather heated discussion at
the end of the night regarding unions and such, but as to the philosophical side
of Rand’s work (known as ‘Objectivism’) we never really fully engaged.

Fast forward four years and it seemed about time to slip back into her
sepia-soaked, early 20th century idealism.

Rand often gets lambasted for use of oversimplified idealistic supermen
characters, hammer to the head philosophical diatribes and boxy, formal and
unpoetic writing.  I can, in a way, understand the criticisms even if I don’t
necessarily agree.  That’s a big debate and not one for the ‘here and now’. 
Suffice it to say that some of the Liquorature boys felt exactly this way, while
others were right behind her stylistic and intellectual leanings.  As I said
above…divisive.  And as you can imagine, perfect fodder for book club
discussion.

‘The Fountainhead’ was first published in 1943, so the opportunity to crack open
a bottle of Macallan Forties was a no-brainer.  We like our theme play, aye? 
The other malts, as listed above, were a smattering of neat drams and old
favorites.  Quite frankly, I simply wanted to pour good drinks to compliment a
novel I cherish and one that has a very special place in my heart.  And suit,
they did.  Perfect social lubricant for this night.  And happy to report that we
did more justice to this meeting than we did to the previous.  It was rousing,
stimulating, intelligent and insightful.  The book earned much respect, if not
all hearts.  If that makes sense.

On a selfish note, it pleases me to no end to share this one with others.  I
first read it in high school, when it was passed on to me by a woman who changed
my life.  We shared much, not the least of which was an intellectual bent and a
need to push boundaries of accepted doctrine.  These are the things we’re meant
to share, I think.

I should also note that as I write this, in January of 2016, we are debating
tackling ‘Atlas’ again.  Only two of our current Collective was around in that
first year.  Perhaps a do-over is in order.  More to come.

Random notes:  El Cid chili … salsa fresca and cinnamon buns … “blue eagle”

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 9:46 am  Tagged with: Amrut, Ardbeg, Atlas Shrugged,
Corryvreckan, GlenDronach, Macallan, MacKinlays, Rand, Shackleton, The
Fountainhead


LIQUORATURE #057 – “FAHRENHEIT 451” (RAY BRADBURY)

 Club Gatherings 2013  No Responses »
Feb 012016
 

Liquorature Gathering #057 – “Fahrenheit 451” (Ray Bradbury)

Date:  October, 2013

Host:  Bauer

Whisky:  Highland Park Thor, Springbank Cask 450, Balvenie Single Barrel 12 y.o.
Bourbon

 

Ah, Ray Bradbury.  The master.  Gotta credit Lance here for my own initiation
into Bradbury’s worlds.  A few years back he introduced me to a collection of
the man’s short stories by way of ‘The Illustrated Man’.  Of course I knew
of Bradbury’s work, but in my naïve rejection of the genre I simply passed him
over time and again.  When finally pressed to take book hand I was utterly blown
away.  And frustrated with myself, I should add, for all the time wasted.

Bradbury’s shorter offerings are grounded (ironic word choice, I
guess, considering a large proportion of his stories have deep space settings)
more in speculative fiction with a simplistic – yet dark- bent, as opposed to
any truly technical hard science fiction leanings.  In fact, the closest
contemporary I can think of to Bradbury’s modus operandi is that of Stephen
King’s own short stories.  The ‘get in, slit the throat, get out’ kind
of brevity that makes them resonant, affecting and lingering.

So what happens when you take that concept a little further and expand to a
couple hundred pages?  Quite frankly, it works perfectly.  Or at least it does
with ‘Fahrenheit 451’.  This is still just a simple story, in terms of execution
and imagination being more important than fact and research, but the message
is utterly transcendent.  Additionally, it speaks volumes (pun intended) to an
audience of bibliophiles, such as a book club.

Bauer chose this one for us.  That means malt selections were also at his
discretion of course.  He hooked up releases from two of Scotland’s great
producers, in Highland Park and Springbank.  The latter was an indie and
slightly out of character for the distillery (but still a great malt!), while
the former was a knockout.  We beat the hell out this 16 year old cask strength
Norse god.  And the evening’s third dram was a single cask from Balvenie. 
Balvenie rarely excites me, but this was a gorgeous drink.  Truly.  Clean and
beautiful.  Oh yeah…and did you notice the Springbank was Cask 450, while the
book was ‘Fahrenheit 451’?  Cheeky.

As always, Bauer offered up anything else he had open as well.  Only fitting we
should be quite ‘wet’ (read: somewhat slightly affected by beverage) by the end
of a night discussing fire.

I’m still hoping to tackle a collection of Bradbury’s short works in the coming
years.

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 10:15 am  Tagged with: Balvenie, Bradbury, Highland Park,
King, Springbank, The Illustrated Man


LIQUORATURE #056 – “HALF BLOOD BLUES” (ESI EDUGYAN)

 Club Gatherings 2013  No Responses »
Feb 012016
 

Liquorature Gathering #056 – “Half Blood Blues” (Esi Edugyan)

Date:  September, 2013

Host:  Stuart

Whisky:  ?

 

This pick – and the story itself – really took me by surprise.  First, because
it was a refreshingly unique vantage of WWII era Europe and second, because it
was completely off the radar and something I likely never would have found on my
own.  I’d heard of neither the author nor title before Stuart made his
announcement.

Before going any further let me state that Esi Edugyan is a national treasure. 
Not only that, she is a Calgarian by birth.  Helps to make for an easy emotional
connection to the book.  It also doesn’t hurt that the writing is top notch. 
Can’t wait to read more of her work.

This is the one event where I am at a complete loss to tell you what we drank in
terms of malts.  Stuart brought a couple…I think there may have been either
Glenrothes or Bruichladdich, but I could simply be confusing this with the
previous gathering where Lorenzo brought releases from said distilleries.  Guess
we’ll never know.  That being said…Stu also brought along a bottle of absinthe. 
Yep.  It was tasted, discussed…and summarily dismissed.  Blech.  If I wanted
mouthwash I could have found some under the sink upstairs.

I’m not sure the boys felt quite the emotional resonance here that Stuart hoped
for (or that I felt, for that matter), but there was a sense of appreciation. 
This one has the power to make you reflect on the concept of forgiveness.  And,
of course, judgment.  It transcends time, borders, sex and race.  Not often you
can say that about a book.

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 8:33 am  Tagged with: Bruichladdich, Edugyan, Glenrothes,
Half Blood Blues


LIQUORATURE #055 – “THE OUTSIDER” (ALBERT CAMUS)

 Club Gatherings 2013  No Responses »
Jan 292016
 

Liquorature Gathering #055 – “The Outsider” (Albert Camus)

Date:  August, 2013

Host:  Lorenzo

Whisky:  Glenrothes 1994, Glenrothes 1988, Bruichladdich 1992 Chateau Climens

Rum:  n/a

 

It’s hard to do Camus justice in any real sense.  Such is the nature of
existential and psychologically-driven works such as this (or Kafka, etc).  I
hadn’t read Camus since high school, at a time when I was voraciously devouring
anything I could get my hands on, so Lorenzo’s pick of ‘The Outsider’ (or ‘The
Stranger’, depending on which edition you have) arrived with a bit of nostalgic
reflection.  This is a touchstone novel for sure, but in terms of proper
appreciation I think I honestly prefer ‘The Plague’ a little more than this one.

‘The Outsider’ made me reflect a little on the idea of reality versus
expectation.  My wife and I have had debates about this very topic (often
coinciding with a remark about the definition of insanity…you know the one), but
Camus himself summed it up perfectly: “I summarized The Stranger a long time
ago, with a remark I admit was highly paradoxical: ‘In our society any man who
does not weep at his mother’s funeral runs the risk of being sentenced to
death.’ I only meant that the hero of my book is condemned because he does not
play the game.“

Those of us that take exception to the status quo often find we have to tread
lightly in order to avoid the consequences that even the fiercest of assholes
seem to somehow elude.  Such is life in this age of internet warriors, armchair
experts, instant access to short form information and a cultural polarity that
is unprecedented in our time.  So be it.  We get through it.  Let’s use another
quote to sum up, this time Lebowski: “The dude abides”.  Yep.  We abide.

Anyway…Camus is never a particularly ‘enjoyable’ read, but that isn’t
necessarily the point.  Some authors are more about the message than the tale. 
Or maybe a better way to put it would be ‘the destination is more important than
the journey’.  I think the Liquorature collective would agree.  They read,
discussed and have moved on.  I honestly don’t think this book has been
mentioned again since this night.

Having said that, deep subject matter requires deep drinks for intellectual
lubrication.  A couple of vintage Glenrothes and an older Bruichladdich were
solid accompaniment.  I’m not normally a fan of post ’70s ‘Rothes, but rather
enjoyed these two.  And Bruichladdich is usually in my wheelhouse.  This one I
was definitely keen on.

Oh yeah, and finally…it’s never bad having an Italian cook dinner for you.  Just
saying.  Helluva good gnocchi, Lo.  Well done, mate.

Randoms:  Gnocchi and caperberries … “can we go smoke the skunk?”… the minivan.

 

 – Curt

 Posted by Curt at 10:56 am  Tagged with: Bruichladdich, Camus, Glenrothes, The
Outsider, The Plague, The Stranger


LIQUORATURE #054 – “SILENCE” (SHUSAKU ENDO)

 Club Gatherings 2013  2 Responses »
Jan 292016
 

Liquorature Gathering #054 – “Silence” (Shusaku Endo)

Date:  July, 2013

Host:  Jay

Whisky:  Auchentoshan 17 y.o. (1990), Longmorn 16 y.o., A.D. Rattray Ben Nevis
13 y.o.

Rum:  ?

 

Whoa.  Ummm…if ever a book took us to a place of stuttering uncertainty, this
may have been it.  There is depth.  There is questioning.  There is empathy. 
There is, more than anything, enough to make even the atheists among us reflect
on what it means to have a belief in something so strong you’re willing to die
for it.  It actually goes further than that, asking us to contemplate whether
our beliefs are so strong we could allow others to die for them.  I can’t say I
enjoyed paging my way through this one, but I took immense gain from what it
made me contemplate.

I’ve said it before…Jay comes up with some unbelievably random and far-reaching
picks.  This was just another case in point.  It left a roomful of guys sort of
speechless and inarticulate, in spite of all our fumbling to come to grips with
it.

But let’s lighten the mood a little.  Every one of our club meetings begins
with a formal book discussion and whisky appreciation, but after we’ve exhausted
our respective talking points on the book of the month it is simply a night of
guys being guys.  Hanging out…sharing laughs…making memories.  This gathering
may have started out somewhat somber and riddled with ‘what the fucks?’, but it
soon turned into every other event.  Exactly as it should be.

The food was good, the drinks were solid (excepting one sulphured mess of an
independent 13 year old Ben Nevis) and the company was ideal.

Coming full circle to a darker note here, this was Lance’s last night with us,
before his exile to the middle east for work.  We know this is not a permanent
situation, but it is indefinite.  As I write this piece we are closing in on
three years gone.  Miss ya, mate.  Look forward to seeing you back.

Until next…

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 10:03 am  Tagged with: Auchentoshan, Ben Nevis, Endo,
Longmorn, Silence


LIQUORATURE #053 – “THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD” (MARGARET ATWOOD)

 Club Gatherings 2013  No Responses »
Jan 292016
 

Liquorature #053 – “The Year Of The Flood” (Margaret Atwood)

Date:  June, 2013

Host:  Chris

Whisky:  Glenfarclas 105, Glen Scotia 16, Highland Park 15

Rum:  El Dorado 12 y.o.

 

An odd choice, this.  Book two in the ‘Oryx And Crake’ trilogy by Canadian
treasure Margaret Atwood.  Not that it’s odd to choose Atwood – or a book on
this subject matter, for that matter – but to pick this volume instead of
first.  It didn’t matter to me, however, as I’d read O&C, but I wonder if the
others missed out a little for not having the same informed starting point.

What it boils down to, in any event, is that all Liquorature picks have to be
standalone volumes.  We set that rule in place early on, in order to ensure no
one made a selection that would then require members to go back and do a bunch
of pre-reading (or dive into subsequent volumes) in order to get the big
picture.  Incidental here, as ‘The Year Of The Flood’ does have a solid enough
base to stand on its own.  Barely.

While a few members may have been scratching their hands a bit trying to wrap
their thoughts around this one, the overall reception was good.  Essentially
this is a dystopian science fiction novel.  You should know by now if you’ve
been reading these brief dispatches that the majority of the gang ’round here
digs these genres.  There isn’t typically a lot of headbutting over these sorts
of picks.  Not like when we discuss anything related to, say, the middle east,
colonialism, economics or the current political climate.

We gathered in Chris’s back yard on a brilliant June eve for this meeting.  A
bottle of Glenfarclas 105 was well beaten up on…a Glen Scotia 16 was actively
reviled…and the now obsolete Highland Park 15 was fun to revisit.  One or two
did the gentlemanly thing and sampled the rum before switching back to drinks
that wee actually palatable.  (I kid, I kid!)

Just writing this makes me reflect back.  Thinking I should reread these two
tales and pick up ‘Maddaddam’, book three in the trilogy.  Hmmm.

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 8:53 am  Tagged with: Atwood, El Dorado, Glen Scotia,
Glenfarclas, Highland Park, Maddaddam, Oryx And Crake, The Year Of The Flood


LIQUORATURE #052 – “DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP” (PHILIP K. DICK)

 Club Gatherings 2013  No Responses »
Jan 282016
 

Liquorature Gathering #052 – “Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep” (Philip K.
Dick)

Date:  May, 2013

Host:  Scott

Whisky:  Glenmorangie Ealanta, Sheep Dip 1999 Oloroso Amaroso, Wild Turkey Rare
Breed

Rum:  ?

 

You may not know this one by title, but you’d probably recognize the story. 
Philip K. Dick’s sci-fi jottings here would later become the seed from which
Ridley Scott’s ‘Blade Runner’ would grow.  Scott took the premise and turned
ideas into striking dystopian visuals.  The latter was great.  The former,
beyond great.  Do yourself a favour and read this book.

As with nearly all of the Liquorature science fiction selections that have
been tabled before this discerning group, ‘Androids’ was met with very warm
reception.  We are nothing if not a group with a profound appreciation for ideas
and exploding boundaries.  Sci-fi is built on that very foundation, hence a
match made in heaven.  Dick is not my favorite SF author, but he is canonical
and this was a great gateway into his world(s).  The fact that I even have a
frame of reference for science fiction is a true testament to what this club
does.  Prior to Liquorature this was a genre I largely avoided.  Now I seek out
the greats within.

Scott’s place is a great venue for these more in depth discussions.  His living
room is tight and cozy; a small room ideal for those ‘lean forward and debate’
sort of conversations.  This adds immensely to the experience, I find.  Maybe
that’s just me.  Either way…very memorable.  Especially in the dimly lit haze
with ‘Blade Runner’ playing on screen behind us.

Alright.  Let’s talk drams to wrap this thing up.  Glenmorangie Ealanta.  Later
names Jim Murray’s World Whisky Of The Year.  Ummmm…off your fucking rocker
much, mate?  This is nothing more than an ok malt, overburdened with too many
spices and synthetic sweet notes from an overpowering bourbon influence.  Moving
on.  Wild Turkey Rare Breed.  Wow.  What a treat.  This was one of the most
surprising whiskies of the year for me.  I was instantly enamoured.  Who’da
thought Wild Turkey could make something so amazing?  Not this guy.  Definitely
the standout of the night.

Was there rum?  There was probably rum.  Bah.  Who cares?

Ramdoms:  “EMP, bitch!”…”the Alan Alda of Ginger Buddhas”…

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 3:27 pm  Tagged with: Blade Runner, Dick, Ealanta,
Glenmorangie, Jim Murray, Scott, Sheep Dip, Wild Turkey


LIQUORATURE #051 – “ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN” (MARK TWAIN)

 Club Gatherings 2013  No Responses »
Jan 282016
 

Liquorature Gathering #051 – “Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn” (Mark Twain)

Date:  April, 2013

Host:  Lance

Whisky:  A.D. Rattray Tamdhu 42 y.o.

Rum:

 

This small outdoor gathering on Lance’s back porch is one that will be tough to
forget.  This was to be Lance’s last pick before he moved on to browner pastures
(Kuwait), though we didn’t really know for certain that would be the case at the
time.  But that in and of itself does not make for a memorable occasion.  What
made it magic was the company, the discussion and the lone bottle of single malt
on offer for the night.

Like searching out the perfect rose in a bush full of thorns, we had to wait and
suffer some nastiness before we got to partake of a 42 year old Tamdhu from A.D.
Rattray.  And by that, of course, I mean rum.  Ugh.  Colon cleanser for the
unwashed.

I jest (sort of).  In all fairness to our host, he broke out a hell of a spread
of distilled cane and molasses for our benefit/punishment.  Old and rare,
expensive and actually quite civilized fare.  In fact those he poured for us
were closer to whisky than what the average punter thinks of when you mention
rum.  Captain Morgan, this was not.  I spent the better part of an evening
drinking rum and not even once did it trigger my gag reflex or give me those
nasty pee shivers that sometimes happen when choking down something vile.  Well
done, Lance.  I s’pose I could probably drink this again.

But it was the Tamdhu that lives on in legend, like a perfect harmonic ringing
out, amplified and sustained indefinitely.  Brilliant, brilliant whisky.

Our Irish ne’er-do-well, Maltmonster, was in attendance tonight as well.  Being
a fan of ol’ Sam Clemens, this was one gathering he simply couldn’t miss. 
Reading Twain’s works provides a prefect insight into the gears and trappings
whirling away in Maltmonster’s devious little noggin.  The influence is
palpable.

And what’s not to love about Huck Finn?  Nada.  A few of us read Tom Sawyer as
well, and hitting these touchstones this late in life was just what I needed for
an injection of free-spiritedness in my life.  Being old is no fun.  In the
words of Tom Waits: “I don’t wanna grow up.”

Thanks for a splendid night, Caner.

 

– Curt

 Posted by Curt at 2:21 pm  Tagged with: Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn,
Clemens, Rum Chat, Tamdhu, Tom Sawyer, Twain
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