Malts I have Tried

 Glen Grant, Aberfeldy, Singleton, Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Smokehead, Ardbeg, Balvenie, Caol Ila, Dalmore, Jura, Dalwhinnie, Talisker, Old Pulteney, Loch Lomond, Ledaig, Glenmorangie, Kilchoman, Bowmore, Ardmore  among the Scottish ones.

Indri, Amrut, Paul John, Kadamba, Rampur, Godawan,  and a couple more of Indian ones.. Baliwada, made in Feni casks in Goa.. a bit strong for my taste.

Yet to taste the Japanese Malts.

The ABC of Single Malts

This is an educational post, about a class of drinks that has no parallel. These are called Single Malt whiskys, or sometimes, just Malts.

My limited experience with them, about ten years now, has led me to the following conclusions (though influenced by writers or friends, mostly mine)-

There are a variety of single malts, and you may become a devotee of one or more over time. Once you are a Malt worshipper, it's hard to go back to the blends (see below for definition).

There are areas of Scotland (like Islay, Highlands, and others) which have somewhat distinct Malts. Ageing and the casks used for these (previously used for carrying Sherry or Bourbon sometimes) add to the flavours of a Malt. So does the use of peat (a sort of coal) for the roasting of Barley used in its making.

The Single Malt is so named because it does not get mixed with whiskys from other distillers. Blends (like Johnnie Walker or Ballantines) are usually a mix of several whiskys blended together. Just like Brooke Bond Red Label (a blend of teas) and tea from a single estate (equivalent to a Single Malt). Consistency of blends is maintained by tasters who do taste-tests.

My own favourites are Ardbeg, Laphroaig, The Glenlivet, and Glenfiddich, and I have also tried The Balvenie, Glenmorangie, Talisker, Jura, Macallan, Dalmore. My favourites tend to be the smoky or peaty ones.

Amrut, an Indian Single Malt, is available in a few variants and I like its peaty variant the best, out of the three I have tried.

Impending Vacation

I like my vocation because it entitles you to a vacation, against the norms of corporate behaviour, where anything other than value-added stuff contributing to the bottom line (wonder why it's at the bottom) is frowned upon.

So this animal called a vacation seems to be drawing close, with some prospects of Golf with friends being a part of it. There is a planned trip to Munnar to play and sip some signature tea, I hope. I stayed in Kerala for two years but never got around to going there.

While on the subject, I started playing some Golf on our own cricket ground in IIM Indore today. I intend to train colleagues if any are interested in the game, and maybe students if the numbers are manageable. The ground is large enogh to do some shots with a medium distance iron, and that can give you a good feel for it, and make you feel good that you know some of the great game. Trust the Scots to invent all the highfalutin stuff! They must have been itching to be different from the boring Brits!