November 2, 2011

A Couple of Young AD Rattrays

From one of our favorite independent bottlers these two distilleries aren’t seen too often on this side of the pond.  The current line up of AD Rattrays are relatively young (with a few exceptions).

Macduff 10 $66

Distilled November 15, 2000
Bottled April 5, 2011 @ 59.8%ABV
Sherry Cask (No. 5786)

Color:  Light copper

Nose:  Sherry up front, figs, earthy, over ripe red grapes with hints of vanilla

Palate:  Intense red fruit with a fiery alcohol back drop – needs water! Much better…sweet grain notes, cereal, nice even handed sherry influence, cough syrup, walks right up to the line of being too sweet for my taste, lingering spice, something slightly synthetic/rubbery sticks out, cherries, varnish?

Finish:  Hangs around awhile with some nice spice.

Comments:  Deep flavors for a 10 year old, a well balanced sherried Speysider, it manages to escape the sulfery tones that I get a lot with sherry casks I am happy to say.  A little youthful, wish I could taste it after it sat for a couple of more years.

Glen Ord 12 $66

Distilled March 17, 1998
Bottled October 30, 2010 @60.1% ABV
Bourbon Cask (No. 24)

Color:  Pale yellow

Nose:  Rich, buttery, chalky, hard candy, caramel, butterscotch, fresh

Palate:  Sweet, the ABV makes it tough to get through though, thick oily mouth feel, vanilla, surprising spice.  With water: a lot more enjoyable, milder, sweet, honey, powdered sugar, floral and slightly dry.

Finish:  Short with some oak bite

Comments:  A nice straight forward Highland malt, sweet but kicked up a little, its nice to be able to adjust with water since it is at cask strength, enjoyable but not necessarily memorable.

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October 16, 2011

US Release of Suntory Hakushu

As you probably noticed it has been rather quiet around here lately.  This silence has been primarily due to a whole lot of work – leaving very little time to work on getting tasting impressions and posts out.  However, don’t be fooled into thinking that booze hasn’t been consumed.  It has, actually a lot has, but more for utilitarian purposes.

So it was with much joy that I was able to attend a tasting this afternoon hosted by Suntory’s Mike Miyamoto and Neyah White to sample some of the soon to be released (end of October) Hakushu 12.  That’s right, finally another Japanese whisky expression will be released in the US.  The Hakushu distillery flavor profile is one of my favorite and the 12 just sings with fresh forest crispness.  We posted our impressions of the Hakushu 12 here.

You also really get a sense of the distilleries location in the whisky.  Every time I drink Hakushu 12 it brings me back to the storage warehouse at the distillery.  You can read a little more about the distillery here in Part 1 and Part 2 of my visit there.

Hakushu is completely different than its Yamazaki brother.  I think this bodes well for whatever your opinion is of Yamazaki.  If you like the Yamazaki releases, you will be treated to an additional and different whisky in Hakushu.  If you aren’t a big fan of Yamazaki, maybe Hakushu will be more to your liking.  Either way I highly recommend that you seek out a bottle/dram of Hakushu and give it a try.  – Chris

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September 23, 2011

Ode to the Flask

Few accoutrements of the serious drinker out-class the flask.  Certainly, the flask can come in many forms for many modes, from the utilitarian plastic to the richly jewel-encrusted.  And while you read (should you continue to read) feel free to focus upon your flask of choice.  As for me, I will be thinking of the natty workhorse of the pantheon, a stainless steel number with simple lines, a slight curve, and a perfect fit for the inner pocket.  Feel free to adorn it with a few simple lines or engraving.  And while the cap that latches to the top may save you from misplacing your cap and the sides may boast some leather (see photo), I often prefer to take my chances, and my swigs, from the clean surface of a featureless spout free of such ingenious contrivances.  Let’s face it, while not all of us are regularly in a position to reach inside one’s jacket and produce a Walther PPK, there is something very James Bond about drawing a flask from one’s inner pocket.  Or even your back pocket in a bygone, a pre-cell phone era.

You can fill a flask with almost anything; it is a general purpose receptacle, after all.  Unsurprisingly, I prefer to fill mine with whiskey.  And as I’m only going to have a few ounces of the elixir, I tend to load it up with something hotter than your typical 80 proof.  And call me a wastrel, but I do not skimp on quality just because the liquor is going to be bouncing about in a metal flask for an indeterminate amount of time and likely unceremoniously quaffed straight from the screw-lacing of the neck.  Single malt, cask strength and more than likely from Scotland or Japan.  Of course, a solid American rye or bourbon is no compromise either.  I have occasionally stepped outside the mode… and I do have few flask-friendly cocktail recipes (as long as you have access to ice).  But whisky travels better.

Traveling.  That brings us to the raison d’être of the flask: mobile liquor.  Should you find yourself inexplicably on a boat that has run dry, you and your closer compatriots are covered.  Should you show up to the party and they’ve naught but beer and wine, you will have a head-start.  And should the pub crawl take an unexpected or lengthy stroll between watering holes, you have an emergency supply to carry you through.

Is it an “open container” in an automobile?  I do not know and I do not want to find out.  Have a decade of feel-good, onerous airport security measures made you safer? Not really, but it sure has put a crimp in getting a full flask of quality spirit on a plane.  Though I have rather enjoyed being instructed by airport security to empty my flask in the nearby bathroom… where I proceed to empty into my gullet.  A shame no longer being able to sip from a quality flask during a trip through the skies, but a great way to start a 9:00 AM flight.

Raise your glass for the flask. And if you are raising a flask, high marks for you.  Not only do you look cool and have people envying you, you are cool and look like you don’t give a damn about what people are thinking. -Nate

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August 24, 2011

K&L Wines Wednesday Whisky Sampling (Today)

K&L Wines has been issued the recently legislated license that allows shops to sample spirits for both their Redwood City and San Francisco stores.  There are a lot of detailed rules that go along with this license, but the one us consumers probably thingk is the most important is that the samples are FREE! 

There are competing tastings this evening from 5pm to 6:30pm.  Redwood City will be sampling St. George and San Francisco will be sampling AD Rattray.  A few more details can be found here.

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August 21, 2011

Breaking New Ground With A Classic Touch: Chichibu’s Ichiro Akuto (Part 2)

This is the second part of our interview with Akuto San. You can read the first part here.

WhiskyWall:   You are growing your own barley, sourcing local peat and growing Mizunara trees.  Is it your goal to make a 100% Japanese whisky – similar to Kilchoman’s just released 100% Islay whisky?

あなたは、自身で麦やミズヌマ材を育て、地元のピートをお炊きになると聞きます。あなたのゴールは、キルホーマンが最近発売した純アイラ・ウィスキーのような、100％国産のもののみを使用した、純国産ウィスキーを作ることですか？

Akuto San:  たぶん、ウイスキー造りをしている人間ならだれでも、同じような夢を持つのだと思います。高品質のウイスキーを造ることが最優先事項ですが、もし国産原料のみで実現できればとてもうれしいですね。どのくらいの数量が出来るかはわかりませんが、ぜひ実現したいと思っております。

I think probably anyone making whiskey has a similar dream.  Of course I always try to make the highest quality whiskey, but it would be even better If I could do that with all domestic materials.  I don’t know how much I could produce, but I want to make a 100% Japanese whiskey one day.

WhiskyWall:  Your washbacks are made of Mizunara, why did you decide to do this?

なぜウォシュバックにミズナラを使用することにしたのですか？

Akuto San:  当時ウオッシュバックをステンレスにするか、木製にするか、迷っていました。たまたま木桶を造るメーカーに友人が勤めていて、良質なミズナラ材が使用できるという情報を得ました。ウイスキー蒸溜所でオーク材をウオッシュバックに使用しているところはありませんでした。専門家の意見も聞いたうえで、導入を決めました。

I was debating whether to use stainless steel or wood for our washbacks.  Then, one of my friends who happened to work in a coopery business told me I could use Mizunara.  No distiller uses oak wood for washbacks, but I decided to use Mizunara after checking with a specialist.

WhiskyWall:   Chichibu releases have been primarily single cask expressions, do you plan on having a standard chore range of expressions?

いままでの秩父からのリリースは主にシングルカスクですが、今後定期的にリリースする銘柄などの計画はありますか？

Akuto San:  今年は２００８年の原酒が３年を迎えます。数量は限定になりますが、世界的にシングルモルトウイスキーとして発売を計画しています。年に数回、発売をすることになると思います。

The distribution may be very limited, but I’m planning on releasing a single malt made in 2008 that has reached 3 years world wide this year, several times a year.

WhiskyWall:  What are some of the challenges for you as a relatively small distillery?

比較的小さな蒸留所であることのデメリットはどのようなことですか？

Akuto San:  スタッフの人数が少なく、顧客の要望に十分応えることが出来ないことはあります。しかし、今取引があり顧客は十分理解を頂いておりますので、特にデメリットは感じていません。

We do not have enough staff to fully satisfy our customers’ needs.  But our customers are also very understanding, so we do not feel bad about not being able to fully meet customers’ demands.

WhiskyWall:  What are some of the benefits?

逆に、小さな蒸留所であることのメリットは？

Akuto San:  原料仕入れから製造、熟成状況などのすべての工程を把握することが容易です。また、一回のロットが少ない分仕込みを頻繁に行うため、若い製造スタッフたちのスキルが急速に向上することも大きいです。

All of our staff are involved in the whole process, we make a small quantity at one time, but do it frequently.  So young staff learn and get better at making whiskey in a short period of time.

WhiskyWall:  Unfortunately, here in the US we do not have access to your whisky, do you have any thoughts of ever bringing your whiskies here?

残念なことにここアメリカでは、現在あなたのウィスキーを入手することが出来ませんが、将来アメリカで販売することをお考えですか？

Akuto San:  ぜひとも、そうしたいと考えております。

Definitely.  I am planning on selling my whisky in the US in the future.

WhiskyWall:  What bottles of whisky do you have at home now?

あなたが今お家でお持ちになっているウィスキーのコレクションは、どのようなものですか？

Akuto San:  私はバーで多くの銘柄を試したいという気持ちから、ボトルのコレクションを積極的には行っていません。本気で集め始めると大変は出費になりますから。しかし、時々気になるボトルや限定ボトルを購入するこはあります。キニンビーのヘーゼルウッドやラフロイグ２１年、ボウモア２２年、古いスプリングバンク３０年や２１年、その他のスコッチの古いボトルも少々あります。理想を言えば、オフィシャルボトルであっても買っておけば、原酒構成が時代とともに変わるので大変貴重なサンプルになります。

I like to go to bars and try different whiskeys, so I don’t try to collect bottles and don’t have much at home. Kininvie’s Hasel Wood, Laphroaig 20 yrs, Bowmore 22 yrs, Springbank 30 yrs and 21 yrs, and other old Scotch whiskeys.  Even official bottles will become precious samples as it ages over the year.

WhiskyWall:  Are there any whiskies that just amazed you? Which ones?

あなたが今まで出会ったウィスキーで、ただただ感心させられたものはありますか？ いくつか挙げられますか

Akuto San:  まだ、ウイスキー経験が浅かった頃、「ウイスキーがこんな味がするのか！」と思ったボトルとして、濃厚な香水のようなブレーバーを感じたエドラダワーがあります。６０年台ボウモアの南国果実のようなフレーバーにも驚嘆しました。また、グレンモーレンジのアーティザンカスクもホワイトオークのフレーバーにも大いに興味を惹かれました。しかし、それ以外にも、多くのボトルが個性的でとにかくウイスキーの奥深さと多様性を感じさせてくれます。

When I didn’t have much experience, as for bottles where I thought “Whisky can have this flavor!” I felt Edradour had a flavor of dense perfume.  I also admired Bowmore in the 60s for its passion fruit-like flavor.  I was also fascinated by Glenmorangie’s Artisan Cask for its white oak flavor.  Still, other than those, I have had the privilege of many bottles with individuality, whiskies with depth and diversity.

WhiskyWall:  For those people that are not familiar with Japanese whisky, is there anything that you would like to tell them?

まだ日本のウィスキーに馴染みの薄い人々に、伝えたいメッセージはありますか？

Akuto San:  ウイスキーは蒸溜所ごとによる味わいの違い、熟成環境による味わいの違いを楽しむのがその醍醐味の一つだと思います。日本のウイスキーはスコットランドともケンタッキーやテネシーとも異なる環境で育まれてきました。その独自の環境で熟成されたウイスキーは楽しんでいただける価値があると思っています。ぜひとも、ご自身の鼻と舌でその独自性を感じてみてください。

To enjoy different tastes and different distilleries and environments is on of the ways to appreciate whisky.  Japanese whisky has grown in a different environment from Scotland, Kentucky, and Tennessee.  Therefore I believe it is worth is to enjoy whisky that is specific to a unique environment.  I highly recommend that on tries the unique flavors using one’s own nose and palate.

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July 31, 2011

Chieftain’s Glendullan 1999

Many thanks to ImpEx Beverages for this sample!  Unfortunately for us, the only release of Glendullan you normally see around these parts is the Singleton of Glendullan expression that comes in that pain in the ass bottle that doesn’t seem to fit in with any of your other whisky bottles.   I say that it is unfortunate because that expression is rather pedestrian and forgettable – on the plus side though it is cheap…So with almost no historical tasting reference for Glendullan I didn’t really know what to expect from this independent bottling.

Chieftain’s Glendullan 1999
11 y/o Cask No. 16543 46%ABV

Color:  White wine, extremely light gold

Nose:  Intense, vanilla, full bodied and bright, apples, powdered sugar, bourbony vanilla notes

Palate:  Whoa…not what I was expecting – the brightness on the nose seems to only be a distant memory,  watery, grassy, very subtle at first then the malt and vanilla start to come forward, some lingering spices.  Thinking that this one might benefit from some water: brings out some dustiness, more floral, buttery, a thinner flavor profile

Finish:  Short and floral

Comments:  A pleasant and surprisingly delicate whisky.  I was hoping that the palate would match the vibrant nose.  – Chris

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July 26, 2011

Breaking New Ground With a Classic Touch: Ichiro Akuto (Part I)

The craft distillery movement has been gathering a lot of steam lately.  It has definitely hit here in the Northern California, with the likes of St. George,  Charbay, Old World Spirits and Low Gap.  Although larger, one can make an argument that Kilchoman on Islay falls into this category as well.

Craft distillers are appreciated for their keen attention to detail and hands on approach.  There is also some personality and a sense of connectedness with the distiller as you can identify the specific person who is actually distilling the whisky.  The craft distillery movement is not limited to the United States (or Scotland if one throws Kilchoman into the mix) though.  One of my favorite distilleries, for many of the same reasons people like craft distilleries, is Chichibu located in the prefecture of Saitama, Japan.

Chichibu was only recently established in 2008 by Ichiro Akuto (officially Venutre Whisky).  Akuto San set up the distillery with the meticulousness and attention to detail that you would expect from a distiller/owner.  The passion that he has is clearly discernible in his approach and methods of making whisky and it all culminates in the expressions that he releases.  Simply put, Akuto San is doing some very cool things at Chichibu.  You can follow the details of his work on his twitter feed.  Although he tweets in Japanese he often includes pictures, which recently included his trip to some of the US distilleries and their cooperages.  For some additional pictures of the distillery and equipment check out this site.

We have been fortunate enough to drink some of the spirit from Chichibu and found them both promising as well as tasty.  We have also been intrigued with Akuto San’s history of distilling whisky as well as the details of his new venture at Chichibu so we set out to ask him a couple of questions.  This is the first series of questions and responses, the second series will be posted shortly.

WhiskyWall:  Your family has a long history of brewing sake, what got you started in distilling whisky?

ご家族は永年造り酒屋を営まれていたということですが、あなたがウイスキーの蒸留を始めたきっかけは何ですか？

Akuto San:  祖父が1941年に羽生に本社工場を設立し、1946年にウイスキー免許も取得しました。1980年台にはスコットランド式のポットスチル２基を使い本格的なウイスキー造りを始めました。しかし、２０００年になるころには経営が悪化し、父は２００４年には会社を手放すことを決めました。しかし、新オーナーはウイスキーに興味がなく、期限を設定し、引き取り手がなければ、設備もウイスキー原酒も廃棄することを決定しました。この原酒を引き取ることを決め、将来ウイスキー造りを再開することを決意いたしました。

My grandfather opened the sake business/main factory in Hanyu in 1941 and got a license for whisky distilling in 1946.  In the 1980s we bought 2 Scottish pot stills and started to invest for making whiskies.  However, in 2000, our business started to go downhill and my father decided to sell our company.  The new owner was not interested in whisky distilling and decided to discard all the equipment and whisky if no one claimed it within a limited time.  I decided to take the whisky and was determined to resume whisky making in the future.

WhiskyWall:  Who are some of the biggest influences in your career of distilling whisky?

あなたのウイスキー蒸留のキャリアの中で、多大な影響を与えた人物は、どのような方々ですか？

Akuto San:  歴史上の人物として竹鶴正孝や鳥井信治郎があげられます。また、新しい蒸溜所としていろいろな方からアドバイスをいただきました。とりわけ、現在の状況に至った背景として祖父や父の存在は大きかったと思います。

Masataka Taketsuru and Shinjiro Torii.  Also, many people have given precious advice to us as a new whisky distiller.  But the biggest influence is my father and grandfather who led me to this career.

WhiskyWall:  How would you describe your philosophy for making whisky?

あなたのウイスキー作りの哲学とは？

Akuto San:  ウイスキー造りにトリックはありません。当たり前のことを積み重ねていくということです。

There’s no trick to making whiskey.  Just do what I have to do one day at a time.

WhiskyWall:  Chichibu is a new distillery, do you see this as a continuation of what you were doing at Hanyu or a completely new and different beginning?

秩父は新しい蒸留所ですが、あなたの中では、ここで羽生で培ってきたことを継続して行うところですか、それともなにか別の、新しいことを行うところですか？

Akuto San:  造り方の基本は同じです。しかし、環境、設備、人が異なりますから異なるシングルモルトが生まれています。羽生の経験を生かし、さらに細かいところに注意を払っています。また、羽生では使用していなかった樽も使用しています。

The basics are the same for making whisky, but environment, equipment and people involved make  a difference for single malt.  Based on what I learned through my Hanyu experience, I’m trying to be more cautious in the details.  I also use casks I never used at Hanyu.

WhiskyWall:  The expressions that have been release from Chichibu are very diverse from heavily peated to Mizunara – how would you describe Chichibu’s style of whisky?

秩父からリリースされているボトルは、へヴィリー・ピーテッドからミズナラまで様々なものがありますが、あなたは秩父スタイルのウィスキーをどう表現しますか？

Akuto San:  現在、さまざまな取り組みを行っています。目的は秩父スタイルの探求です。最初にスタイルを決めてしまうのではなく、回り道のように感じるかもしれませんが、５年、１０年と歳月を重ねることにより、秩父に適した樽やスピリッツが出来上がっていきます。徐々に秩父のスタイルが完成してゆくのだと考えています。

Currently, I am variously engaged with this. The goal is to pursue a Chichibu style.  There was not an initial settling upon a style.  Not taking any short-cuts as I make whiskies for the next 5, 10, or more years, I will create suitable casks and spirits for Chichibu.  Gradually, the Chichibu style will be perfected, I think.

WhiskyWall:  Both the Newborn Heavily Peated and Newborn Double Matured are very young whiskies but they have so much flavor already, how are you able to get that amount of flavor in such a short period of time?

ニューボーン・へヴィリー・ピーテッドとニューボーン・ダブル・マチュアードともに、短い熟成期間のウイスキーにもかかわらずすでに濃厚なフレーバーがありますが、短時間でウィスキーにあのようなフレーバーを持たせる秘訣は何ですか？

Akuto San:  なにも特別なことをしているつもりはありません。スピリッツの品質を日々吟味し、良質な樽を選ぶ努力を繰り返しをしているだけです。あとは秩父の環境が熟成を育むんでくれているのだと思います。

We don’t do anything special.  I check the quality of spirit everyday and try to find the best cask each time.  The rest of the flavor is nurtured to maturity by Chichibu’s environment, I imagine.

WhiskyWall:  What are some of your goals for Chichibu’s whisky?

秩父ウィスキーで成し遂げたいことは何ですか？

Akuto San:  個人的な目標ですが、３０年ものの秩父シングルモルトを楽しむことです。

It’s my personal goal, but I want to enjoy a 30 yr old Chichibu Single Malt.

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July 18, 2011

Ichiro Releases a Blend

Ichiro Akuto (Hanyu and Chichibu) has released a blended whisky.  This is different from his normal single cask releases from Hanyu and Chichibu that we have come to expect.  There is a blend of Hanyu and Chichibu as well as a vatting of Hanyu that have been released though.  Unlike their Scottish counterparts, it is practically unheard of for Japanese whisky companies to share or trade barrels of their whisky with each other.  You will not find a blend of Nikka and Suntory malts.  This blend being released by Akuto San is a blend of 9 different malt distilleries and 2 different grain distilleries.  It is non-chillfiltered at 46%ABV and comes in at roughly $40 (Damn exchange rate!).    We know Akuto San has some serious distilling skills, let’s see how the blending skills are. I am going to pick up a bottle and try it out. – Chris

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July 12, 2011

Eagle Rare 10 Year Single Barrel

Eagle Rare 10 Year Single Barrel (45 proof):  This unblended bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery made its way into my possession recently.  It has a bald eagle on the bottle and eagles are rare, so they can not be sent up for false advertising.  Curiously, the text on the back of the bottle reads in excerpt, “… best served neat, or over ice.”  Perhaps the makers are relying upon an interpretations of the word best that permits for multiple #1s but that aside, my best is neat so that is how I drank it.  Before that, however, I must say that the stopper made a solid “thock” sound that was immediately satisfying.  A fluid bronze-and-amber, the rare bird was a pretty thing caged in my glass, as it was.  An aroma of sweets, spice, and a clean heat were apparent.  Oak and rye and a certain candied orange aspect rounded out the full-but-not-muddied nose.  I thought it a bit reserved, actually.  Thick and lush, a pleasing mouthfeel kicked of the tour-de-palate.  Spicy, crisp, dark, and surprisingly savory.  Oak for sure, and a subtle-but-sturdy char.  The sweet nose had definitely passed the baton to a dry palate that show-cased a darker, spicier muse.  The flavors took their time exiting the palate, not really tailing off but lingering in the distance in a mildly numbing, pleasantly oily wake.  And then I took another sip and the process repeated. And repeated.  Enjoyable, particularly the spice, dryness, and thick mouthfeel.  (And to think I was able to write all this and not attempt to slip in a single Steve Miller “Fly Like an Eagle” reference.) -Nate

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July 8, 2011

The Last Drink You Will Ever Have

Life gives you amply opportunities to have one last drink. But when you are ordering or pouring that drink you are typically under the impression that it is the last drink… for now. And that is a reasonable perspective with which to enjoy one for the road (so long as you are not the one actually navigating the road). But what if it really was your last drink? Not a last drink but the last drink. One more before oblivion. When pressed, it is not too difficult to answer the question, people tend to have a favorite drink and that is likely the drink they would want to exit the stage with. But let’s make it a bit more interesting. And to do just that I am putting on the table a drink to suit the circumstances of my demise. Grim? Perhaps, but you never know when you might have to smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

I am on the Ship and I am going down with it. It doesn’t have to be the North Atlantic but it is night and the water is going to be cold. I am thinking the classic cocktail known as the Negroni. The equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and bitters, shaken and served up with a twist would suit me fine. It’s a drink with an appreciable, bitter profile that I could chat over as the ship took its time foundering. It is a drink that says, I know where I am going and I am not in a hurry. It goes well with evening attire.

But it is not every day that one can go down with the ship in a leisurely demise. What if it is to be the firing squad? Caught behind enemy lines with naught but a blind-fold and a last request. Whisky, of course. While I love to savor a dram, time is a factor and a shot of good whisky can burn a quick, glorious path to the heart before the squad’s bullets crash the party. Islay, definitely, something with salt and earth and char. And let us give it an oily, viscous mouth-feel that will be lingering longer that I do.

But enough with the realism. Say I find myself descending into a black hole. Took a wrong turn on a prohibition run through a dry galaxy. Not to sound too silly here, but a high gravity death calls for a high gravity beer. Make it a stout, bourbon barrel aged, char, coffee, chocolate, and on the yummy side of 10 proof. Cask conditioned, naturally. Something about that dark, rich, and slightly boozing flavor profile could stretch with me (seemingly) to infinity.

But what if it is to be death in the tropics on a day that would be idyllic were it not for the death part? Now in such heat I can’t draw upon my standard issues pleasures which tend to flourish in colder, more immediately pressing environs, so no whiskies or darker beers. How about a South Pacific Isle that is going to go volcanic… and just some gradual pyroclastic flows, we are talking Krakatoa part II. But before the bang it is nothing but warm waves, a cooling breeze, and me under that umbrella. Perhaps a mojito. The lime, mint, and rum with some sugar on the rocks is a great lens through which to savor the natural beauty of a tropical haunt. And one can move through more than a few of these simple pleasures till you get to the last one that joins you in being heard halfway around the world when the magma chamber finally blows.

But then, melodrama aside, every drink should be savored and appreciated as if it could be your last. Yes, maybe you need a quick shot of something once in a while to grease the machine. That aside, however, be it a spur-of-the-moment sangria or your finest dram from a shelf so high that it is technically on the second floor, truly appreciating flavors both simple and complex are one of the great joys of imbibing.

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