Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey
America has always had a certain fascination with whiskey and it has long been a source of curiosity to the right kind of craftsman. Rogue did not start life as a distillery but as a brewery and pub, producing beers of high quality since 1987. There was a focus on using local resources to craft their drinks and to put a high focus on community and a unique offering. Eventually, this love of producing beer branched out to spirits and Rogue now makes vodka, two kinds of rum, two kinds of gin, and a single malt whiskey. Clearly, they have an alcohol problem. Lucky cads. What Scotchology is exploring is a whiskey made using the same malts as their renowned Dead Guy Ale. Will this unholy melding of beer and whiskey turn monstrous or end up becoming something, like all good whiskeys, that is greater than a sum of its parts?
Merlin’s Rest Whisky Tasting
On the evening of November 6th, three of the founding members of Scotchology went to a Scotch tasting hosted at a local British pub, Merlin’s Rest, in South Minneapolis. Merlin’s happens to be the place we, as Scotchology members, go to try new Scotches and pick which ones to taste for our monthly meetings. What delectables were consumed and what sort of shenanigans were found? More importantly, why weren’t you there too?
Oban 14 Year
Oban is part of the large Diageo conglomerate that has a dozen Scotches under its brand. Whether you like your single malt to be produced under the shadow of a corporate overlord or not, there can be no denying the whisky’s quality. Oban is a picturesque town in the west of Scotland facing the island of Kerrera and the Isle of Mull. The town grew up around the distillery that was founded in 1794, and was aided by a poem about the area by Sir Walter Scott (Lord of the Isles). The geography places a large part in forming this whisky, perched as it is against the sea while at the same time never far from the rich hills and valleys of the interior. The distillery only has two offerings, this 14 year and the Distiller’s Edition. You can be sure it is high on Scotchology’s list of places to visit, both for the town and for the Scotch.