W ell... That was a bummer! 
To be honest, I'd never heard of the stuff, but from the way the guy described the production-process, it sounded like something like the afterbirth of cognac. Nevertheless, I foolishly went where I had never gone before - and paid the price.
Paid the price - Geddit? My nostrils and tatsebuds first encountered Grappa that very same evening and it wasn't a pleasant experience, to put it mildly. When will I learn to discard the idiotic suggestions of my liquorist? After all, this was the same place where they advised me to try the BlackBarrel.

M y senses had to be calmed down - and what better way to do that than with a Singleton 1981 - Not a real top malt, but I've grown quite fond of it over the last few months. This one is instantly recognizable because of it's trademark liquorice-aroma. At 80 points it has become one of my "touchstone' malts.

I've had quite a few comments from people that disagreed with my judgements on Johnnie Walker Red Label and Famous Grouse. I try to stay open-minded at all times, so I purchased these two bottles last week to give both blends a fair second chance. After the Singleton, I decided I could put my tastebuds in jeopardy once more, and I poured myself a Johnnie Walker Red. Big Mistake. The bouquet (and I use the term lightly) was extremely sharp and petrol-like. The taste was plain filthy and it lacked character. It clocked at 20 points in my personal rating system, which means I have tasted very few whiskies that I thought were worse.

I didn't have the stomach to try the Famous Grouse that evening, so I decided to go for a bottle I had neglected for a couple of months. The Original Mackinlay 21 yrs. was a real "I cannot believe it's a blend"-blend. A nice and round aroma - amazingly complex for a blend. It clocked in at 64 points, a little over Johnnie Walker Black and even better than some single malts like Glenfiddich or Isle of Jura. A real winner.

Time to call it a night... 

The Grappa Tasting