Smokehead single malt from Islay...
Oh my, this was the coup de grace at dinner last night... Gemma had made some wonderful quiches (one of smoked salmon and broccoli, another with ground beef that was reminiscent of a tourtiere) while Nick and Silvia brought a cherry pie for dessert. I showed up with some of that barrica-aged cava... which didn't last very long... It was a good wine night: I also got to try a grape from Galicia that I had never heard of: godello. Very nice stuff and I recommend it if you can find it. Here's a review of the very same wine that Frederick opened for us... We also tasted the "house" Priorat that Gemma's brother makes (and whose winery I'll be visiting soon, hopefully for the harvest) as well as a very fine Portuguese red. Oh, and a sweet wine from Cadillac that had some rubberyness to it and maybe lacked just a touch of the acidity that makes Sauternes stand out.
So topping all of that off with one of the strongest and peatiest scotches that I've had in a LONG time was probably not the smartest thing to do, but who am I to refuse?
When I woke up this morning I seriously wondered if I had somehow swallowed a mouthful of dirt at some point during the night... the peat was still palpable... I think that next time I have Smokehead, it will not be on the back of cava, quiche, red, white or sweet wine... it'll be outside on a terrace or porch... and with Andrew, 'cause peat's his middle name.
