Angels Whisky Club – The Perth Easter tasting sesh.

Now I must have to translate for our members without the gift of the translate; sesh; is a session. Easter here in Scotland does not hold the same draw as it does south of the border, our posties (postmen) are working, its almost a normal day, banks do close, that’s aboot it. Where were we? Back in the old haunt of Christies Pub (our local). Who was in the sesh? Paul, Ming, his brother Boab, Billy, floating guests; Offaly man, combat Paul, Lizzie, Ron, Kev and Diageo man (who was no invited).

Why? Celtic won the league trophy. (Glasgow Celtic Football Club), if we actually needed an excuse, this was it, Christies is a braw Hoops place after all. Naturally we started with Booshmills Black Bush; matured in Oloroso Sherry casks, giving it a deep amber tone, fruity and so easy to slip doon the neck its almost laffable! This is a (Paul) favourite in the pub and always runs oot. Taken with water or straight, it’s a really good Irish whiskey, why it has that name we dinnae know, it does cause some trouble when a new bar girl works, but lets not go into that. As we are celebrating another Celtic title, we thought it very apt to go for an Irish dram. This was then followed by another one. Offaly man (another Paul, from Co Offlay and a Liverpool supporter) wandered in, “here, av a dram big man”… about now a few pints of beer arrived; Dark Island, ( a dark real ale brew from Orkney) Ming drinks this as his “usual” – someone had seen him in from the other side of the bar and sent a couple over, so while he consumed these most of us had a Jamesons; made at the Midleton Distillery, this beauty niffs of flowers and cut grass – mind as a lad you knicked the marmalade when granny wasnee lookin? Smells (or memories) of this if you close yer eyes, a bit o fudge and honey, just a shame it didnee hang aboot long, so another was needed. Just around noo, Diageo man walked in, he’s a pain in the preverbial, nae one really talks to him, why the name? he works for em. As usual he steals Paul’s favourite dram off the shelf; Black Bush. As he attempts to chat to some poor unsuspecting stranger, we ignore him, but he is getting dangerous looks from someone, he downs his glass and leaves.

Ming was back after his trip to the dark side, so we moved on to a Highland Park; it screams Orkney so it does and we thought it a grand follow- on from the dark Island – see? Tryin to be clever again. The nip we tucked was the 18 year old; deliciousness, toffee, oak, and peat, a fantastic amount of smoke with the lasting taste note; “must have another!” There was a private party in the pub, a christening I believe, there was far too much food, so – as you do, an offer to help them out was taken graciously. Ah, a cheese butty with a dram of rich peaty liquid doesnee ever go wrong, a half cut sausage roll and a piece o keesh. We now wondered aloud “who brought the chokky egg?” a chocolate Easter Egg had appeared from nowhere. Now that’s another grand example of the whisky drinkers art; a wee slice of chocolate to cleanse the palate, so we all cleansed away. It turns oot it was Combat Paul who brought the egg, “Combat” was home on leave from Afganistan, aye, he’s a squadie. Proceedings were halted just then, a gaggle of good looking lassies came in, although the drams were a callin, so too were the lassies. After a very brief interuption (too many years difference in age soon put a stop to our chat) realism set in, so we had a very serious Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix Limited Edition; this is a gem that’s hidden behind the bar for those with a “good nose and being a local”. (it had snowed here in Perth recently) OK it costs a wee bit more, but well worth it. (Angel) Paul had introduced this to the bar a while back and persuaded the bar to keep it for special events, well aye this was special, c’mon the Hoops! wild ember smells of a campfire, with heather honey and swished doon with another piece of chocolate, a rich and complex dram (thanks Bert) with a whiff (readers question; is there a difference between a niff and a whiff?) of coffee and smoke. Bottled at 47.6% volume. We just had to keep it on the bar and sniff its open neck. Watching Celtic take Kilmarnock apart (a replay) sure helped the afternoon go well, a 6 – 0 slaughter was all we needed to tempt us into a Redbreast 12 year old; a beautiful pure pot still Irish Whiskey, rich flavours and a spicy kick (bit like Charlie Mulgrew). In the view of many of us, the best Irish whiskey available. Picked up many top prizes so a grand wee dram to end on, did I no say; Celtic are the Irish Catholic team in Glasgee, with many Irish flags flying at the games, we play in green and white, or is it white and green? Father Timothy started the team back in 1888, hence all the Irishness. Och just as we thought we were done, out went Combat and in donders Lizzie, who does like a dram (ask Paul). “Hi everyone, what you been upto?” so we relate our sesh and ye can see she is green, so we buy her a dram, Redbreast and a Snow dram, one or two wander away home for grub but Ronnie and Kev wander in, so its another sesh startin. With an Irn Bru diet and a Dark Island or two, we linger at the bar chattin to the newcomers. Talk moves to fishing, why? how? But it does, so Paul, Lizzie and Ming sit doon away from them, soon its Paul and Lizzie – thick as thieves. Its generally Lizzie who looks after Paul, but he does his fair share of lookin after too, these two have been known to share a drink or nine between them and normally, one helps the other home. Dinnae say anything, but sometimes there may be a fall, but of course its poor health no the drink that causes it. A cracking Easter had by all, Easter drinks, eggs, food and craik, cannee beat it eh! Did you notice we had 6 drams? Celtic scored 6, so we did too! I like it when a plan comes together!

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