Whisky Endtime tasting the Uncensored version...

A Wednesday night, the perfect time within the last week of thesis submissions for the end whisky tasting for the year combined with a céilidh… Thank goodness I own a coffee machine.

We started the evening finding ourselves in the university of Edinburgh’s debating hall, where the remnants of the Harry Potter society’s ball were still existing. Thus we began the evening through dram one to two discussing the dirty debauchery of cos-play of university students between myself and an off duty neuroscience researcher and biology intermediary… Indeed this only improved my embracement towards Aqua Vitae.

The 1st apparently has their dear beloved distillery workers playing the pipes and having an infusion of magical fairy waters (there are only few substances that will make you see them; I believe we have a Unique Selling Point). It was an Aberlour 10yo standard from the land of Speyside. Soft as a velvet bottom of an untouched nun, with distinct sherry notes.

Number two was encompassed with initial notes of the opening of a brand new BMW with grey leather seats, with again a hint of the sweet stuff. Apricot smooth peach stains of Aberlour are reminiscent. Though in tasting we find the dirty stains of Diageo's Teaninich 10yo Flora and Faunaon on the back seat. A main ingredient in Johnnie Walker's smoothness.

The third can wipe the first away from my beseeched tongue. Caramel wood gives the tasting an upgrade. This very oak flavour complimented with almonds and then bestowed with a caramelised courting to the nose. With a treacling towards a young tasting of adultery. However this sherry based influence has a distinct flavour of bicycle rubber and nitrates (pin pointed by my research accomplice)

Putting the ass in class we have upgraded to Baron deSigognac VSOP Armagnac coming in at a very affordable price of 27.75.

A tobacco and black leather burn, combined with ester organic highness in the inhalation process. As the céilidh gets into full swing in the background, the caramelisation of cask strength is thought of. Celtic suppression of rage is met as it whips out of the woodwork a barrel of blacksmith asphyxiation.

As I espy the witches wheel being performed on the dance floor, this one is black as hell and I'm savouring it...Glenrothes 23yo 1989 bottled independently by Signatory.

Peat and vanilla loom in these waters. Light, fragrent, but with a distinctive ash that makes me think of Islay. Au contraire it’s a Speyside lass with peated barley and a spicy tattoo alluring the richness of vanilla. Deception is definitely the perfect characteristic to summarise the BenRiachCuriositas 10yo, and a very good closing finish to the final two drams.

The night wares on, and I spot a bottle of poor Flora being combined with black isle beer in a pint cup. I take this opportunity to rescue the bottle from mixology murder and look over my notes. Oh...it really is that blunt a composition with slurring included in a quarter. Now the pre-emptive fear has envisaged me to think of next morning’s hauntings; when my maternal coffee machine decides to not bestow the necessary burst of concentrated caffeine. Urgent blessings towards this final dram.

Slàinte mhath!

Escape into the Secret Garden – The Gardener's Cottage

Intrude

The middle of October was met by return to The Gardener's Cottage. This once condemned to rot graveyard garden, has now blossomed into an entrance which invites your black boots to stroll in the late autumn moonlight,directly through a well-trained vegetable patch.

A thick felt curtain greets your intrusion as you grip down on the iron handle and enter. Feeling the size immediately, you shrink down to manoeuvre through the narrow corridor, packed with extra ingredients and wine. The cottage has two rooms consisting of four long tables and to save space, the Kitchen is alive in front of your eyes.

From the Kitchin to Falko konditori, The Gardener’s cottage has the experience from the blade to the spoon. The menu is a set six course meal, though if any dietary concerns are there, or joining your eve are stereotypical Irish decision making (with a set course meal you thought decisions were easy!!) the chefs will change it to suit you, with no reduction in the quality of your meals.

Lucky hand 

Before the set course starts, slices of sourdough bread and pheasant pate find their way to the table, as a brambly apple juice lightly stings the tongue.

Smoked haddock soup greets with well-balanced flavours. Putting the leg of the recently departed partridge through the incisors forms a sharp smile. As you place the partridge’s herb infused foot/claw upon the

plate (unless you vice the flesh from the feet), a pickled pear and onion purée give a caramelised contrast away from the meat.

Gilt-edged Gluttony

Moving to the dessert end, an Apple & Sloe berry sorbet cools in fruitful motion while a gin cream cleans the palette softly. 

A cheese dedicated to New order’s hit ‘Blue Monday’ created by ex-blur bassist Alex James, is fantastic to put subtly. Accompanied by crackers and chutney, the taste buds that sat dormant for last sequence have now been reactivated.

Depart

Bringing the evening to a close with hay ice cream where you can feel the bristles amongst your mind and murderous slice of carrot cake sided with sea buckthorn-carrot mousse. This evenings theatre has come to a close, as the curtain is drawn on your way out.

The cost for the evening starts at 30, continuing through on wine, you can kind of tell the bill. Though for the experience, daily changing menu and quality this is by far one very good evening.

Review by Dominic Lynch

Venetian Gothic

Last month I left Austria for Venice, on a Friday afternoon by train and car from Vienna. What I love about the train, as much as it can be enduring at times it can be extraordinarily relaxed and luxury of pondering time.  I only wish the whole journey could have been made by locomotive, as the railway flies over the century old lagoon into Stazione Santa Lucia in the old centre of Venice.

An 8th Wonder

This is my first time here and it will indeed be one not to escape the eye. The mode of transport is an array of boat buses that spread across the canals and whisper their way through the narrow lanes of the 118 islands, though these whispers are bellowed over by the horns of boats as they fight for proximity.

The rule of law was bestowed to the ‘Doge’ the venetian dialect for leader and the following Doges, seemed to have done a good job with the place. The architectural position is rich in Venetian Gothic, as the influences are combination of gothic with Byzantine and Phoenician influences.

Observing from the canals you see brick buildings being held up with buoys as structural repairs prevent its collapse into the Venetian abyss. Gardens that are fruitful in rose bushes and fully grown trees tower overhead.

Gliding through St. Marcos Square, the sudden open space bewilders the eye.  You gander whilst becoming intoxicated in pleasure as the impossible is absorbed. Amongst it all the wealth of the once commanding power of the Venetian republic.

 

Luxury my Dear

Versace,  Montblanc, Channel, they are all here, as well as the bespoke tailors, whom by all standards match up to the gold standard.Their carefully made window  fronts and interior designs flow down the narrow streets in light pastels and blue; some of these shops can also be accessed via boat.

Because they are also surrounded upon an 8th wonder, gives these branches much added silk.

Swinging through alleyways can lead you into an artist's warehouse, where the heavy scent of acrylics fills the space, or into a venetian mask shop and watch these creations take shape in front of your eyes.

Food for thought

I did not really consume whilst upon the Lagoon, though I stopped for the occasional coffee in order to escape the tourist blockades that came in swarms.

The only place that utterly disgraced me on my whole day was the cunning ‘Chat qui rit’. Not only were their manners to customers severely poor. The first Tiramisu I had of the year was worth a public execution on site!

Death comes to all

After calming my the blood-filled urges of dessert disgrace, the thoughts turned to butterflies as I observed from afar over the sea a Graveyard Island. Either the venetian's built a wall in preventing the dead from escaping, should they ever; or the more likely reason that they continue entwining every inch still left with architectural beauty.

 

 

 

Sunset

As the afternoon drew to a close, I took my leave of the city. Motoring past the impressive Yachts by Wally and Sunseeker, as they partly raised their sails to cast off for the evening. The city has more to see in a day and a Venetian ball, looks very much so on the Calendar. As with any major capitol you are at the centre of everything. Though with Venice, it feels as if there is this world and nothing else. Yes you see the waves of tourist reach to capture every single corner of forgotten artists or bricklayers, but you are still entrapped there, nothing goes away.

And once entwined back in the evening delights of evening light in Vienna, the week saw me solving the unfinished dilemma and resulted in making my own Terrormisu, just due to calories^^.

Tata

An Elegant death by Tiramisu

4 Eggs

60-70g Vanilla Sugar

500g Mascapone

Coffee Liquer

Dash of Rum

Strong Espresso

Coco Powder
Biskotte/ Ladyfingers

1. Mix the eggs with the sugar and mascarpone, adding a little rum.(add a little ground coffee if in doubt of caffeine intake)

 

2. You may now conduct the making of the espresso.

 

3. Carefully place a ladyfinger one by one, beneath a mixture of coffee liquor, dash of rum and espresso, but don't drown them! otherwise their useless.

 

4. Place them neatly in a slightly deep dish, and then slather them with the Mascarpone Mixture.

 

5. Make another Layer on top, and add the remaining Mascarpone mixture.

 

6. Finally dust with some Coco Powder and place in the fridge for several hours.... and  then serve death.

 

Enjoy!