Dears, we have arrived to the most wonderful time of the year. Now, as you settled after the heavy work of setting a tree or packing the gifts you deserve a good dram and a silent ten minutes away from the military of relatives. (High five, you torelated your mother-in-law up to this point.)
Let’s raise or glasses as a trophy of triumph. Some of you might chase away the chilly bites of December with the velvety hug of Glenmorangie what is like a golden blanket covering the mouth. Others like to step out of the house in mind and síp the ash from the glass like breathing in the peat from the chimneys on a dark night.
The gorcock what landed under my christmas tree called me to an imaginary journey into the wild. I closed my eyes and old woody scents hit my nose. I was wondering where I am? Am I surronded with old-fashioned furniture and nosing vanilla candles? The thought became suspicious with the arrival of the green notes. Don’t worry, nothing raw, throught the 30 years they are integrated very well. The cold realisation hit me with the first síp: I am outside in the middle of a forest. The menthol broke me into shivers like a cold wind. As my goosebumps started to fade away I felt the aftertaste of the seeds in my mouth. I was chewing them longly, the finish was everlasting. What a character with such a beautiful afterglow!
The bottle is pretty impressive with its sophisticated vintage print showing a gorcock marching in the pine-forest – and no doubt is is totally in line with the content. The bird natural habitat is the underbrush of pine-woods, so I do hope it is having a good time under my christmas tree. Let me warn you, they eat pine-needles and sometimes totally make stripped down the trees. Be careful, especially because it’s coming from demolished distillery with a very limited supply left.
Pittyvaich, the name of it based on the native tongue of Gaelic, means the farm with the Byre. Operating only twenty but one years, the distillery showed us, sometimes a short poem can be as good as a long novel. Folks, this was my toast to the ghost.
Is the rum the synthesizer of the Whisky industry?
„Once I had a love and it was a gas Soon turned out had a heart of glass…”
A well-known phrase what reminds you to an Era in the music history when influental bands were mushrooming and were creating better and better hits. Blondie, Police, Soft Cell just to mention a few bands who were the cornerstone of the New Wave. It was a brief glimpse, spanning from the late 70’ till the 80’ but the legacy what they have left behind changed to music industry forever.
A genre of rock what originally circulated as punk rock and was notorious with its crossover experimentations with pop, rock, electronic or even reaggea. Punk was already acquired a stigma - violent, raw, thus to draw a conclusion: virtually unmarketable. You could still find these rebellious marks in new wave songs, still there was someting different in the tone. A more accessible, more tempo-driven, more radio-friendly sound and a new instrument came into focus: the synthesizer.
Debbie Harry’s Heart of Glass was a revolution of a minute, turning them from New York’s flagship punk rock band into an american pioneer in the New Wave Era.
Can we talk about New Wave in the whisky industry too? It is not a devilish thought since this stream get mastery over the traditional jupiner driven flavor in today’s gin world. And the renaissance is upon us. It is way harder to apply it to the whisky since this spirit is more complex and we cannot talk about a distinct aroma. One thing is sure, recently we have seen unconventional maturation attempts in the industry. Beer barrel aging is more widely welcomed, after Glenfiddich IPA experimentation, Jameson IPA or stout finish even Lagavulin toed the line hand in hand with Guiness. Although, beer and whisky share the same DNA.
The 8 yo rum barrel aged Talisker in Diageo’s Rare by Nature Special Release portfolio arosed controvery in 2020 and still dividing opinions. Rum. Rum has nothing to do with whisky. Will these releases last long or is it just a blink of an eye? It might be a pain in the ass. Pardon, let me blue pencil this just like Blondie did to be radio-compliant: rum barrels might have a heart of glass.
One way or another, we need to experiment, so just keep playing please and let me ride the waves…
Every year on 5th of June when the Saturn crosses its way with Mercury a new Ardbeg release arrives. Just kidding, I don’t have any affinity with astrology, but one thing is sure: Ardbeg is a shining star in the whisky horizont.
What was a purpose to launch this Committee? Since Ardbeg was struggling in the last century, felling silence twice, first in 1981 with the loss of 18 jobs, sencondly in 1991, they did not want this to happen again. The fan club aimed to build up a loyal follower base and providing privilages for the members.
Embassies’ mission is to provide a shelter or rather say a dram for Ardbeggians over the world. My nearest spot is the Good Spirit Bar in Budapest, this is where I spent joyful hours in the framework of tasting session. The bar is located in the hearth of Budapest and with the big Ardbeg poster it was easy to spot. Stepping in the door a fine spirit enthusiast already has been sweeped off from his/her feet. Wide range of whisk(e)y, gin, rum and other goodies are displayed luring you to taste them. The tasting packs were already lined up in a wood tray, next to them a small basket of bready stuff to clear your palate. It is a big help after a second glass of peat explosion is your mouth. A full jug of water and pipettes are also provided to figure out how the aromas evolve by a few drops of water.
The samples lined up in the following order: Oa (46,6%), 10 years old (46%), Scorch (46%), Wee Beastie (47,4%), Uigedail (54,2%), Corryvreckan (57,1%). A great presentation were accompanied the tasting session, starting from scratch, the meaning of the name, the location, brief history just to put it into a context.
Confessing the truth my tasting buds got tired after the first four dram. The high level of ABV in case of Corryvreckan and Uigedail totally disabled my tongue so I will give them another try some other time.
An Oa is truly fantastic, thank God the core range was extended with it a few years ago. It’s light, thin, easy to go, it is like ’the girl next door’ in the Ardbeg portfolio. The afterglow is beautiful: the mild ash lingering in the mouth for several minutes.
The 10 years old flagship is a more serious player, giving a punch in the face with its medicinal peatiness. Invite me for a dram and we will be friends for life.
Wee beastie is the youngest release, „untamed by years”. It was matured in Ex-Bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks and the effect of sherry is distinctive. What a pity the raw acetyl quickly break it and starts to remind me to a hungarian cherry pálinka(fruit brandy). Personally I think the 5 year old maturation was not enough, few more years would probably round it out.
Throw stones at me but after my first meeting with Scorch I would not say this is a typical Ardbeg for me. It was sweet, oily, rounded, completed. Vanilla definitely made its way. The sweetness overwhelmed the medicinal peat. Interesting one, the distillery showed its another face to the devoted fans. Considering the pricing, no doubt Ardbeg is the Macallan of Islay, however the new design does not reflect the exclusiveness, it rather reminiscence the cheap shops with colorful chinese stuff. Scottie put on a cartoon kind of look like a fat Super Mario stuggling with the vicious dragon to free up the Princess.
If I was a Princess the Blaaack would definitely rescue me from the prison. The groundbreaking sweet escape from the prison of worn-out expressions. Blaaack was bottled for the 20th anniversary of the Committee, matured in Pinot Noir casks from New Zealand. From an island where sheep outnumbers the locals and the marketing creatively supports this thought. The cutest design that I have seen in a while. On a side note did you know that on island of Orkney the sheep exclusively eat kelp? The sea wash up this plant to the shore providing nutritients for the animals. Since the sustainability and not even green but blue economy came to focus this kelp business could be a blossoming business.
Coming back to my original topic… I may sound very judgy at some point but overall I am happy that the distillery kept experimenting through the years and keeps us excited till the International Ardbeg Days. Moreover I am grateful we have a shrine in Budapest where we can pursue our sinful passion.
Thomas Edison Alva was America’s greatest inventor, had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world, holding more than thousand patents in his name. But some of his attempt was a failure, as there is no linear line what leads us to success. The same approach can be applied to the whisky industry: without any innovative, unconventional thought and trying we will just stand in one place and sometimes not taking any risk is the biggest risk. Beside the iconic veterans we might notice many experimenting releases where the distilleries play with the ingredients such as yeast or different type of casks, the place or time of the maturation or even with the gravity – in 2012 Ardbeg has sent a few samples to the space which spent there total of 971 days, orbiting the Earth 15 times a day. These initiatives all aim to give rise to the potential development of new flavors.
With every sip of these spirits we jump into the whirl of the tastes and scents, sometimes it proved to be very difficult to differentiate among the certain notes. The statement of “the whisky is simple, yet very complex” might sounds paradox, but it’s true, isn’t it? Simple, because it only requires three components: water, yeast and any kind of grains - I consider the cask rather a fourth ingredient, than a container, but it is only my opinion. Only with these how can we land having such complex drams with rich tropical fruity scents, coconut aromas, chocolate nuances and spicy notes? Let’s put the elements under investigation.
The water. A large set of distilleries located near to a river or a lake as to produce an excellent malt they need clean, clear and iron free water. At Laphroaig they said 15% of the flavor from the whisky come from the water supply. The Kilbridge stream flowing through peat beds, giving it a unique color and a lot of sediment. They had even water war with the neighbours in 1907.
Also, why 95% of the bourbon supply is made in Kentucky? Because of the clear limestone spring water of the Kentucky hills (limestone removes iron from the water).
Based on these facts we might have a conclusion that this is really a critical element in the whisky making process.
The grains. Barley add up to two-third of Scotland’s cropped land while the wheat growing area is also considerable. The US is the biggest corn producer in the world and since everyone distills what they have, it is not an accidental fact that the home of the bourbon is America. Rye prefers the cooler, wet temperature like the one in Canada, this is how it evoked to be great power of the rye whisky. One nation’s agricultural specificity largely determines the country’s spirit industry portfolio.
Recently, many with entrepreneur spirit has started their experimenting with oat or millet for example.
The type of grain also define the final product flavor profile as in general rye ensure a bit of spicy character with a dry, peppery finish, while the bourbon made from corn are definitely the sweetest one and the ingredient of traditional scotch, the barley grants mostly the bakery like aromas.
The yeast. Without it spirits could not exist, still among the 3 components this one is hiding in the shadow. A magic ingredient what turn the sugary mash into alcohol, to be exact at that stage 8% ABV beer-like-something during the fermentation process. And here we are we reached a controversial topic again: does yeast affect the flavor of the whisky? It depends on whom you ask, based on my investigation on the internet mainly the American distilleries dedicate a lot of energy to maintain a certain yeast culture, but in Scotland it is not really in the spotlight, the emphasis is on the efficiency: to reduce a time of fermentation. Following those who said yeast imparts flavors to the final product it can add notes of apricot, apple, pear, banana or pineapple. Other aromas also emerge from the fermentation process such as diacetyl which responsible for the creamy, butter-like experience in your mouth.
Your favorite dram might evocative of the nearby scents of bakery since we can draw a parallel line between bread making and whisky or beer producing. The ingredients are same - except that extra 10-12-16 years sleep which needed to our spirit to transform into beautiful amber colored butterfly from a ‘new make’ caterpillar. So the barley might gives the bread like flavor and the additional aromas from the fermentation contributes to the buttery, peachy compote notes. Or let it be pear. What else can be found on your grandma’s shelves? I am sure there are tons of pickles. Be brave and play with the flavors! I am sure your eyes are pretty wide now since you might already scrolled through several articles about whisky and cheese or chocolate pairing but pickles? Try it with a slightly peated scotch like Bowmore 12yo or Caol Ila 12yo and let me know your impressions. Sorry for the bypass, I am just in an experimenting mood.
Getting back to track, another field of attempts what largely utilized is the cask. Different sizes, various previous contents, all make their own effect. The vanillin provides the taste of vanilla, the oak lactones gives a hint of coconut but other warm ‘holiday spices’ such as cloves or cinnamon also extracted from the oak barrel. And at what level was the cask charred? Only toasted or alligator burnt? The difference between these two is only plus 40 seconds burning, still such a significant impact. The highly charred imparts sweet flavors like caramel or honey as the wood sugars were caramelized ‘in the heat of the moment’ and it will result in deeper whisky color. In case of it is only slightly toasted, the final color will not be affected hardly, plus it will bring more vanilla aromas. The purpose of charring is not really to get a smoky dram, the peatiness is depends on how you dried off the malt – with hot stream or burning peat in the kilns. Charring is done to yield the best possible reaction between wood and whiskey. To further accelerate this effect, the smaller the cask the more the whisky is exposed to the wood, resulting in a more intense maturation.
The most typically used barrels for aging the scotch are the ones what previously contained bourbon or wines like sherry or port. Is it all? Not really, have you heard the Glenfiddich IPA Experience release? It was created in cooperation with a local brewery from the Speyside region who share similar passion towards new innovative flavors: the whisky was matured in barrels what previously were filled with IPA beer. And what about the peaty whisky like beers? Ardbeg has launched its first ever beer, a smoky porter in partnership with Brewgooder in 2020. Unfortunatelly this one-off beer is exclusively available in the UK market for a limited time period. If you had a chance to try out this creamy smoky goodness please share your thoughts and make me envy.
No doubt, beer and whisky share a same DNA, I would happily experiment with this too, if I could have a chance to purchase somewhere nearly. I will need to keep my eyes open and give attention to BrewDog Distilling Co. since it released a few ‘whisky beer’ so far. Let’s stop here for now, and discuss the whisky flavoured liqours in the next article.
There were always products what symbolized the economic rank and the competition of owning the shiniest one will never disappear. In fact, the pace of it accelerated in the world of influencers and Instagram queens.
How did whisk(e)y turn to be one? Why does more and more businessman think of it as an object of investment? Whisky is meant to be experienced. It was consumed by dockyardmen as well, not only kings. The thought as this is a little piece of luxury is deep-seated.
Let’s start it with the movies – Hollywood’s silver screen always had a close relationship with the golden spirit.
On one hand, this form of entertainment is a good getaway to other worlds in fantasy, but no doubt movies can also influence minds and might shape the society as well. What do the heroes drink in a movie to collect some strength and courage? What about those badass gangsters who clink glasses after a dirty deal? Does the champagne look masculine enough? Or a gin in a highball? I don’t think so, but as fine feathers make fine birds, the fancy scotch in a robust old fashioned glass makes macho from the man. As Sinatra said: “This is a gentleman’s drink. This is nice.”
Do you remember how the cavalier Great Gatsby shined on the screen? We all know what made him “Great”. The biggest legislative backfire in the American history was probably the prohibition. The bootlegging and black pub operation during the years of dry era helped make the fortunes of the nouveaux riches. The illegal liquor business became lucrative and the organized crime groups were eager to meet the demand. Notorious gangsters, like Al Capone also became wealthy during the prohibition. So at that time what could symbolize more the wealth than the lined up whisky bottles on the rich’s shelves?
Based on the above, we can agree, that investing into whisky is not a new thought. Nowadays you might stuff your pocket if you purchase lost distilleries’ golden liquor. I bet those are very lucky now who have treasures from Port Ellen…
Till this point I was just digging in the past, but now let’s try to wonder about what tomorrow holds. How will the new trends form the industry in the future? Is No Age Statement (NAS) whisky the enemy? Or is the age nothing but a number? I can only scratch my head and thinking whether there is a hole in the inventory and the distilleries issue these labels in an attempt to match the growth demand for single malts with their very limited supply or this is a way how they want to pull off new consumer segments? If the latter would be the case, then there would be a price drop, not a jump. What can we expect: will be less single malt with age statement available, becoming more desirable, thus keeping their status?
The industry is so wedded with the numbers, many people think that the older automatically means better quality. Holding a 20 years old whisky in your hand is such a good feeling, I won’t argue, you are sipping two decades from your glass. It is prestige for some. But I don’t mind breaking this paradigm and I try to consider it as opening up endless possibilities for whisky producers to make new, incredible malts. Let’s put out tongue in the “water” and see how it works!
A tons of suggestion circulate on the internet how you should have your dram – on ice or with a few drops of water, drink it from a glencairn glass, don’t wear strong fragnance as that overtake the whisk(e)y’s aromas and your nose is going to be in trouble when you will try to identify the notes and so on. What other factor can affect your tasting experience? The place.
Many state that the best experience is to have it in a distellery where it came from. I just closed my eyes for a moment and I was wondering about to stand at a harbour in Islay and holding a peaty dram in my hand… but considering a fact that there is a 2700 km distance between me and the scotch producers I would stay at the ground of reality and choose the easy to go options.
Bars
If you manage to find a pub what stepped out from the Jim – Jack – Johnny triangle and has a more sophisticated offer list, then you are lucky, but still unlucky as their prices at the ceiling. If you don’t want to settle the invoice with your real estate at the end then I advise to find another way to broaden your tasting experience.
Tasting events / festives
This is how I was thrusted in the rabbit hole. A few old friends invited me to the Whisky Show in Budapest, I was like okey, this alcohol is really not my cup of tea but who knows I might find someting consumable. I did. And I was marching against the stereotypes as being a woman I fell in love with the heavily peated Islay malts. You will find here not only the best drams, but information - the ambassadors will happily share their knowlegde and passion with you.
If you are a beginner – so I am now – I highly recommend to attend one of the thematic tasting event also where the presenter will lead you through the whisk(e)y making process or let it be different regions/continents or certain brands’ products. It’s a great experience at a reasonable price.
Home
2020, the year of a pandemic. One sentence is running from the tap: „Stay home”. If you already found your way in the world of whisk(e)ys then probably you won’t order someting what not really match with your style. You can arrange your small tasting sessions, only one crucial equipment needed: a glencairn glass. Keep experiencing – what dram goes well with which cheese (my personal favourite is the Talisker 10 – blue cheese duo) or what chocolate is the perfect match. Or what about a BBQ accompanied by a bourbon? The amenites of a home is also countlesss, so it can’t be your excuse.
Nature
Are you fed up sitting among the four walls all day? Strech your legs, get on a bike and find a natural gem where mankind did not leave a scar yet. For some reason in most people’s head there is a thought that the whisky can be consumed at a fancy bar what heavy with leather and wood with full of elegant, suited up men at their 50s. Take it easy, just lay down a blanket on a grass, kick off your shoes, enjoy the warming sips and the rays of the sun. Sláinte!
Jack Daniel’s No. 7 – 7 facts you might didn’t know till now
Jack Daniel’s and Tabasco sauce are as american as Pálinka and Pirosarany hungarian. I don’t recommend to mix the latter mentioned hungaricums but in case of the American icons there is some connection. If I ticked up your curiosity keep scrolling to know more facts about this whiskey what sky-rocketed in every countries’ alcohol top selling list.
1. What does the 7 mean? This is a mystery for what you will never get answer, still many legends circulate around it. There is a theory that in the beginning in Tennessee for distilleries to use a brand name or logo was not allowed, but they were given a registration number. Guess, which number was assigned to Daniel’s. Others say this was his lucky number, but I have also heard that this referred to the number of Daniel’s lovers.
2. Like Daniel, Frank Sinatra had a maelstrom love life too, another common in them was their passion for the whiskey. He liked to have one sip from the dram before every concert, later even more… Anyway, one thing is sure: whisk(e)y and music have a way of bringing people together! Sinatra was buried with his favorite things – so a bottle of Tennessee was definitely among them. In the list of Jack Daniel’s limited and special editions we can find a Sinatra Select what was launched to play a tribute to the singer.
3. Is there a new beginning for everything after an end? American whiskey barrels start their second chapter after their content were being bottled – either remaining in the same industry, but imported to Scotland for maturing whisky or in case of Jack Daniel’s barrels which are being used at the same continent but aging Tabasco sauce for three years.
4. However, being a top seller American whiskey in the world, the county where the distillery sits is among the dry ones, meaning that it can’t be purchased in any shop or restaurant.
5. Is it bourbon? No! Tennessee whiskey! The key for the difference is the Lincoln County Process: before the maturation process the whiskey is filtered through charcoal chips. The unofficial terms what are also being used are „charcoal mellowing” or „the extra blessing”.
6. They create their own charcoal for this purpose. Three times a week the distillery pile up pallets which were previously doused in raw unaged whiskey then set it to fire. A five feet high bonfire can be an interesting view! But charcoal is not the only „ingredient” what they produce by themselves. So what else? The barrel! It also plays a crucial role to determine the final flavor and color, so at Jack Daniel’s they want to make sure that it is as perfect as possible.
7. During its 156 years of history the distillery ceased the production two times: first when the dry era kicked in and America more or less became sober due to the prohibition, then during the World War II. because of supply shortages and also crops were preserved only to serve the war efforts.
You might love or hate this whiskey, but I think we can agree on one thing for sure: every drop of it brings a little history and it is not a coincidence that it became an American icon.
More than 50% of the distilleries in Scotland are concentrated in the Speyside region, while on the islands mainly one or two distilleries can be found. Eye-catching fact, no doubt. It automatically gives a chance to utilise this marketing trick „Talisker the only distillery on island of Skye” or „Highland Park the northest distillery in Scotland”. Anyway, Talisker has claimed its place at the table of great malts due its unique characteristic – a sip can takes you to the harbour where the distillery lies. The salty seabreeze, its masculin peatiness and the chili bite in the finish makes it unforgetable. Also, I won’t ever forget my first glass of Laphroaig – the intense smoke evocative of sitting next to the bonfire and enjoying our BBQ.
My passion towards whieskies is evolved due to these sharp and wild Hebride whiskies. Since today we are cruising among them in fantasy, let’s anchor at Islay. This is considered to be a seperate region due to its whiskies’ unique peaty characteristic. Even with its tiny area – compared to Skye – it gives home to many recognised distitelleries. 9, at the moment. But why so much?!
On one hand, it is rooted in agricultural matters – the cold wet climate and the less fertile soil bring obstacles to the adequte barley growing is Skye, what is the key crop of the £3.8 billion scotch industry. The number of inhabitants also play a big factor as there should be a market for the products and the most populous among the islands is Islay with its 4000 residents.
Would you be suprise if I tell you that there were times when the distilleries were mainly concentrated on the islands? They were the hubs of illicit production. To get the answers to the „why” we need to swip off the dust from the history book. When the Acts of Union carried Scotland under political regime with the Kingdom of England the currently knowned Great-Brittain have formed. It automatically meant that the higher tax burderns was levied to Scotland as well, bringing a headache for the masters of malt. To avoid from taxation the distilleries had only one way to operate – silently, hidden and usually by night. Arran is a good example in this matter – during this era the illicit production was blossoming in the island with up to 50 distilleries. Due to the island geographical attribute it was easy to spot out the arriving surveyors.
But this isolation later turned to be their disadvatages… The distance from the mainland, the accessibility, the commercial concerns are also on the list why only a few whisky-makers managed to survive and keep up with the demands. And frankly saying these whiskies from the storm-lashed islands strongly divide the opinions, many people prefer the soft, light palates and also let’s keep in mind: with increasing specialisation, there is also a vulnerability.
Now you know where my heart goes… what side are You?
Lost distilleries – Real gems or good marketing trap?
I could bet all of us saw at least once that catchy advertisement: „Decades in a cask from an already closed distillery”. It sounds good, does not it? Lost distilleries are sourronded with mystic and many legends appear and frankly saying being a whisky lover I can imagine one bottle on my shelf too.
Let us stay objective and approach this matter from a market mechanish view. We all know the golden rule of demand and supply – the less on the market is available, the more precious the product is – and in this case we are talking about finite supply since the amount of whisky is continously dwindling, thanks to the angels who takes their share and also the customers who buy it.
Nowadays their prices are reaching the ceiling, but does it really worth it? Why did they close years ago? It could be suspicious that they might did not follow the latest trends and fell out of favor or simply they were unable to produce at the expected quality.
I have walked through a history of Cambus just to have a better understanding what challenges faced the scotch industry in the 20th century. The Lowland distillery was established in 1806, in 1837 a total re-equipment happened, this is how it formed from malt to grain distillery. It ruled a significant portion of the single grain market as a member of Distillers Company (ancestor of the giant Diageo). In 1914 the fire totally devastated and it started its operation only after 23 years for a relatively short time as the World War the II. forced it to bend the knee again. Then its final chapter last from 1944 till 1993 when it finally closed its doors as a result of Diageo’s production optimalisation.
In the 20th century many distilleries closed as the market was saturated with the ’water of life’ and the Distillers Company tried to match the supply and demand which resulted in closing, opening, merging. The big fish eats the little one – same was applied to Port Ellen, it was the tiniest in the giant’s portfolio.
Let’s put our hand to our heart but at the end of the day it is a business and about making money. Why would you like to have one bottle from a lost distillery? Do you want to taste the flavour of the last centrury or you consider it as a great investment? To open or not to open – this is the question.
Let’s have a sip of history. 1920. The starting of the dry era in America which ended in 1933. Many bars, distilleries had to shut down, enormous amount of alcohol spilled down to drains, meanwhile the black market and the illegal distilleries had started blossoming. Due to the human ingenuity what knew no limit America was never dry out.
Some americans attempted to purchase alcohol on a legal way. The Prohibition created a lubrative business for the doctors and pharmacists who could prescribe whisky, gin and every type of alcohol - except beer - as a medicine for the patients to relieve their pain. What to say, there might be so many “sick” people in America.
Few whiskies, for example #Laphroaig has strong medicinal notes so this could contribute to the fact that it was among the few bottles what people could legally drink “to heal”.
Others were more about to play out the law, this lead to the born of “moonshine” and “bathtub gin”. Their names are quite talkative, so we can guess the quality of the products and the fact that thousands of people died in poisoning. The maffia earned pretty good on the smugglings and by operating “speakeasy” (black pubs). Al Capone, the gangster became notorious and wealthy during this era.
As a serious virus is raging in the world currently my question is now: for what #whisky do you have presciption?
