I have been reading this book by the name Raw Spirit by Iain Banks which is about search for the perfect single malt amongst those in Scotland . This has made me observant towards whiskeys, wines and drinks in general - to the extent that now i stay longer at the wine section in the supermarket to check if i recognize any of the labels there or may be catch a jargon or two i read about and get excited about it.

And some wondering too.Reading about history and process of distilling whiskey, it sounded like any other drink people enjoy. May be more so. Perfectly drinkable and not at all coming with those ALCOHOL!!!! adages. So why this prejudice towards this drink which is actually art and sophistication bottled for decades??

i blame it on people who over do and over react. Over do by turning tipsy and acting foolish, over react by discriminating the drink without even giving it a thought.I belonged to the latter.
I used to treat whiskeys as That Evil Drink Which Turns Everyone Who Took A Sip Into Devils. Hmm, im sure Hermione Granger would be interested in and may even know a similar potion.Hey! don't blame me coz coming from a conservative family, i saw only men in the family enjoying the drink and that too very rarely as though it were a sin not to be often repeated. Then the book came, saw and conquered my infantile knowledge on whiskeys.

So last time we friends got together at a pub and one of them was chattering about something, my eyes fell on the decorated wall. I felt as if i finally met a superstar i was dying to get a glance of. There on the wall were those bottles which i had read about; i had walked around the distilleries taking tours, watched them getting distilled in stills, felt the warm raw spirit and smelt and tasted the oldest of them!!! Glennfinnan, Laphroaig, Macallan!!!

I was so much immersed, smiling and reading their names aloud that the person who was telling the tale felt offended. So i had to explain my new found interest and it was well received beyond my expectations.

What followed were Tips From The Masters and hilarious accounts of tipsiness. Happy was I when i returned home, to have added a new interest in life. But to date i sadly remain, a whiskey virgin.