Two short pieces and a long one for Bob

Sorry for missing the post yesterday, but Google has “updated” their blogging software and caused a glitch in publishing the blog.
1. I'm often asked how the Shovel Shop Project is going. Funding is in place, and the project is moving forward towards ground breaking sometime in mid-November instead of early October. Another step took place last night when Beacon and the Historical Commission finalized the historic preservation restriction on the property and agreed on (pretty much) a final design.
2. Interesting article in Nature News about consciousness and decision making. It presents evidence from brain MRIs to show that for simple decisions at least that brain activity predicting an action takes place before we are conscious of them. This may be an indication that consciousness is mere frosting on the cake of actions that easily take place without its intervention. The article goes on to explore the implication of this in the age old debate about free will. If decisions are made without our being conscious of them, do we really have free will?

3. I promised to present an analysis of the Johnny Walker line of blended scotch. I finally completed the research the other day with a glass of Johnny Walker Gold. Here are the results:
 Johnny Walker Red-Didn't taste this one. Purported to be Dick Cheney's favorite scotch. Figured his taste was probably as bad as his policy decisions. This is a blend of malt (all barley) and grain (other grains) whiskies. The company recommends it for mixed drinks.
Johnny Walker Black-A complex mix of 40 different malt and grain whiskies, it descends from a formula that was developed in the 1870s. It's been called black label since 1909, but evidence seems to point to the blend moving away from the peaty/smoky end of the taste spectrum towards the honey/fruity end as tastes have changed. The Johnny Walker line gets credit for retaining more of the scotch smoke than most current blends, however. I wasn't impressed on first tasting although a second tasting at another time proved Black Label to be a good blend with a balanced taste. I think someone used to single malts should be able to taste the grain whiskey in the mix.
Johnny Walker Green-A blend of only single malt whisky that has been aged at least 15 years. It is primarily a blend of four malts from the "four corners" of Scotland. Talisker from the Isle of Skye is noted for its smokiness and peppery finish while retaining some of the honey notes of Highland malts. Talisker will straighten your knickers if you are looking for a smooth drink, but it has been considered to be one of the finest single malts since the days of Robert Louis Stevenson. It is joined by Caol Ila from Islay another smoky single malt. The smokiness is well balanced by Highland malts Cragganmore which adds honey and dark fruit flavors and Linkwood that adds smoothness. A real scotch in that it retains enough smokiness, but the overall taste is smooth not harsh with subtle sweetness and great dried fruit overtones. For a single malt lover, this is a spectacular blend. It's one fault, shared by the next two colors, is that the cost of a bottle equals that of a good single malt. Here the cost-benefit analysis still points to buy. This is also a great blend to introduce people to single malts.

 Johnny Walker Gold-The next most expensive rung in the Walker ladder. Once again this is a blend of malt and grain whisky which is amazing given the price. Both types have been aged in the barrel for at least 18 years. The Gold blend was formulated to celebrate the centenary of the company in 1920 with special customers. It was not produced for sale until after World War II. The heart of the blend is a 22 year old Clynelish single malt along with 14 other single malts. The recipe is much more of a secret than some of the other blends perhaps because of the percentage of grain whisky included. It's believed by some that the percentage is so high that it would hurt sales if it was widely known. The drink itself has a big nose-it smells of peat and heather honey. Tasting is a big deal with descriptions sounding like the most fantastical wine buffs. The predominant first taste is sweet with peat and spice tastes coming on after the initial sweetness. Some find a burn, a harshness, caused by the long aging not the alcohol content, but I found it relatively mild and smooth compared to some single malts. Not bad, but from a price angle you might be better off going to Pop's and buying a bottle of Clynelish even if it isn't old enough to vote. The Gold name, by the way, comes from the fact that the water for the Clynelish distillery runs over veins of gold. I discovered Clynelish a few years ago and it became my favorite Highland single malt.

Johnny Walker Blue at over $200 a bottle is the most expensive blended scotch in the world. You could buy 3 or even 4 bottles of top notch single malts for that price! It is made of single malts that have been aged at least 25 years with some that have been in the cask for 40 years. Many of the malts in the blend come from distilleries that are no longer in operation. I tried this once at $26 a glass after a very bad day at work and probably missed some of the complexity that comes from these ancient malts. I'll have to give it another try. I remember it as remarkably smooth with nutty and citrus flavors and some pepper all imparted by the long cask aging. But was it 3 times more complex than the Green or a top draw single malt?