Tasting the Water of Life, with Blue Collar & Scholar

Single Malt Whisky is a spirit that many approach cautiously at first, if at all. Often an acquired taste, due as much to the price tag as it is to the complexity of the flavour profile, but once acquired, not soon forgotten.

Whisky lovers share a brotherhood of sorts, and while beer, wine and classic cocktails all have their virtues, sharing a dram with a good friend more often than not leads to deep, inspiring and intellectual conversation. At least that’s what they’ll try to tell you.

Perhaps that is what led Gregory Cran and Adam Drummond to share their first dram together. Greg, a University Administrator (Scholar), and Adam, a Highland Games heavy events athlete and certified auto mechanic (you guessed it—Blue Collar), are worlds apart professionally, but as family, they came to enjoy the pursuit of a good dram together.

In particular, they became curious about what led someone to choose one whisky over another.  While wine connoisseurs are adept at pairing different varietals with different foods, whisky drinkers are more likely to match their flavours with moods. Contemplative, moody, happy, sad, energized or relaxed. Fireside or on the back of a boat, alone or with friends.  But rarely do you hear whisky drinkers speak in terms of meat vs seafood, buttery camembert vs strong stilton, spicy ethnic cuisine vs a rich creamy sauce.

Until now.