An Homage to Whiskey
By Jerry Collins
Much has been said and shared here about Whiskey. Brands rise and fall. Old standbys fall out of favor and an old remembered rotgut rises to the top. It’s kind of like old sailors. As we age and fall apart at the seams, our palette and interest in potables seem to sharpen. One may remember Ocean as no better than fortified seawater and another remembers Evan William’s as a poor sub for Jack Daniels.
Scotch was not a young man’s drink of choice, although I did have a taste for it and imbibed a bit in ports across the world. Brandy’s and Cognacs…. whiskey and scotch’s bastard french cousins…. don’t get better with age and, thus, do not imbue our palette with the same mystery as we taste a 10, 12, 16 or 25-year-old golden dram of Scots liquid heaven.
Then there are the bastardizations of the like, Drambuie and other herb-infused madnesses. Did I mention Rye? I should have! Rye and some Bourbons mix well with sodas… never juice! Maybe water… juice is for bar girls. Anyway, where was I going with this?
Whiskeys and Scotches and bourbons and Ryes, in old dusty bottles and chipped discolored oaken barrels are not much different than old wrinkled bent graying Sailors that share them with each other over a lie or two.
Tales of an Asia Sailor 
Thanks for the honor, Shipmate. It was the whiskey talking, I swear.
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As a young man, 18 years
Or about, while on my 1st
Long deployment to the Med I thought the beer
they served us was Green Beer, improper for the locals to drink. It didn’t taste like Valley Forge, or Budweiser. like I was drinking at home.
Hein-icans was just making it appearance there, that’s when I switched to Scotch.
Has anyone been to the Texas Bar in Barcelona,
If you’ve been there, nuf-said!!!!
It would be two more years before West Pac,
And love so long, San Miguel and RP-LBFM, 1st 2 letters indicate RICE POWERD, That is all!!!!
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Drank more than my share of whiskey and rum and other such delectable libations!
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Fine whiskey is great, there are so different versions. My favorite comes from a small destille in Butte (Montana). So sad, not to get in Europe.
You´re talking true words 🙂
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Love the whiskey. So many to try
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During the holidays with my family, I ordered an old fashioned and my daughter says, Mom, you can’t drink that, it’s a mans drink. This makes me sad. I’m a whiskey girl!
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