<<今晚該帶什麼酒？>>(威士忌小學堂)

難免會有些商務上的餐聚，卓桌上的人都不熟，要拿什麼酒出席比較適合？

在這不談像威士忌半隻會那種酒鬼場合，那是些一堆不正常人集合，跟白天遇鬼一樣，久久一次。拜拜要看是在拜誰，拿錯供品神明不爽，祈願泡湯。

現在接受威士忌的普遍率上升，通常一桌會有一半人接受威士忌，但是要認真談談酒，大多還是品牌的天下。

可以先問問主辦人，其他與會人的狀態，會帶什麼酒，來判斷這次與會人員的威士忌酒齡。

1. 如果拿的都是調和威士忌，禮炮、走路，那是比較商務應酬型的場合，如果沒打算搶風頭，帶隻藍牌夠了。

2. 如果是百富16/21，麥18的場合，認真喝威士忌的時間不長，但對威士忌有一定的興趣喜好，可以帶支哥尼25或者多納21，應該能搭上話題。

3. 如果看到了拉加12/16，或者Ardbeg ten，這團已經有點認真在欣賞威士忌了，找支早期的阿貝烏嘎爹，應該能喚起共鳴，也不會太出格。

4. 遇到百富30/40，麥卡倫30怎麼辦？ 搞隻百富1401/1858來對付，太貴？ 那就兩手空空，默默的喝，不時發出驚嘆的讚美。有錢的主期待的是別人的欣賞，不是想喝什麼，也是個方法。

原則是，帶的酒不要離群體太遠，可以稍強一些些，但是沒人有興趣花十分鐘聽你講故事。喝酒的目的是表達對群體同質性，可以帶出一點自己的個性，但別強迫他人接受你的癖好。想改變別人的都是神經病，像小學堂一樣。

明天要帶隻25年的Caol ila 單桶去聚餐，Serge 90，9000元上下，猜猜堂主會遇到什麼有趣的對手？

Caol Ila 25 yo 1997/2022 (60.5%, Cordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, LMDW, Antipodes, first fill sherry butt, cask #12498, 529 bottles) 
Let's say that we expect a certain power here, even though the colour is quite light for a first-fill sherry. Let's see... Colour: pale gold. Nose: it's not the sherry that dominates first, it's rather small minty herbs that then lead to green walnuts, which in turn lead to superb medicinal touches, cough syrup, camphor, eucalyptus, essential oils for inhalations... With water: oh yes, you could do inhalations with this baby. It's already an old Caol Ila, in the best sense of the term, but it hasn't given up an inch in terms of freshness. Some notes of bresaola and minty English sauce. Palate (neat): masterful, already evolved indeed (in the right sense), with lots of candied citron, small aromatic herbs, green bananas, and grapefruit. The peat remains powerful and the walnuts accompany it all. With water: fantastic citrus of all kinds, accompanied by fresh mint, seawater, oysters, and green walnuts. Finish: salt arrives majestically, reminding us that Caol Ila is a coastal distillery. The greatest one, isn't it? Smoked almonds and lapsang souchong in the aftertaste. Comments: there's not much to add, except that one wonders if 1997 wasn't a magical vintage throughout the Isle of Islay, what do you think? Nothing to do with those big, slightly suffocating first-fill sherries.
SGP: 656 - 90 points.