Cheers!

Well today at St. Andrews was a wet and wild one. The plan was to enjoy the final light-hearted day of practice on The Old Course before The Open officially starts play tomorrow, Thursday. So much for plans. A stubborn squall set in over the R&A and hasn't moved in hours. Horizontal rain buffetted by 30mph winds put the kabash in everybody's plans today. Even the seagulls were walking.

So, putting golf aside for the day, what other Scottish activity could be embraced on this miserable day? Hmmm, didn't take us long to figure that one out. We headed off to our home away from home, the Whey Pat Tavern for another lesson from our new best friend/instructor/publican, Andy, in a single malt Scottish whisky appreciation class.

For the past two evenings, we have attended Andy's special tutorial bar-side on how to drink and appreciate the wide variety of Scottish single malts. At last count, we have "sampled" 5 with another 10plus to go.

With new textbook in hand, The Whiskey Classified by David Wishart, we waddled over to the Whey Pat dripping and soaked from the rain not the whiskey. As has been our newly adopted custom, Andy gives us a bit of a welcome followed by his yawning discourse on the beauty of the whiskey flavours. After that tedium, mercifully, we get to business.

Andy places three glasses of single malt samples in front of us. One from the previous evening, our favourite to date is the Glenmorangie "Quinta Ruban", bookend by two new comers. On the right is the 12 year old Dalmore. On the left is the 12 year old Mortlach. All numbered by Andy so we can keep score.

We swirl the glasses looking for the "legs", notice the colours of the malts and then sniff the contents for distinct aromas. After all that tomfoolery, we get down. We gulp...no, we sip the contents. Andy watches us closely.

First the favourite. Still appealing. Second the Mortlach. Too flat and tasteless. Third the Damore. Wow...three alarm fire...smoothy bingo...a bit nutty with a slight fruity bouquet...a new champ. To confirm, we splashed a wee bit of water in each glass for whatever reason...same results.

The local lad sitting next to us made some snide comments about our methods and preceded to show us what he thought of our "tutorial" by putting the glass of the remaining Mortlach in the way of his pee stream. So civilized. He was sent home by Andy.

So there you go, a day changed unalterably by the weather made good by a whiskey adventure. Welcome to Scotland.