@manningsmith

I had tried blended whisky and bourbon. Not that impressed. Okay, sure, it's alcohol. One year, I was buying beers in a pub outside London, and some guy was gushing about how wonderful Lagavulin was. He insisted I try his fresh pour. I appreciate enthusiasm and passion, and he seemed sincere. I sipped the Lagavulin, and that was it. I agreed with him. It was amazing and lovely and... I bought 2 pints instead of 3, and I got myself my first glass of respectable whisky. When I went stateside again, I explored different whiskies, but I couldn't get over my love of liquid soil. A year later, we spent the last week of a vacation driving around Islay, seeing the churches and crosses and touring the distilleries. Today, I love my collection. I feel a bit silly, hoarding bottles that were harder to find, but there it is. I used to wonder whether that man at the bar was a sales representative for Diageo. Now, I have no doubt that he was just another guy who fell in love with a dram. I can respect that.