Beirut (Perched on a Mountain) 11/08/08

I'm taking a day off today and am happy to sleep in a bit. Jen and Ryan do the same and don't end up leaving for work until around 10am. Positioning myself on the couch I'm extremely pleased I'm able to find the Olympics on TV. Combined with the wireless internet throughout the house I can tell I'm not going far today ;)

And by lunchtime I haven't. The furthest I've ventured is the kitchen to make myself a tea, but getting hungry it's time to take a little walk. A hundred meters is as far as I make before Pizza Hut comes into sight...Perfect :)

Ordering take-away it's straight back to the couch. And that's where I stay till Ryan and Jen come home at 19:30. Ryan prepares another fabulous meal which we enjoy over a couple of glasses of wine.

"Time for a bourbon" Ryan declares with a big smile...

"What makes a bourbon bourbon?"

Laughing "It's made in Bourbon"

Shit hey...don't know how I managed to get through thirty years of my life and miss that one :)

Ryan goes on to explain that there is a slightly different processes involved in the preparation and brewing of whiskies from different areas, which is why they all have a distinctive taste. Removing a couple of bottles from the cabinet he gives me a sniff...

"See, can you tell the difference?"

"Aaaah, no" :) My sense of smell has never been my best asset...

"Ooop...you've done it now! looks like we will have to taste them!"

Rushing to the glasses cabinet he returns with as many cups as he can carry...

This is looking dangerous... :)

Ryan is grinning from ear to ear as he begins filling the cups, obviously thrilled with the chance to show off his whisky collection and teach an ignoramus the subtleties of whisky tasting.

"So, am I meant to give it a sniff like wine?"

"Of course! Whisky is to enjoyed with all the senses" :)

And I have to say I'm impressed with the varieties of flavor whiskies posses. Amazing what a world I've missed out on always ordering my whiskies with coke ;)

With my whisky lesson finished it's on to the couch for a movie. And for my second cultural experience of the evening I manage to make it through my first ever Sherlock Holmes movie. Might have been the whisky but I even enjoyed it!