Whisky Tasting with Mark and Anna

Earlier this week, we ran into our neighbors Mark and Anna (who live across the street from us). We got talking about whisky, and had an impromptu plan to get together to share some bottles with one another.

Worth noting: we talked to Mark and Anna prior to our trip to Scotland, and it was their recommendation for us to visit Bunnahabhain… which ended up being one of our favorite tastings from the entire trip.

We brought three different Society bottles to share (top). But we started with some of Mark and Anna’s bottles.

We were incredibly lucky that they shared two very special bottles with us: one was a BenRiach 20 year (a 20th anniversary gift). Another was a Signatory bottling of Mortlach (25 year).

This reminded me of the 25 year old Mortlach by Adelphi that Liz had at Devil’s Advocate, in Edinburgh.

I know what that dram cost, and this bottle was on par. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s at least a $200+ bottle that they cracked open to share with us.

Anna and Mark. I finally got the courage to ask them if I could take their photo, and include it in the blog.

We’ve hung out several times prior to tonight, and I just never felt comfortable asking about photos and blog stuff. And I’m admittedly out of practice, to boot. But we’ve always enjoyed their company, and it felt high time to include them in whatever this blog thing is – documentation, photo album, diary.

We hit a ton of topics tonight, ranging from whisky to music to the emergence of AI. We also talked at length about the neighborhood block, and how much we like the street where we live. We kicked around the idea of a block party some, to boot.

We also got a glimpse of Mark’s impressive coffee setup and tools (though my photos didn’t quite turn out so well). Suffice it to say… it was an impressive collection, beyond your standard Chemex pourover. I definitely think we’ve found someone who can help with all our coffee questions.

We had only planned to stay a brief while, given Liz’s alergies (they have a cat). We showed up at 5:30, and didn’t leave until after 10PM. We very much lost track of time, and that’s probably a testament to how easy it was to chat and catch up with Mark and Anna.

Glad for the chance to have hung out with them again. Happy that they shared their home (and spirits) with us, tonight. And also happy I can share images from our time with them on the blog.

Related:
Scotland, Day 17: Wandering Edinburgh, Exploring Victoria Street, the Scotch Whisky Experience, a Return to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, a return to Devil’s Advocate
Scotland, Day 5: Bunnahabhain Distillery, Lagavulin Distillery, Dinner at Islay House
Drinks and Dessert with Mark and Anna

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