Irish Reflections Five...digs, cliffs, tea...and whiskey!

In (what we all probably hoped was) the last entry for Ireland (hey, I still have about 850 pictures to show!) there’s a few things that don’t fit into categories, not weighty subjects like the Battle of Boyne, or the historic significance of that castle, they were just fun, pretty, and some things normal “tourists” don’t get to do. So a few last this and that’s for Ireland..

Digging:

With the archeological connection of our tour leader, we were able to visit an active dig, at Clohamon, working to document one of the Calvert’s Castles. The local archeologist in charge of the project had a powerpoint presentation for us in a barn (talk about an odd juxtaposition - straw and microsoft)



And after a little background on the project we headed out into the field for a little more orientation



And then we saw the part of the castle they were uncovering, what they figure was the entrance (the little sloping wall near the bottom)






It was fun to see an actual project in work

Looking:

We visited the fabled Cliffs of Moher on the coast




A spot o’tea:

At the end of that day, we visited a “working” farm (called Rathbaun), had a little demonstration of sheep herding (yes, there was a dog, but it wasn’t in the picture, sorry)



and then went into a charming cottage (notice thatched roof)



And had some fabulous scones with clotted cream, preserves, and tea which just hit the spot..



Irish WhiskEy:

Although as I mentioned we did less than I hoped on the Pub scene, another objective was pretty well fulfilled. I wanted to learn about Irish Whiskey (as opposed to Scotch). One of the first things you learn is that there is a difference in spelling. Ireland and (generally) the United States use the “e” is used in the word, but in Scotland, and many other European countries it is spelled “Whisky”. Check that bottle of scotch in your bar. I find out that the “e” was dropped to differentiate the two products. Another difference is that the Irish version while made pretty much the same is not “smoky” as we associate with Scotch. This is because the Irish version halts the germination of the malted barley with “plain heat”, the Scottish use peat fires for the source of heat, thus imparting the smoky flavor. Lots of variation there, but that’s generally the difference.


Anyway, on one morning as we started touring, we visited Locke’s Distillery, home of Kilbeggan’s Irish Whiskey



one of (if not the) oldest distilleries in Ireland, beginning in 1757, using the small pot still technique. It ceased “real” production around 1957 but is still operated as a museum. It was a charming building with a nice little courtyard



And the distillery may still be powered by a waterwheel as it was originally



As part of their museum exhibit, they make small batches to demonstrate the technique



It was a neat tour, and of course like all such places there was a tasting room. Nothing like a little whiskey to get you started on your day..



And, my research didn’t end with the book larnin’, it carried over into actual experimentation. I began in our original hotel, and told the barkeep of my quest, and he recommended starting with a Redbreast. Brand determined he then asked how I wanted it, and when I queried what’s traditional, he said with water. Fine, I said, let’s do it. So I got a glass with (very little) whiskey, along with a small pitcher of water. Not exactly knowing what to do next, I added a little to the glass and sipped it. Very pleasant, but it was soon gone. The portions never varied over my experimentation, always a sort of “Gee, can you spare it” thought races through your mind. Eventually I took to asking for ice, which added usually a couple of cubes. Over the course of the trip besides the Redbreast, I sampled Greenore 8 year old single grain, a Powers gold label, Paddy’s, and the Kilbeggan, and also a Bushmills. There didn’t seem to be a great variation, although a comparative tasting would be instructive, most were smooth and went down well. I think I could become a fan, but getting some of those different brands here in the states might prove difficult.

A little closing note about Irish drinking. I don’t believe that cocktails play a big part in their drinking habits. I tried the “drink test” a couple of times, and finally gave up,. Just asking for the dry Manhattan, on the rocks with a twist got me a martini straight up, and even in the Michelin one star I got sweet vermouth. I didn’t send it back. After those experiences when I said I’d like dry vermouth, with bourbon, on the rocks with a twist, I usually got the correct drink. Mostly I went native, with Guinness or Smithwicks, or the Irish Whiskey.

Okay, that’s about all the news from Ireland, maybe a general wrap up tomorrow, I suspect you’re blog weary at this point (and I’m working up a rant on another subject) so I won’t even say

DFD oh, wait….