What did we want of Limburg this year? Well, since a small, cross-border group had formed consisting of Peter Schier (Prague), Volker Körner (Dortmund) and myself (Vienna) the task ahead was not that difficult or surprising: fun. Tasting without tasting. Enjoying without whining. Drinking without ambulance. Smoking without becoming an ashtray. And sleeping without having been unconscious before. Not as easy as it sounds. Anyway, we completed the task effortlessly and without headaches, now there’s another surprise.

Away from home for six months at a time at short notice – for some it is a job, for others a calling. Our good friend, whisky lover, bonvivant and of course professional soldier Alexander Moshammer is surely one of the called ones. As a gentleman and officer in the rank of major, Alex is stationed in Kosovo at the moment and liaises with the KFOR generals.
In task groups together with the Kosovo government the base is laid to support the government of this war-ton country in matters of legislation and the creation of democratic procedures. The “United Nations Mission in Kosovo” contacts and the activities of the ICO (International Civilian Office) build on the experiences of this, our liaison officer.

Experiencing history and enjoying a quiet beer at the same time – is there anything better? In an unimposing side street in the heart of Prague this beer house with a tradition dating back to the year 1499 attracts its thirsty customers.
The house itself is no more than an old one-storey building with a renovated facade. The emblem of the place is a large and old clock which shines from afar like a beacon and guides one’s way.
Already outside in the atrium, just next to the entrance to the bar, one beer after the other is drawn to quench parched throats.

It seems I cannot stop raving about Café Savoy in Prague. Just remember that report on the place in 2007 when we had a long and enjoyable breakfast there – back then with the entire family. So this time round, there was no doubt that a day in Prague had to start at the Savoy. It is not the size of the portions (even though they are quite solid), but the many small things. Tonino Lamborghini is served as a coffee and the milk foam is so unique that I just had to throw my espresso passion overboard for a while. I believe I had three of these coffees, so I was definitely awake after them.

I had taken the sunny weather with me and all the other good things were there already: Prague had once more lured me with great food, relaxation, a break from the daily grind and a different brand of beer for every day of the year. Even my wife and kids condone my trips to this city as long as I bring them a souvenir or two.
It is quite incredible what one can do in only two days if one just knows the right people. So off I went by car – a mere four hours’ drive from Vienna via Znojmo. Peter Schier had invited me once again to have a cultural ball of sorts. After arriving, a solid dinner with beer, whisky and cigar got me in the mood. Where? In that great old typically Czech local called “La Bodeguita del Medio” in the centre of Prague, near the Charles Bridge.

For his flat warming, I gave my dear friend Christian – a.k.a. “da Doc” – the customary salt and bread, but also a very nice bottling to keep his spirits up and his flat warm. Now that after moving his daily life has returned to its usual rhythm, he wanted to sample the bottle and invited me as a spur of the moment thing to come over and open it. 15 minutes later I was there.
These old chaps tend to get my heart pumping: rarely have I seen bad quality in venerable old malts such as this one. Same story here. Wonderful! A 10-year-old original bottling by Glenfarclas for Italy with a mere 40% alcohol – bottled some time in the 1980ies and sold by a rather famous Italian company (IMPORTATO DA FRATELLI AVERNA S.p.A CALTANISSETTA LIC. UTIF N. 1 PA).

Recently, PETER WANDL – the mobile whisky database – paid me a visit. And he was bearing gifts. Peter had brought one of the best Clynelishes that money can buy. While we chatted away idly, we sampled a few older bottlings. I have to confess none of the tasted bottlings could reach the level of that Clynelish, which radiated quiet perfection. Cheers Peter for those lasting impressions!

Here are some verbal tasting notes on that malt:

It has been a while since Peter visited Vienna, but something feels like now is the right time for reporting it. With Peter and me, a loose “whisky acquaintance” has grown into a firm friendship, the perks and enrichments of which I would like say thank you for.
Peter is one of those people who know exactly what they want but do not kick up a fuss about it. His passion for whisky and the good things in life is way above the norm yet at the same without him ever losing the plot and becoming unreal – which is why I am always happy to meet him either in Germany, Scotland, Prague or Vienna to talk about everything and nothing.
Since none of us is omniscient or omnipotent, it is important for like-minded souls to share thoughts and experiences. It also serves as a necessary decelerating and grounding mechanism in our hectic time.

On November 30th, 2007 Silas Corp. featured the best of the best of Douglas Laing’s The Old Malt Cask Series in an unforgettable tasting event. Extraordinary independent bottlings from the 60ies and 70ies had been selected which are known to delight and hush into awe the connoisseurest of whisky lovers. This tasting presented wonderfully round and facetted malts that changed and oscillated every few minutes, malts to dream and tell the grandchildren about, malts that make a difference in this grey world of ours. The following contains details of the bottles and soon we will serve further data on this unique event.

The author of 'Whisky Guide 2007 & 2008' invited us to a little private tasting; his Finnish girlfriend Ella cooked a Finnish leek soup and an also Finnish and delicious ham quiche. Enough of the high North, let us focus on the high Northwest and Scotland: ten malts were to be tasted plus that Brora which we have already sampled in Oostende. The choice was interesting and held a few fine drops that hitherto had not touched our tongues. A night to remember.

Arcotel Wimberger, November 15th, 2007

Another year has passed and once more, the owner of Austria’s Finest Whisky Shop – KR. Dr. Mario Prinz – invited friends and whisky lovers to the traditional autumn tasting, eagerly supported by his team. With more than 20 (!) malts up for tasting, it was clear from the beginning that this was not meant to be only enjoyment but also something else bordering on hard work. The event was opened with a short speech by Dr. Prinz and a mouth watering rendition by the pipes of the Vienna Pipes.
The event was well attended – it drew about 160-180 people; both kitchen and service were above average that night.
The only snag of this event was the tap water ban – seemingly imposed by the hotel – which is absurd in a city like Vienna with extraordinary tap water quality and forced the guests to purchase litre bottles of Vöslauer mineral water at EUR 5.90 (which in supermarkets sells at a retail price of around EUR 0.39 without deposit). With the amount of whisky up for tasting we needed 2.5 litres a head and hoped that such examples of indirect returns – at least in the case of tap water in Vienna – will stay an exception.

The Big Final Tasting

Sunday evening after the Whiskyfest we were invited to the Lindores club lounge to sample a few rarities. Some people had brought along special bottles for this evening and so the lucky ones gathered were treated to treasures from the secret storage vaults of the noble donors. As chance would have it, Dominiek from LWS had selected a Brora from the Douglas Laing – Platinum Series. So had we. What’s more, both of them had been distilled in the same year and bottled in 2003. Dominiek had chosen the 30-year-old edition that had been filled in 222 bottles; we had the slight older 31-year-old version with 221 bottles. Thus we had a chance to cross taste these two excellent Broras on that final (and therefore sad) evening; a true experience!

Kombuis in Oostende – Seafood at its best

This little restaurant is located in an everyday street behind an unimposing entrance and has become one of our favourite culinary discoveries in Oostende. Right after squeezing through the small door one stands in the middle of the kitchen; a few steps further there are a few tables and old plates on the wall with quaint shells. Every guest gets a large sheet of white paper as plate mat so as not to dirty the tablecloth too much. Should one happen to visit the Kombuis on a foggy and rainy day (now how could that ever happen in Oostende?), one can jot down one’s thoughts on the paper for future generations. But now back to the main motivation for stopping at this place: the food.

Antica Casa Marchesi Spinola Tasting with Dirk Vanhoutteghem

Silas Corp. had already done this particular tasting in January 2007 and so it was a matter of honour to attend this event in Oostende and once more taste these six wonderful malts, which had already put a smile on our faces in Vienna.
Dirk, host of the evening, told us details about the distilleries and the six bottlings, four of which had been lowered to 40% alcohol content – we hope for taste reasons rather than for moolah. The most impressive rarities (Milton Duff and Longmorn) were left at cask strength and that was a good thing.

HOUSE of PEERS Whisky-Breakfast with 'The Don Lucone' - Luc Timmermans

For the second time the (therefore) already traditional Whisky Breakfast was held by Don Lucone in person, beloved godfather of the Lindoristi. It was in his throaty, smoky voice that he declared: “A man, who cannot stomach de whisky in de morning, let him sleep with de fishes.” (That is something you definitely do not want to hear in a place like Oostende.) So all of us friends and goons came along for the big sit-down early in the morning to pay homage to the Don and his treasures. Sadly, our own Don Pepi-in-law overslept a little, however, through no fault of his own. The beloved Lindores President and godfather opened the meeting with a short talk on contents and provenance of the bottles before us. Meanwhile, master chef Geert Bero prepared our special “Full Scottish Breakfast”, so we got something in our bellies and would not sleep with the moules at our first dram – and without using any baseball bat.