Each year I am brought out to The Feathers Pub, Toronto for my birthday. Some years multiple times. This year, just once, and that’s okay by me. Too much of a good thing and that.

Speyside whiskies are never something I plan to pick myself at my yearly whisky tasting. My wife loves to pick out mysteries, loves to see me struggle with them, and sometimes even picks one I should be able to figure out.

Thus I ended up with Ardmore 21 1979 Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing as my mystery. For those of you who were following my recent mystery drams, Ardmore shows up the second most in the pack. Thus she thought, since it’s my birthday, I should try another and maybe have a chance to pick it.

Of course she doesn’t say that.

Ardmore, for me, has been the Speyside peat whisky to look for. If…