SUBJECT>Re: Okay, let's talk about the secret of an old brand's taste ... (X)
POSTER>Bombardier 
EMAIL>bandicoot5@juno.com
DATE>August 07, 1997 at 15:14:26
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First of all, you were right to avoid the Laphroaig, whatever the age.  It is definitely for the educated malt palate.  If it's the first malt you try, it'll be your last. That iodine taste really kills it for most people.  But even among the Islays, it is unique.  There are other distillers on the island who make far more palateable malts.  For a really good lead-in to (or substitute for) Laphroaig, Lagavulin is startlingly similar.  The only difference between the two is Lagavulin's lack of iodine. Even when tasted side-by-side, they are identical, except for that one oh-so-important note.  But as for me, I enjoy a bottle of Laphroaig about once a year.  I am a "Friend of Laphroaig", which has entitled me to a small parcel of land on their distillery grounds.  On our next trip to Scotland, Manx and I are going to  go and see it.  But we'll have to look closely, as it is only 1 square foot.  Glendronach is one that I have not had yet, and until recently, had not even seen at my favorite store (favorite being defined as "has more single malts than any store I saw in Scotland").  I suppose now I'm going to have to cut out of work early to procure a bottle...after all, we can't have you drinking alone, can we?<p>And about the word for which you search...I'm not sure myself.  I think it is, at least for me, a more familial thing.  In the way that a parent protects their children from harm, or a person who will drop everything to go help a friend whose car has broken down in the rain in the middle of the night.  Your words hit all around it, loyalty, dedication, devotion.  Something like that.<p>But now that I think about it, maybe I've just said it: The probes are our friends. We are more than just advisors to them, we are their friends, confidants and playmates.  They have placed their trust in us, and we, in return, try to live up to that trust. And who among us wouldn't want to go stargazing with Gail, or play video games with Andrew?  I want to help Daniel in the most desperate way, and I also want to bestow a purple satin sash upon Ambassador Enoch.<p>Your words didn't hit all around it, they were all part of it.  Friendship...I think that's it.
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