Elliott C. Back: Internet & Technology

I’m sick of Bloomberg’s gloom and doom about Hurricane Irene, both before and after its aftermath. For example, this morning, Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned New York City commuters that:

“It’s fair to say you’re going to have a tough commute in the morning. There’s taxis, and some people can walk.”

I polled my coworkers at work today; NJ transit into Manhattan was running fine. Everybody to work OK, except anyone using the metronorth. Essentially, the information provided by the MTA (which lines were specifically running) proved accurate, and in general, transit was smooth and easy. But, I thought Doomberg said the class 20 hurricane battered NYC into oblivion?

Reason, in an inflammatory article Hurricane Irene and the Financial Crisis: Two disasters, partially of the government’s own making, highlights my problem with heavy-handed Mayor Bloomberg:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York order[ed] businesses to close and citizens to evacuate their homes in advance of Tropical Storm Irene.
[G]overnment actions taken were exceptional and involved depriving people of private property without the due process required under the Fifth Amendment.

In Irene, the mayor and the governor took away not a company that belonged to shareholders, but rather the use of apartments and houses and commercial properties that had been owned or rented by individuals.

First the snowstorm last year, now this year’s rain storm; in either case, Bloomberg has proven himself to be a wiffle-waffler and popularist, making the wrong decisions in both cases, swaying from inaction to action in the face of criticism. Under-reaction, overreaction: when a real disaster hits NYC next, you can be sure that Bloomberg will be back to inaction.

I haven’t seen any photoshops online yet:

Last Tuesday (May 17th, 2011) I went to one of the free Macallan scotch whisky tastings at Milk Studios in NYC to try the whisky, see which variety is my favourite, and take a few photos. Hosting the event was Macallan Ambassador Jay Liddell, who during the evening drank copious amounts of Macallan product and regaled us through their PR presentation about the history of scotch, and how Macallan is made in a way that sets it apart from its competitors.

At the beginning we were given a golden token, which we could redeem at the bar for a dram of Macallan 10 yro to get us started. Nowhere near my favourite, a bit rough up front, and generally lacking in complexity, it nonetheless paves the way for better to come.

We tasted, in order, the following scotches:

1. 12 yr sherry oak – sickly sweet, this was nonetheless the favourite of the ladies sitting at my table. The sherry casks impart a smoothness that goes a long way in introducing whisky to an audience who only tastes 80 proof liquor when doing shots.
2. 15 yr fine oak – my personal favourite, less sweet and richer, raisin-oak and syrup with a warm lingering finish. Affordably priced under $90, it’s easy to find a bottle to enjoy.
3. 17 yr fine oak – too much time in the barrel left the 17 year old feeling thick and syrupy, with little complexity and a flat finish. I would not recommend this bottle, especially at the $125 price point.
4. 18 yr fine oak – here we have a problem, as the tasting at the Macallan event was sedimentary and contaminated with dishsoap or some other ingredient lingering in the glasses. However, I have a bottle of this at home, and it is a much smoother version of the 15 year old, retaining much of the complexity.

I also enjoyed the presentation, as I didn’t know what the “fine oak” line of Macallan whiskies meant. Apparently, the scotch is triple cask matured in Spanish Sherry seasoned oak casks, American Sherry seasoned oak casks and American Bourbon casks, before being vatted together for bottling. This gives it a much smoother palate compared to single wood scotches, and yet it’s still considered a pure single malt. You might be interested in reading more on what aging in wood does for whisky, and which ages drinkers seem to prefer.

You can look for free Macallan events in your area, I recommend attending to find out which of the Macallan scotches are your favourite! It’s a far better way to try a bit of scotch than dropping $10-20 a dram at the bar.