mmm-yoso!!!

Oaxaca - Private Mezcal Experience at Palenque El Cornejo

Over the last couple of years I've become a proponent of small group or private tours. I do a bunch of research ahead of time and really want to learn and experience things. Understanding your preferences is important and reading reviews imperative. Over the last few years we've become interested in Mezcal and we were finally in the Capital of Mezcal; Oaxaca, so why not try to find a guide to learn more about Mezcal. I found a company; Where Sidewalks End that featured a private Mezcal tour they call, the "Sacred Mezcal Experience". We would actually visit a Palenque and visit the agave fields, with not only a guide, but with the Mezcalero!

Our guide, Victor picked us up at our hotel and soon we were off. During the drive we were provided so much information; the difference between Artisan and Ancestral Mezcal. Ancestral Mezcal does not allow for the use of stainless steel, the agave must be hand or stone milled, and the distillation must be done in clay pots! Also, the saying "All tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila." That is Tequila is made from agave; but only one type of agave is used.

Soon enough we arrived at Palenque el Cornejo in Santa Catarina Minas. The very rustic palenque and tasting room greeted us.

 And while there were some folks in the tasting room; that's not where we were headed. Maestro Antonio Carlos Mendez, known as "Cornejo" greeted us. He is a third generation Mezcalero and his production, other than help from his young sons is a one man show.

Soon enough we were loaded into the back of a pick-up with Victor and two of the young boys to head out into the fields.

And after passing thru a gate the truck was parked and we headed up into the hills.

   Along the way we were introduced to the various species of agave that were growing. There are almost 50 difference species of agave used to make Mezcal; though Espadin is the most common because it can be cultivated.

What makes other species of agave difficult is that the plant can propagate in two different ways; by seeds, which you can see in the photo to the right, Antonio waits until the right time to harvest the seeds and then they can be planted nearby; or pups, little "runners" from the mother plant which can left to grow around "mom" or carefully moved. According to Antonio, some species can take over 20 years to mature. So just think, if Antonio planted seeds from certain plants today, it might be his sons who harvest the plant!

As for the species, it was quite humorous, the various plants were named and we were tested on them. I actually got 5 of the 6 correct! Not that I can name them now. Though I distinctly remember that's a Tobala below; it's very distinctive.

Some of the agave were quite impressive....

And we loved that his sons were actively involved. In fact, Victor told us that the three boys rather work in the agave fields than go to school! 

The oldest son was not able to attend on this day because of a school activity, we met him later and he was so clean cut and an amazing young man.

After our tour of the hills we headed back to the work shed. Going downhill we got a chance to appreciate the view.

Back at the work shed we were fed lunch; a nice hearty meal of tamales.

And before leaving, there was one more thing to be done. There was another reason I booked this tour. We would each get one "baby" agave to plant! So, you now what our "pups" were named, right? Also, notice the stones next to the shoots? During our walk, I noticed that the boys were placing stones next to plants and asked Victor about this. He told me this was the way to "mark" that the plants are accounted for. So, of course I got our "boys" some stones, right?

I'm hoping we can return someday to see how our "pups" are doing.

After which things were closed up and we headed back to the palenque.

We arrived back at the palenque for the next part of the tour......the production and distillation of mezcal. The heart of the agave plant is called the piña. Once harvested, these are roasted in a stone lined pit.

This is what the agave looks like when it's done. We were even given tastes of the piña.

The agave is then milled, then water is added to the fiber and juice to begin fermentation.

Then the fermented agave juice is distilled twice. 

And Antonio even described the process for Mezcal Pechuga to us.

After this, we got a private tasting.

And even though we basically only do carry-on sized luggage, even bought a couple of bottles.

This was an amazing day; we learned so much, met some wonderful, warm and hard working folks, got a taste of history and culture, which was even more than we could ask for. It was such a wonderful, humbling experience that exceeded our expectations.

This is why we travel!

Scotland (2022) - Breakfast at Port Charlotte Hotel, Bunnahabhain and Bowmore Distilleries, and Lunch at The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant (Islay)

On our first full day in Islay, we got up early, and decided to take a short stroll around Port Charlotte.

It was a charming town.

We headed back to the hotel for breakfast.

I saw something that I've always wanted to try on the menu.

It's hard to go wrong with any smoked fish in Scotland and the Missus ordered the Loch Fyne Smoked Salmon with Poached Eggs.

There was a bread, dairy, and cereal station available. The salmon was quite good and the eggs perfect.

I had always wanted to try Kippers and here I finally had a chance. I ordered the Loch Fyne Smoked Kippers.

Man, with the fried potato scone, this was so good. Deeply savory, wonderful smoked fish flavors, perfect salt. A squeeze of lemon to help cut the richness and we were good to go. The Missus had a taste and was sold. In fact, She would order this the next morning for breakfast!

Port Charlotte Hotel
Main St.
Port Charlotte PA48 7TU, Scotland

As usual Sean was on time for our pick-up. One of the benefits of having a private driver/tour is the flexibility. We found that doing three tastings in a day was a bit much for us and asked Sean if he could cut it down to two for this day. Which was no problem.

The first stop was just a quick one. Ardnahoe Distillery was fairly new, opening in 2019. Sean had never been there so he asked us if we'd like to take a look.

It was very modern and sleek looking. It was a nice stop to stretch our legs a bit and the Missus enjoyed all of the portraits of Her favorite animal; the Highland Cow....which they call "Heilan' Coo".

The next stop was Bunnahabhain Distillery. It was quite a drive to the distillery.

   Our visits on this day revolved around tastings, though we were given an short walking tour of the distillery.

Bunnahabhain Distillery is known as the most remote distillery on Islay. We were told that the village of Bunnahbhain was created to actually house the distilleries employees! Their Scotch is also unique as they are known for their unpeated Scotch Whiskey.

When it was time for our tasting were were each given an impressive "tasting kit"!

There was no way the Missus and I would finish one each; so we split one and brought the other home, which I gave to "FOY" JeffP. 

The Missus thought this a bit on the overly "sweet" side; while I really liked the 18yo and the Amontillado Cask versions.

We had quite the drive to our next destination; Bowmore and Sean made a stop at a wonderful ceramic shop named Persabus Pottery which the Missus loved.

She ended up buying a beautiful looking cup

And it looks like cats are loved and most welcomed here!

It was about a half hour drive to the town of Bowmore. Which, after staying in Port Charlotte, and visiting the distilleries and villages seemed like a big city (it's the Administrative Captial)....with a population of.....700!

We made a quick stop at the pharmacy, before heading off to Bowmore Distillery.

The Visitor Center seemed a bit more fancy than the other tasting rooms. And instead of a tour there was a video presentation. Bowmore was the first "legal" distillery on Islay, founded in 1779.

Which came with 2 free tasters of our choice.

It's nicely balanced, with nice fruity tones.

After this tasting we stopped for lunch at the The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant. We'd eaten quite a bit for breakfast, so the Missus and I went with some smaller, starter items.

The Missus enjoyed Her Stornoway Black Pudding.

Which was fairly crumbly, but pleasant to eat, quite moist, not overly "iodiney", and nicely seasoned, perhaps a  bit on the salty side, which made it go good with the poached egg.

If you noticed; I've been looking for dishes I'd read or heard about during my meals on Islay. And here I got the Cullen Skink.

Basically a smoked haddock cream soup....think of it as a less thick smoky chowder if you will. Actually, I enjoyed the rustic bread the most! This was nice and filling.

The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant
20 Shore St.
Bowmore, Isle of Islay PA43 7LB, Scotland

Sean had noticed that we took a bit on interest in the rather unique looking church in the town. So after lunch we drove on up to Kilarrow Church.

It's quite an eye catcher to be sure. Built in 1767, Kilarrow Church is still used to this day, making it the oldest church still in use on Islay.

There's a cemetery right next to the church that caught my eye.

This is a Commonwealth War Graves site.

I was rather shocked to see many "Unknown" tombstones. According to this website there are:

"36 unknown seamen of the Merchant Navy" 

Buried here. Very sad.

We started heading back to Port Charlotte, taking in the views....

Because it was still rather early in the day; Sean had one more stop in mind before dropping us at the hotel! 

Stay Tuned!

Scotland (2022) - Ardbeg, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig Distilleries. Dinner at Port Charlotte Hotel (Islay)

After a nice day in Oban, we headed off early the next morning to catch the ferry to Port Ellen on Islay. It was a bit of a drive and I was quite fascinated with the whole thing as I hadn't ever been on a ferry this large before. I mean the ferry could hold buses and semi's, heavy construction equipment. It let cars in first, then had the cars lifted to the ceiling. I'd ridden the Washington State Ferry several times; but this was much larger.

We were entertained by this pup while waiting to get our van onto the ferry.

It was drizzling a bit and the pooch just wasn't into going to do his business or even a walk. He refused to move until finally; his "Dad" let him back into the car! It was pretty funny. We knew who ran things in this family!

The ferry was quite spacious and well equipped and had several designated areas.

Sean our driver told me to meet him back at the van a few minutes before docking; so we headed out to relax.

We saw the pooch sitting with Dad and eventually napping away in the pet friendly area. It must have been a pretty tough morning! The seats and sofas there were quite comfortable.

After a while, we headed off to the coffee kiosk for a caffeine fix.

There was some pretty comfortable seating here as well.

And the coffee decent as well.

Soon enough we had arrived at Port Askaig.....

Sean had arranged for three distillery visits and we'd be hitting them right in a row.

But first, we stopped here.....

What in god's name is this you might ask? Well, this is what gives Islay Scotch Whiskey its unique character. It's peat, basically an accumulation of decayed organic matter.

The peat is dried, then slowly burnt to give Islay Scotch it's smoky flavor.

And then it was time for our stops. Like many of the tours we do these days...most private or small group, there's just so much information.....I'll just do quick recaps of our visits.

First stop Ardbeg Distillery.

Most of the distilleries we visited had a similar look; the white washed buildings and some had wonderful views as well.

We loved Ardbeg's "mascot"!

We did a tour of the grounds and got a nice history; Ardbeg was established in 1815! We then got a tasting.

Quite peaty; though a good amount of sweetness came thru.

Lagavulin was next. The setting was amazing as there are ruins of a castle right in the bay in back of the distillery. This is Dunyvaig Castle.

We got a nice rundown of the machinery here; some of it unique and almost one of a kind.

The tasting here was quite diverse; everything from really strong with a "bite" to quite peaty. We were told that the pot stills are filled to the maximum at Lagavulin; thus the contact with copper is lower than most other brands creating a unique flavor profile.

The Missus's favorite Scotch is from Laphroaig, so She was looking forward to our visit. And overall, the Laphroaig tour was the most comprehensive as well.

We actually got to go into a malting room.

Saw peat being "burned".....

And was basically walked thru much of the process.

As for the tastings....well, the Missus still likes Her Laphroaig 10! And perhaps the Quarter Cask. I'm more of a Sherry Oak kind of guy and I had a taste of the 16...oh my!

Looks like some other folk like Laphroaig too!

Perhaps our favorite part of the tour were the "opinion tiles" which detail the love-hate polarizing opinions of the Laphroaig. These are at the entrance of the distillery.

It details at the bottom of the tile details what the person tasted.

My favorite one was.....

There were a group of Frenchmen....wearing kilts and all the gear on a Scotch pilgrimage! Sean went and took photos of them.

You gotta love this place!

Islay was indeed beautiful; the folks warm and welcoming. And the scenery......

But man, we were bushed. Sean dropped us off at out accommodation, the very comfortable Port Charlotte Hotel.

And after doing a bit of research before our trip; I figured that the most suitable meals for us would be in the hotel.

And it would turn out to be a good choice.

We started with 6 Loch Gruinart (local) Oysters.

My goodness; these were so good! Not overly briny; with a sweet-cucumbery aftertaste. We ended up ordering another half-dozen.

The Wild Mushroom Salad was also quite good.

Good earthy flavors; loved the addition of pine nuts added that unique, almost sweet flavor. The truffle oil dressing didn't hurt things at all either.

The Seafood Chowder was interesting; tomato based.

Really couldn't taste much other than the broth.

The Chips were ok.

A bit too dense for my liking.

The Islay Scallops were good, but not seared enough.

Really enjoyed the beets though! Very sweet and perfectly cooked.

And of course, an encore of oysters.

Port Charlotte Hotel
Main St.
Port Charlotte PA48 7TU, Scotland

After dinner we took a stroll.

Port Charlotte was like something from a postcard. 

Something that I only thought existed in movies. It was peaceful, relaxed, and we were enjoying things.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scotland (2022) - Oban Distillery and Coast Restaurant (Oban)

After starting in Edinburgh and making our way past Loch Lomond and Luss, we arrived at our destination for the evening, Oban. While I had read that Oban was quite touristy, we really enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of the town.

Of course, since we were on a private whiskey tour, the first stop was Oban Distillery.

Just to let you know how relaxed Oban was; check out the pooch sleeping belly up in the window across the busy parking lot of the distillery.

Sean guided us in and got us on our tour.

Our guide was a hoot.....with a great sense of humor. He went over the five major Scottish Regions that make Scotch Whiskey and then the Flavour Map.

And then we were off into how Oban makes their whiskey. I won't go into that detail, but you can find a good outline here. Scotch Whiskey uses copper stills. We were told that the copper binds with the sulphurs released during the fermentation process. Thus the liquid produced has a cleaner taste. We were also told during our tours that each distillery has its own design for pot stills.

As for Oban....you gotta love our guide, who photobombed me when I wanted to take a photo of the stills.

At the end we had a sampling. The Missus prefers a more peaty-smoky Scotch; the versions here had a nice bit of almost citrusy-fruitiness to it.

This was a fun first stop for us!

Oban Distillery
Stafford St
Oban PA34 5NH, Scotland, United Kingdom

After freshening up at our hotel we set out to explore a bit and then find some dinner.

Oban was a charming town and we enjoyed the views.

We saw an interesting church from the harbor and decided to walk on over to the Northern side of town past the main road to check out Saint Columba's Cathedral.

If you're interested, here's some good info on the Cathedral.

We then headed back into the city. We went thru a more residential neighborhood before getting to Dunollie Road.

Which turned into George Street where I had a place on my list named Coast Restaurant, which seemed to have the type of menu we enjoyed so we headed on over. It was exactly at opening time; 530pm so we easily got a table.

The service was warm and welcoming; typical of all the service we had in Scotland.

The Missus started with some wine. I got a Isle of Jura 10 Year Single Malt.

The menu itself was divided into two parts; the Light Bite menu, where you could even have some of the starters as mains, and the A La Carte menu. We chose items from both to make out dinner.

The Missus wanted to try the mussels, so we ordered that off the Light Bites menu as a main (£15).

I believe mentioning how amazing the seafood was in Scotland and this was no exception. Sweet, tender, not a gritty bite found anywhere. This was so good.

We also got the Crab Pot (£9.5).

Wonderfully sweet and briny crab claw meat, with a refreshing, if a bit too sweet creme fresh, we enjoyed the baby chard and arugula which helped develop a textural contrast and add earthiness to the dish.

And also the starter of "Hand Dived Scallops" - £10.95. 

So sweet, tender, perfectly rare in the center. The smoked bacon added another layer of flavor and smokiness. The tempura samphire tasted like asparagus. This was quite good...and look Black Radish, more than one scallop for almost half the price!

This was a nice dinner. We'd gladly eat here again.

Coast Restaurant
104 George St.
Oban PA34 5NT, Scotland, United Kingdom

After dinner we went for our usual stroll. 

 There's something about the pace of life here that really made one relax.

Though many places seemed to close early. Folks would pass us on the street and greet us.

We returned to our room and settled in. Tomorrow would be quite a day as we'd be taking the ferry to Islay and visit not one, but three distilleries.

Thanks for stopping by!