was clear these women were close and had been for a while. Were they romantically involved? Sue had, after all, already mentioned that she was “taken.”
“So I agreed to bring Sue some of Orion’s other products so she can taste the difference for herself. Are you game, Bijal?” Colleen asked.
“I’m not sure. I don’t know much about whiskey.”
Colleen glanced at the remainder of the pink twatini in Bijal’s hand. “What’s your usual drink of choice?”
“Um…anything served with a tiny umbrella, a plastic monkey, or a swizzle stick shaped like a naked woman.”
“Sounds fancy ,” Colleen said jokingly.
“I’m a woman of modest means and tastes,” Bijal replied.
“As are most of the women who come into the K and K,” Sue added. “Which is what I was telling Colleen the last time she brought this up.”
“I’m not suggesting that you stop carrying economical brands, just that you give the patrons a few more options. Let’s have a few shot glasses, Sue, and a bottle of your crappy stuff. We’ll have a little Whiskey 101.”
“Okay,” Bijal said with a shrug. Why did the thought of Colleen and Sue together bother her so much? Was she stupid enough to want a little fling with her opponent? As she watched Colleen open the bottles and pour three small shots for Sue and three for her, with eyes strikingly green and hands strong and capable-looking, Bijal decided that yes, she was indeed that stupid—perhaps even more so.
“All right, ladies,” Colleen said. “Before we start, there are three aspects of tasting to consider. The first is the nose, or aroma of the liquor. Before it ever hits your lips, don’t just sniff it for the overall scent. Rather, close your eyes and try to pick out different fragrances. You might smell things like different spices, herbs, or fruits.”
Bijal and Sue each reached for the glass on her far left and brought it near enough to investigate its scent.
“Shit!” Sue coughed. “I think I burned my nostrils!”
Colleen chuckled. “Don’t inhale it, Sue. Just breathe in.”
“I smell petroleum,” Bijal said. “And asphalt,” she added before setting it down.
“Hmm,” Colleen murmured. “Okay. So the next thing is the palate, which is what you get when you initially take a sip. After that, you get the finish—the flavor that comes after you’ve swallowed, like a second, smaller taste. Go ahead and take small sips of the one you’ve smelled.”
They both drank and paused before Sue said, “Varnish with sort of an old tube-sock finish.”
Bijal slammed her empty shot glass on the bar dramatically. “I second the varnish, but to me, the finish was more like airplane glue.”
“Nice,” Colleen said. “That was your trusty well liquor, Sue.”
“Oh.”
“Now try the glass in the middle. That’s Arc of Orion’s Single Barrel Ten-Year-Old Bourbon.”
As they had before, Sue and Bijal closed their eyes and inhaled. But Colleen had been right that this was a far more complex smell.
“Um, caramel?” Bijal asked.
“Very good,” Colleen replied. “What else do you smell?”
“There’s kind of a fruity scent,” Sue added.
Colleen nodded. “Yup, some say apricot. You may also get leather and spice.”
“Yeah, I get the spice,” Bijal said. “Can we taste?” Colleen nodded, so they both sampled the bourbon. The disparity from the last glass of swill went well beyond the nose, that was certain. “Wow, I got sort of a nutmeg and wood flavor.”
“That’s the oak casks it’s aged in,” Colleen said.
“Yeah, exactly,” Sue said. “And a finish that was like a sort of vanilla heat.”
“Right,” Bijal said excitedly.
Colleen appeared pleased with their responses. “The last one is our small batch reserve. We call it Betelgeuse.”
“After that weird movie with Michael Keaton?” Sue asked, breathing in her final sample.
Bijal laughed, perhaps louder than she should have. “It’s probably named after the star
“So I agreed to bring Sue some of Orion’s other products so she can taste the difference for herself. Are you game, Bijal?” Colleen asked.
“I’m not sure. I don’t know much about whiskey.”
Colleen glanced at the remainder of the pink twatini in Bijal’s hand. “What’s your usual drink of choice?”
“Um…anything served with a tiny umbrella, a plastic monkey, or a swizzle stick shaped like a naked woman.”
“Sounds fancy ,” Colleen said jokingly.
“I’m a woman of modest means and tastes,” Bijal replied.
“As are most of the women who come into the K and K,” Sue added. “Which is what I was telling Colleen the last time she brought this up.”
“I’m not suggesting that you stop carrying economical brands, just that you give the patrons a few more options. Let’s have a few shot glasses, Sue, and a bottle of your crappy stuff. We’ll have a little Whiskey 101.”
“Okay,” Bijal said with a shrug. Why did the thought of Colleen and Sue together bother her so much? Was she stupid enough to want a little fling with her opponent? As she watched Colleen open the bottles and pour three small shots for Sue and three for her, with eyes strikingly green and hands strong and capable-looking, Bijal decided that yes, she was indeed that stupid—perhaps even more so.
“All right, ladies,” Colleen said. “Before we start, there are three aspects of tasting to consider. The first is the nose, or aroma of the liquor. Before it ever hits your lips, don’t just sniff it for the overall scent. Rather, close your eyes and try to pick out different fragrances. You might smell things like different spices, herbs, or fruits.”
Bijal and Sue each reached for the glass on her far left and brought it near enough to investigate its scent.
“Shit!” Sue coughed. “I think I burned my nostrils!”
Colleen chuckled. “Don’t inhale it, Sue. Just breathe in.”
“I smell petroleum,” Bijal said. “And asphalt,” she added before setting it down.
“Hmm,” Colleen murmured. “Okay. So the next thing is the palate, which is what you get when you initially take a sip. After that, you get the finish—the flavor that comes after you’ve swallowed, like a second, smaller taste. Go ahead and take small sips of the one you’ve smelled.”
They both drank and paused before Sue said, “Varnish with sort of an old tube-sock finish.”
Bijal slammed her empty shot glass on the bar dramatically. “I second the varnish, but to me, the finish was more like airplane glue.”
“Nice,” Colleen said. “That was your trusty well liquor, Sue.”
“Oh.”
“Now try the glass in the middle. That’s Arc of Orion’s Single Barrel Ten-Year-Old Bourbon.”
As they had before, Sue and Bijal closed their eyes and inhaled. But Colleen had been right that this was a far more complex smell.
“Um, caramel?” Bijal asked.
“Very good,” Colleen replied. “What else do you smell?”
“There’s kind of a fruity scent,” Sue added.
Colleen nodded. “Yup, some say apricot. You may also get leather and spice.”
“Yeah, I get the spice,” Bijal said. “Can we taste?” Colleen nodded, so they both sampled the bourbon. The disparity from the last glass of swill went well beyond the nose, that was certain. “Wow, I got sort of a nutmeg and wood flavor.”
“That’s the oak casks it’s aged in,” Colleen said.
“Yeah, exactly,” Sue said. “And a finish that was like a sort of vanilla heat.”
“Right,” Bijal said excitedly.
Colleen appeared pleased with their responses. “The last one is our small batch reserve. We call it Betelgeuse.”
“After that weird movie with Michael Keaton?” Sue asked, breathing in her final sample.
Bijal laughed, perhaps louder than she should have. “It’s probably named after the star
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