When Dark Matter first went into production, my writing partner and I were each gifted a bottle of fine scotch c/o our old friend Martin Gero. I elected to share mine with the production team, unwittingly kicking off a tradition that would see us assemble at lunch every day outside my office for a shot. And thus, the Dark Matter Whiskey Club was born. Line Producer Norman Denver followed up by contributing a bottle of Lagavulin 16 and others soon followed, gifting the club a varied selection of whiskies. We averaged thirteen bottles a season (one bottle an episode), thirty-nine bottles in all by the time of our premature cancellation. And, when it was time to wrap it up, I ended up bringing the collection back home with me, determined to revive the club on my next production.
In the interim, I decided to gather some friends for the occasional whiskey tasting. Every few weeks, I’d break out a half dozen different bottles and have the neighbors over. Finally, last Wednesday, we had officially worked our way through my entire collection – approximately 90 bottles (mostly whiskies but about a half dozen other spirits).
The full Pick Your Poison line-up:
A few observations: Japanese whisky is almost uniformly fantastic. I’m not a big fan of sherry cask whiskies. Armagnac isn’t for me. When it comes to the high-end cognacs, Martell is my jam. Dickel Tabasco Finish is no joke. It’s surprisingly delicious. There’s some surprisingly great whiskey coming out of Chicago. Lophraig and Lagavulin are acquired tastes – that I have acquired. When it comes to smooth-drinking scotches, it’s hard to beat Balvenie Carribean Cask 14. Meanwhile, Jefferson’s is the bourbon to beat. When it comes to young whiskies, Hudsons Baby Bourbons lead the pack. In the world of Irish whiskies, a simple Writer’s Tears is my preference.
Looking forward to expanding the collection!
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