Lagavulin 16-year-old 43% Dram #10

Islay's fame is chiefly grounded,
In the gases evaporating from South Shore.
This dram sipped is a passion founded,
In taste nor imagery, don't ask for more.

The flavours, the ideas; contained by glass,
Escape like the cork to provoke new thought.
This Lagavulin is of a separate class,
Rarely found, but for a long time sought.

A simple fire and forgiving chair
Are the sole collaborators this dram will require.
In sandy shoes and with wind-tousled hair,
I'll secrete myself and let time inspire.

I confess to a Rabbie Burns moment here. I finished my miniature in mid-July last year and what came next was quite astonishing. I literally entertained the Whisky Muse. For perhaps an hour my mind rode the thermals produced by the triumvirate of distilleries on the south coast of Islay: experiencing visions and ideas and love. Then it slowly began to fade, my state of mind leaving not the slightest imprint so I had little knowledge of exactly what I had thought, why I had thought it and the conclusions I had drawn. A "Malt Moment" indeed.