Our Team!
Jonathan Murray
Jonathan Murray
Jonathan Murray
Jonathan revels in the experiential pleasure that is to be found in Scottish whiskies, and delights in sharing that experience with others. He has deepened his knowledge of Scottish whisky through courses of study through the Edinburgh Whisky Academy. Additionally he has personally toured several distilleries in Scotland and amassed a sizable collection of the 'water of life'.
Sujata Rana
Jonathan Murray
Jonathan Murray
Sujata is a fan of nuance. She prefers more delicate and approachable whiskies. Sujata is our Chief Procurement Officer for Duty-Free bottling.
Ringo
Jonathan Murray
Ringo
Ringo welcomes all guests to the whisky bar and will happily warm a lap. Ringo loves to nose a quality dram.
Building Our Bar
It starts with a sketch. Hand drew a sketch of the bar. Using a dot grid notebook and a pencil and ruler. Thanks to Dr. Rick Ottenstein for the design idea.
Using the measurements from the sketch the basic outline was laid out using electrical tape. Made the first of several trips to Lowes and purchased lumber, screws and other materials. Measured (once and cut twice) and cut lumber pieces with a chop saw and fastened with wood screws using an impact driver. Big thanks to Danni Donovan for her knowledge, ability and encouragement!
Built up sides and top frame with the same method.
Once the frame was built, its worthiness as a bar was field tested.
The frame was clad with plywood then the wall was marked out with a Scottish saltire flag as the background, in case there was any doubt about what kind of whisky we were about.
Painting our Saltire flag. We were happy with how it came out. It almost seemed a shame to cover it with the back bar and the shelving.
A custom quartzite bartop was ordered from Rock Tops Fabrication - a local countertop fabricator. When Jonathan went to select the stone, he brought a bottle of Glendronnach 12 YO and a box of glen cairn glasses. The look of the bar top had to be used to help accentuate the look of a whisky, so as to best appreciate its color. Marble and granite stone patterns proved to be much too busy and detracted from the whisky's color. Thanks to Paul Azoulay and Dr. Rick Ottenstein for their help.
The back bar frame was constructed similarly to the front of the bar just in time for the countertops to be delivered.
The sides of the bar were tiled. Big thanks to Dr. Rick Ottenstein for his help doing this!
The plumbing for the sink was installed by Donovan Water Works - Baltimore's best plumber. The best feature of this bar is the built in glass washer, which makes cleaning our tasting glasses so easy.
The next step was building the shelving. Inch thick yellow pine boards were cut and shaped, then blowtorched and stained. Shelving boards are cut to 7 foot and 11 foot lengths. Gas pipe fittings were used to create the frame which is mounted to the wall.
Tweed curtains for the inside of the bar were handmade by Susan Azoulay.
Had lighting installed by Clinton Electric and found some bar stools, and had the foundation of a great bar! Now if only we could find some whisky....
We shifted the collection onto the new shelves, and almost immediately knew we were going to need to build more shelves (future project!).
Added the trimmings - decorations, bar towels and fantastic inverted glen cairn glasses holders (these and many other wonderful whisky related products are found at Cairn Craft).
Some Basic Questions?
What's the best way to enjoy Scottish Whisky?
The best way to enjoy a wee dram is with friends and loved ones!
Drinking Scottish whisky is an experience best shared. It can transport one to different places and situations through exercising our least used senses. When it comes to maximizing that experience, our preference is to appreciate the full craftsmanship of the maker by drinking it neat - no ice, no soda; possibly a drop or two of clean water to accentuate aromas or flavor.
Visit our Tasting Section for more information!
What Does 'Single Malt' Mean?
The term 'Single Malt' refers to a whisky that is only made from malted barley that has been produced under the roof of a single distillery. Single Malts are the highest quality and most singularly crafted of all the whisky categories. A 'blended' whisky is one which has taken casks from several different distilleries then been blended together in a different facility. Blended whisky can be made from barley, but often includes distillate made from other (inferior) grains like corn or wheat. 'All Grain' whiskies are made with grains other than barley, often made in industrial column stills.
How many kinds of Scottish whisky are there?
Scotland is home to over 140 distilleries, with more being built and coming online every year. Each distillery may produce several different expressions to offer its customers. Independent bottlers will create blends of whiskies from different distilleries as well, So there are thousands of different individual expressions of single malt, blended and grain whiskies to explore.
What Is Peat?
Peat is an amazing resource found in northern ecosystems. Peat consists of a mixture of decomposed plant materials (grasses, moss, tree roots), dead animals, and soil that has become tightly compacted over thousands of years in a water-saturated environment and in the absence of oxygen. Peat has been used as a fuel source in the Scottish highlands for thousands of years to heat family homes. Distilleries use this resource to dry green malted barley and impart a variety of phenolic compounds through the smoke that enrich the aroma and flavor of the whisky. Peated whiskies can present a range of flavors from smoked meats to bandaids.
*Thanks to Adam Safir for his explanation of peat.
Why Is Scottish Whisky So Expen$ive?
Many factors contribute to the price of a bottle of whisky. Working backwards:
- the owner of the bottle shop adds a percentage to make their profit;
- the local (state) government imposes taxes on every bottle sold;
- National governments impose tariffs on all imported bottles;
- Whisky distributers add fees to make their profits to move bottles from point A to point B
- Whisky distilleries in Scotland age their products for years (3 years is the minimum allowed by law), often for more than a decade. Storing whisky for all these years bears a cost, not only for the infrastructure needed to store and keep their whisky, but also because of the 'angel's share' of lost product due to evaporation of the alcohol vapors over time.
- Some whiskies are bottled at higher alcohol levels (i.e. not watered down) and that higher quality bears a cost.
- Making quality whisky needs skilled labor and bespoke (expensive) equipment
- Malted barley is an expensive resource, especially if peat is used to smoke the malt.
Given all these factors, it is a wonder that our purchased bottles, are as accessible as they are. Not all Scottish whisky is crazy expensive. There are many affordable, quality whiskies on the market.