In 1995, I was just a boy of 12 years. I was all of about 4’6″ at the time, having not even crossed the 5-foot threshold until high school (thankfully I grew rapidly and consistently after that) . The last thing on my mind was whisky. Thankfully others didn’t let ]]>

In 1995, I was just a boy of 12 years. I was all of about 4’6″ at the time, having not even crossed the 5-foot threshold until high school (thankfully I grew rapidly and consistently after that) . The last thing on my mind was whisky. Thankfully others didn’t let my lack of interest dissuade them from putting booze to barrel.

Unlike most distilleries, The Glenrothes labels whisky by vintage, not maturity. They refuse to be bound by the rules that say scotch should be aged 12, 15, 18, 21 or any other set number of years. Instead, they now produce “Vintages” and they bottle them when the master distiller deems them to be perfect.

Admittedly the 1995 Single Malt is the only vintage that I’ve tasted, but it instantly turned me into a fan. There are a lot of different flavors at work, encouraging that next sip to discover what else you can find. It’s fairly fruity, not that there’s anything wrong with that, and incredibly creamy. It has a little bit of heat to it, letting you know that you’re drinking a mans drink, but not so much that it affects the flavor. That heat is the result of being bottled at 86-proof. This leaves a little wiggle room to add a few drops of water and really change the flavor profile.  I actually got in an argument the other day about the value of occasionally adding water to whisk(e)y, but don’t let anyone tell you it’s a disgrace.

One of my favorite things about Glenrothes is that they put tasting notes right on the label. They don’t hope that you’ll take a gamble on the whisky; they want you to know you’ll like it going in. I found the official notes to give you a little more detail though.

Appearance: Medium golden, clear and bright
Nose: Floral, citrus and butterscotch notes with a hint of spice, white pepper and cedar-wood syrup
Palate: Rich, sweet, soft flavor, leading to rich spiciness
Finish: Sugared citrus peel soft fruits, medium dry with abundant spices

OK, so you obviously want to try this now, but what more does The Glenrothes have to offer? I’m glad you asked. You know how I love turning you on to random contests, so here’s another for you. They are giving away a week-long  all-expenses paid trip to the distillery in Scotland and the opportunity to help create The Vintage 2012. All you have to do is share a vintage moment with them. You don’t have to create video or participate in a huge project, just share a story. Check out the video for the contest here. As always, I’d like a Guyism reader to win so that I can silently take credit for it.

Regaling you with my shameful tale of being height challenged as a youth made me curious about what was going on back in 1995. Well, after quite a bit of research, I found it to be an excellent year. Dana Carvey’s OJ Simpson stand-up bit is a big part of what drew me to comedy in the first place, and check out thees pictures to see what was else happening. Anyone have a favorite that I missed?

Reports are surfacing that even after Oprah’s last hurrah, the woman is still getting it done: Allegedly, OJ Simpson confessed to an Oprah producer that he did, in fact, kill Nicole Simpson and will be willing to discuss it on an Oprah special. Oprah made headlines a ]]>

Reports are surfacing that even after Oprah’s last hurrah, the woman is still getting it done: Allegedly, OJ Simpson confessed to an Oprah producer that he did, in fact, kill Nicole Simpson and will be willing to discuss it on an Oprah special.

Oprah made headlines a couple weeks ago when she said one of her biggest regrets of her time hosting her hit syndicated show was that she never got the former Buffalo Bills star to confess to killing his ex wife in their Brentwood home in 1994.

Oprah’s been desperate to push the ratings up for her recently launched OWN network and the proposed live sit-down interview would be a massive coup for the channel.

The National Enquirer says that Oprah has been buttering up OJ for the idea over the last year and, though OJ loves Oprah, he’s been reluctant to come clean.

The Daily Mail reports that an insider said, “He told the producer: ‘Tell Oprah that yes, I did it. I killed Nicole, but it was in self-defence. She pulled a knife on me and I had to defend myself.’”

According to OJ, the incident was the final straw in a series of betrayals against him including Nicole berating him at a restaurant in front of their kids and routinely sleeping with random men at their former home.

Details are still pending about potential air dates for the unconfirmed special.

Thank God this great mystery hanging over our heads will finally be solved. How did we go almost two decades with no hint of the truth? I mean sure there was DNA and evidence and even a book that described in graphic detail how OJ killed her but was posed as a hypothetical. And the fact that his search for the real killers was about as thorough as when I tell my dog, “Go get your ball” and she can’t find it after five seconds and gives up and lies down. How could we know he did it? I’m floored. I hope Oprah gets to the bottom of other pressing issues like, “Is the sun hot?” and “If I stab myself in the eye, will it not leak gummy bears and licorice?” The latter a bit more esoteric, but I’d like to know.

Has O.J. Simpson confessed murder to Oprah? Huge TV interview planned in which convict ‘will admit he killed Nicole in self-defence as she pulled a knife on him’ [Daily Mail]