A Little Story About Marmalade

I’ve never been a huge fan of marmalade. That is, until about ten days ago when I was given a jar of this stuff:

_______________________________

If you can’t tell, that’s a jar of marmalade made with Macallan 10 Year Old single malt scotch whisky.

Now, I first became acquainted with the Macallan 10yo (the beverage, not the marmalade) back in May this year, while hunting for a good single malt to give to a friend in the States. The young man in question, a fireman, had yet to fall in love with Scotland’s finest export (scotch), and so I was looking for something that would ease him in slowly. Nothing too adventurous, but nothing too dull either. I had intended to get him the Glenmorangie 10yo, the single malt which first aroused my love for Scotland’s finest export (scotch), but at the shop felt it was a tad pricey. So, not feeling particularly generous, I opted instead for the cheaper Macallan, a highland malt which had been recommended to me several times* by a friend**.

_________________________________________

The recommendation was accurate - the Macallan 10yo was superb, and my friend loved it. Apparently one of the secrets*** of the Macallan is that throughout the 10 year aging process it is matured in both bourbon and sherry oak casks. This (according to the experts****) explains the slightly sweeter-than-usual, fruity quality that both me and my friend noticed throughout our drinking experience. In any case, the Macallan 10yo has since become one of my favourite malts (admittedly, I have limited experience of single malt scotch whisky, but not so limited that I don’t already have a few personal favourites!).

To get to the point, however. It turns out that the Macallan 10yo also makes a FINE MARMALADE! As I mentioned, I’ve never been a huge marmalade fan - but I am a fan of The Macallan ‘Breakfast Orange’ Marmalade. Smooth, bitter (as marmalade should be) but not too bitter, fruity and absolutely DELIGHTFUL on a piece of warm toast.

 

Go on, treat yourself!

_________________________________________

* Well, in truth, once.

** Well, in truth, a whisky magazine.

*** Well, in truth, it’s not a secret, they tell you about it on the bottle.

**** Well, in truth, a website I visited (but a good one: www.thewhiskyexchange.com).

 

A Quick Update (and a few recommendations)

So since starting this blog I have posted, yes… absolutely nothing.

That is, until now! The reasons for my lack of activity include busyness, laziness and the fact that I have been trying to pull together a different blogging project with some friends, causing me to put this one on hold. Nevertheless, here’s a quick update AND ***added bonus*** some recommendations from my current music collection.

___________________________________________

OK, so in about two weeks Katie and I will be moving to Nottingham where we will be working part-time, and (from September) I will be studying part-time for an MA in Philosophical Theology at the University of Nottingham. I’m excited to have been accepted onto the course, as it will give me the opportunity to sit under (?) a number of rather high-profile and well-respected scholars including (depending on modules) John Milbank, Anthony Thiselton and Conor Cunningham. It is a slight change of subject so will be a challenge, but hopefully a good one.

___________________________________________

Now to the fun bit - here are some recommendations from my current music collection:

1. Sigur Ros - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust

Good with a glass of sherry

My picks: Tracks 1, 3, 7 & 9

 

 2. Eric Clapton - Unplugged

 Fine acoustic Jazz/Blues from the mid-90’s

 My picks: ’Hey Hey’, ‘Layla’, ‘Old Love’

 

 

3. Coldplay - Viva La Vida… (etc.)

Much better than X & Y

My picks: ’Life in Technicolor’, ‘Lost!’, ‘Yes’

 

4. Joseph Arthur - Vagabond Skies EP

Best of the 4 EP’s released this year

 My picks: ’Slow Me Down’, ‘She Paints Me Gold’, ‘It’s Too Late’

 

 

5. Cream - I Feel Free (Greatest Hits)

Speaks for itself.

My picks: ’Sunshine of Your Love’, ‘Crossroads’, ‘White Room’, ‘Badge’

 

 

.:ENJOY:.

 

L’Introduction

Hello! My name is Simon Ravenscroft, and I’m a 22 year old student, originally from Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, UK. 

 

As of today, I have been happily married for nearly 9 months. I’m in the final year of a Theology degree and am planning to move into postgraduate study after I complete, either in another area of Theology or in English Literature. I will be using this blog as a kind of public soapbox (!) for topics ranging as widely as literature, music, quality beverages, current affairs and football. Further to this, you, the reader, will also be able to indulge yourself by soaking in the hot bubbly bathtub of my more sophisticated musings on subjects related to the interaction of theology, philosophy and culture. 

——

// My values //

Rather pretentiously, I assert that this blog will be:

- Constructive, rather than destructive -

- Written in a spirit of humility -

- Conducive to healthy debate -

- As interesting as possible -

- Respectful in it’s critique of …things -

Any comments posted which contradict these proud English values may be deleted. 

Welcome, and enjoy.