Aberlour Single Malt
A Little Magic at Metamora Fields
by Dan Martino
Now and again, I run into something really interesting in my life and so often, it has a connection to some libation or other. That was certainly the case recently when we decided to have a drink at the bar at Metamora Fields Country Club on a very warm August afternoon. Although there was a wedding and a class reunion going on, the bar was completely empty when Carol and I walked in, being ably manned by Jerry Andrews, long time tender at The Fields. After Jerry’s cordial welcome, Carol opted for a rum and Coke and I chose a Modelo lager.
While enjoying our drinks, I was checking out the single malt whiskies lined up behind the bar. When he discovered that I was a Scotch drinker, Jerry went around the corner and came back with an interesting looking bottle, but he kept the name hidden. He poured me a sip and I immediately became very interested. It was clearly a single malt, peaty and a tad smoky. But it delivered a smoothness that I had never experienced, which made me quite anxious to discover the name of this really nice drink. It was then that Jerry showed me the bottle. It was the 16 year-old version of Aberlour, a Speyside single malt that I’d never heard of and one that ages in Sherry oak barrels. I promised myself that the next time I was in the mood for a nice Scotch, it was going to Aberlour and I thanked Jerry for turning me on to this great new whisky.
Sitting on the bar in front of us that afternoon, was a strange looking object that had the look of an expensive ice bucket. Since we were his only customers and we didn’t feel too badly about dominating his time, we asked Jerry what this “thing” was. He told us it was a special ice maker, but not the kind you would likely have ever seen. It’s actually an ice “former”, a device created by another Scotch producer, Macallan. The unit essentially takes a three-inch cube of ice and forms it into a perfect ball. Macallan provides special glasses that have a bottom radius that matches the ball, making it swirl perfectly. The transformation from cube to ball takes less than 2 minutes and I found the entire process incredibly fascinating. And since they have a very limited number of the special ice cube molds, I thought it would be rude not to have a glass of Scotch to utilize the frigid creation Jerry was kind enough to create for us. So as it turned out, I was able to further sample my new Scotch discovery, Aberlour, a bit sooner than I expected.
I’m fairly certain that Aberlour will now be among my favorite single malts and I look forward to having it around for special occasions. I briefly considered buying one of the Macallan ice forming units but Jerry told me they're quite expensive so I will likely be drinking my Scotch straight up as usual…but I will make my way to Metamora Fields from time to time to experience the Macallan ice ball again.
And if you get the chance, you might want to check out the many other amenities offered by this classy country club and eighteen-hole championship golf course. A variety of event venues are available along with an excellent restaurant. The outdoor wedding setting provides a beautiful view of the rolling fairways and pond and the patio is perfect for a drink or for lunch after a round of golf. When you’re there, don’t forget to stop and say hello to Jerry at the bar. 
If you’re a Scotch fan, have an Aberlour and see if you agree that it’s about as elegant a single malt as you’ve had. And don’t forget to have Jerry do the ice ritual for you. A drink and a show…what could be better? Cheers!
For more information about Metamora Fields, click HERE.
