Disastrous Beauty

Marvel swirled the single malt whiskey in his glass, watching the slow whirling motion, breathing in the fragrance that only years in an oak cask could achieve.

Unlike wine, whiskey does not continue to mature in the bottle. It ages differently depending on precisely where the casks are laid down. It's tied to climate, and higher temperatures can induce a stronger interaction between the spirit and the wood of the cask in which the whiskey ages - that's why Marvel chose a warmer country than the first one where he did the wine tasting.

When the whiskey settled in his glass, he brought it to his lips and let the amber liquid sit in his mouth for a while before swallowing it. He closed his eyes, dwelling only on the neat flavor.

"I hope it suits your taste, Sir," said one of the company's whiskey experts, the head distiller, Renaud Yann - as I read his name badge - who looked fairly eager to hear Marvel's comments with a rather high expectation.