Cutty Sark - Not Just for the Big Girl's Blouse

Cutty Sark by F.M. Tinseth, oil on canvas, 1976

Cutty Sark in Flagler College dorm room, 1983

Cutty Sark in September Esquire, 1961

Rare Cutty Sark tie on even rarer yellow university stripe oxford, 2013

Cutty Sark by A. J. Tinseth, 2013

My old man was very proud of his Cutty Sark.  His painting...not the Scotch. He was a gin martini  man through and through and Beefeater gin was his go to.  I don't ever remember him drinking anything else except beer, of which he gave no brand his loyalty, or the occasional glass of wine, which, if he knew anything, he learned from me.

His Cutty Sark painting was about an image - he knew - was instantly recognizable...at least by himself and his peers in the officer's clubs he frequented. My connection to Cutty Sark is through Berry Brothers and Rudd.  A wine merchant in the Pall Mall area of London, I was first introduced to the 300 year old merchant via their catalogs a London friend, Vodka Ronnie, kept by his toilet.  Not the most glorious of beginnings but Vodka Ronnie had very good taste in wine.

Barry & Rudd, as it's more commonly known, came up with the idea for a light blended Scotch as they were wine merchants and I assume didn't want to blow their customer's palettes outta the water with a double barrel Islay. Their target customer were Septics (Septic Tank- Yank) who were about to get back into Rub a Dubs (Rub a Dub- Pub) as Prohibition was coming to an end. With the Septic in mind, a 20 single malt blend was used with mostly Big Girl's Blouse Speyside (Glenrothes) being the predominant malt.

"Whis-KAY" as it's pronounced over there also sounds a lot like "Cut-TAY."  When I hear one, I think of the other.  I'm not sure why.  It's a Lemmon-NAY Whis-KAY.  Light and dry and being that it's not too dear, I think it's best to be mixed, which I did, with a $20 bottle. I  tried it with Polar Bitter Lemon (find it - far better than Canada Dry) and it wasn't bad. I mixed it with lemon flavored seltzer and thought it completely changed the Cutty with the soda giving it a rounder and fuller taste of a scotch double the price. Impressive for those like me who are mean when it comes to their Whis-KAY.

I used it to make a Side Car replacing the brandy with Cutty -- A favorite of the tasting and something I look forward to ordering in a Rub a Dub, "Make mine a Cut-TAY side car, To-NAY." If you're thinking a Manhattan -- I wouldn't -- Although I did.  There's just not enough backbone to the Cutty. Having said that, if you're a beginning Scotch drinker, this is the tricycle for you, in much the way Barry & Rudd always intended it to be, even if you are a big girl's blouse; I wear a 14.

Vive L' Ecosse

The Ambassador Magazine, 1957 -  Unmitigated Brilliance

St Andrew's Burns Night, 140 West 46th Street -  Unmitigated Bargain

The Friday Belt: Monkey Shoulder Scotch & Jaws

I had been hearing a lot about a blended malt whisky called Monkey Shoulder -- available only in the U.K. and blended from Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie, it's a lower priced Scotch but considered a huge value for what it is. Tony Sylvester brought my first bottle on a visit to the US although it may, if not already, be available in the U.S. Look for it.



Bonobos gave me a needlepoint belt with a scene from Jaws. While photographing this Friday Belt, I noticed how thin the belt, made by Tucker Blair was and turned it on it's side. The leather backing seemed much thicker than the actual needlepoint.



For comparison, I yanked a J McLaughlin belt off the Corby Press and was surprised by the contrast. Only a thin backing to thick needlepoint. I won't comment on the quality of leather, stitching and overall workmanship. The Bonobos/Tucker Blair belt retails for $95 while J Mac's belt retailed for $195. Contrary to Tucker's description, "Really awesome" it's not. Of course, people today use "Awesome" to describe tap water so it's all relative.



Which is why J Mac no longer offers a needlepoint belt. I wrote a lot about their belts here. That's price competition for you and I suppose that's what consumers want. The best price. For 22 years, my clients put me in a tight pair of shoes and would laugh as they'd ratchet me down. That's what I want when I buy a blended single malt Scotch. Monkey Shoulder is $30 versus Johnnie Walker Blue Label at $200.



Actually, I'd like a Monkey Wrench better than JW Blue. But who am I -- It does makes me wonder. Are the same people who'll drop $200 for a mediocre Scotch, the same people who'd pick a mediocre needlepoint over something of obvious quality? What are your thoughts? The best comment- pro or con - get's the belt. Size 38. Never been worn. It's really...that, "A" word.

Friday Belt: Teach Me

There's been talk about Teacher's Highland Cream -- That it's losing its stuff. An economical blend, better than most Johnny Walking's, it's rich, creamy and very smooth. At $17 a bottle, you can mix anything with it and sip away without any guilt of screwing up good hooch -- although I'd stay away from milk.

What has lost its stuff is that belt. J. McLaughlin decided to discontinue their luxe needlepoint line. I assume it's because of the much cheaper (and crappier) competition. The McLaughlin needlepoint, I own three, was the best damned needlepoint around...unless it was made by a loved one.



Teacher's Highland Cream is what it was. Nowhere near top shelf but huge value. Quaffable with soda, water or (God forbid) ginger ale, it can also do double duty as a single malt impersonator with a piddle of water for bloom. The blend is 45% malt. Mostly Ardmore. Add water and an oil slick appears looking like a one over fifty thousand map with mountains and rivers churning into each other. It's a beautiful thing to see. Especially in front of a fire.

I love this belt. Understated? No. Bright green rarely is, but it reminds me of the Teacher's aftertaste. A black label picks up the horse tail and hooves while the white of the breeches and saddle belt kick up the contrast. Pink trousers would be an easy enough pairing -- like soda with Scotch, but red cords bring it individuality without riding too far off the reservation.


The bottle is not round like these Esquire ads from the early '60s. Instead, the glass is flattened, much like a pancake, which easily fits into a back pocket... should the spirit move you.



UNC, Chapel Hill, NC - 1965




Winter is the home of Scotch. Wood burns in a fireplace and you can taste it in a glass of Teachers. It's a crazy steal for what it is. And while bright green is not always associated with Winter, the J Mac belt speaks more to how it was. I found mine on sale for $35. I'm not saying you will -- I'm just trying to teach you something...stay away from milk and the Chocolate Choo-Choo.

The Friday Belt: Black Bottled Winter

Let Us Unite


Cameron Hunting Tartan


Black Bottle Islay Blended Scotch

It's always nice to come back to the Friday Belt. Whenever I meet someone who's familiar with The Trad -- it's usually the first thing they comment on. I write it Thursday night while trying on content and trying to figure out a different way to photograph a belt and a bottle. It ain't easy, and it isn't always successful but that's what I like about it. Geez, I feel like Andy Rooney... Anyway, here's another tartan belt by Leather Man in Essex, CT

Cecil, the owner and a helluva nice guy, calls this a Cameron tartan (located here). For $30 bucks, that's a lotta belt. Most anything you get from Leather Man usually is. I did some digging around and this tartan appears to be the Cameron 'Hunting' tart designed in 1956. That doesn't do much for dusting off the history books, but I almost always prefer the darker Hunting tartans.

Pairs well with thick Winter cords and moleskins. I have a shirt of the same tartan. Love to pair it with this belt. Freaks people out, "Hey, is that the same...?" "What?" "Your belt. It's the same as your..." "What are you talking about?" I feel like Carson Kressley.

Dark Winter nights do not favor the sun kissed Gin & Tonic or Dark & Stormy. When it's cold and black out (or in), I need something that'll burn bright going down.

Black Bottle reminds me of a dangerous shore at night. A night we would describe as, "darker than the inside of a goat" at Ft Bragg. It's peaty - 7 different Islay single malts - and, I kid you not, you can smell and taste the sea. Maybe that's the Laphroaig coming through. Maybe not. No one knows what the single malts are but at $22 a bottle -- Who cares.

That's two Black Bottles for one green Laphroaig. I love Laphroaig, but $22 cuts a lot of Islay family ties, mate. You can slip this past your single malt drinkers friends -- they'll never know it's a blend. Serve two ounces neat with just a bloom of water and no one's the wiser... but ignore all questions pertaining to your belt and shirt.

Friday Belt: Pure Value Tartans

Leather Man Pure Wool Tartan Belt

Usquaebach (oos-ke-bah) Pure Highland Malt Scotch Whisky

We've established I like good value. I like to say I'm cheap and while there's some truth to that when it comes to buying toilet paper - - I'll pay a premium for something unique. What I live for is to find something unique and cheap. Here are two belts that fit that bill.

I called in an order to Leather Man Belts for some tartan ribbon belts. I'd been admiring them over a year and they're unique. I knew I could customise the webbing but didn't know I could request an odd numbered length instead of even. So I did. I asked the fella taking the order if he could do something unique for me that nobody else can get. He wants to know why and I tell him about the Friday Belt.

He says, "I'm working on something new. Let me send you a sample and I'll see if we can't find something - - You know- - Understated." I like this guy a lot and he tells me his name is Cecil and thanks me for the order. The day after the tartans arrive I get this belt up there with a nice letter from Cecil who turns out to be the owner. This is a wool tartan, understated and in an odd length. You just don't see belts like this everyday. And you sure as hell don't get a letter from the owner of a company everyday.

Usquaebach is an off the radar pure malt (as opposed to single) blend that was sold to me as a single malt but according to the bottle is a blend and I can't find out anything about it. It was cheap for a single malt (but not for a blend) and reminds me of the crazily expensive Midleton Irish Whiskey which is a blend. Very honey like mouth feel with the roundness that comes from a blend but a tiny bit of fire in the after taste. For some odd reason room temp Volvic water is my must-have bloomer for neat whisky and it's required here.

Usquaebach was sold to me by a straight arrow salesman. A no nonsense gentleman who suggested I give it a try when I wanted something almost double the price. Maybe the current economy has everyone looking for good value. Whether you're selling or buying...we can all sympathize.