You only have so many peak experiences in one lifetime, so it seems worth sharing the good news that I have found the perfect late evening repast.
As with all the best snacks, this one begins at Trader Joe’s. In the North Seattle branch, they are featuring, and I quote, "dark chocolate almonds, made with Belgian chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt and turbinado sugar." OMFG. I’ve been eating these things like crack-coated Scooby Snacks for weeks now. I just made my wife buy four more boxes today. (She may stage an intervention.) The salt, the sweet, the earthy crunch. Words fail. (Oh look, here’s a picture of them. And somebody else loves them.)
Only one thing could improve it: a small glass (neat) of Benromach, the very first single malt Scotch whiskey certified organic by the Soil Association. (My father-in-law, a goddam hero of a man, a soldier in the Army of Awesome, a Sainted Swami of Spirits, ordered me a bottle for Christmas. For some reason this boutique place in Calif. wouldn’t ship it to Washington, so he had it sent over from Scotland. A fracking hero I tell you.) I borrow from the website:
Nose: Sweet, charred oak aromas with fresh fruit notes (bananas and pineapples). An earthy, toasted aroma also present.
Palate: Sweet, vanilla and toffee flavours. Hints of green apples and orange peel with a rich resinous note.
That sounds about right.
So there you have it. The perfect late evening repast has been achieved. We’re done.
