Rishi had no option but to leave early that afternoon to be at the Mayor’s party. He had managed to arrange himself an entry in there through the back door. He had paid his way through the team that was providing the catering service. Once in, he changed into his tuxedo and blended in with everyone.
Rishi next placed his ear pieces in nearly all corners of the party hall as possible. He even managed to slip one right into the Mayor’s pocket. Thankfully he did not realize it. He had one receiver in his ear that he could use to listen to all the ear pieces one at a time. His subject was not in yet. He knew he had to be patient. He had this urgent urge to pull out his smartphone and start playing Donkey Kong or Pacman. That was the only thing he thought that could liven up the party. But he just pulled out his smartphone to check the time and his mails. He had been waiting and dying to meet Suman. It was a double D-Day for him today.
Just as he was checking his mails, a short tap on his shoulder disturbed him and pulled him back to the party. He turned around to see who it was. He was shocked out of his wits. It was Suman. She was here with the elites. After all, she was a Page 3 butterfly too. He had known it the first time he met her at the bar. She was as excited to see him as he was shocked to see her. He had half expected her here. At this point, though she was being a distraction, he could not tell that to her on the face.
In the background, Kenny G took the centre stage and was welcomed by the Mayor. The party soon started to get interesting. He belted out his best numbers with is Sax and trumpet. Rishi’s subject walked in just then. He was impeccably dressed for the occasion. Suman buzzed into his ear that he was the most sought after socialite in the town. He was also known to be very philanthropic. Just the last week he gave away about forty – fifty lakhs at a fund raiser. Rishi now knew what the money exchange would look like. The Mayor and his subject would both mask it to look like a philanthropic activity. He needed to find a way to get through the artificial cover.
He decided to scan his earpieces starting from the one in the Mayor’s pocket. He got nothing worthwhile. Next he shifted to the one he had placed at his subject’s table. Nothing here either. No choice but to scan the other earpieces when he chanced upon a private discussion. It was between the two private secretaries. He should not have forgotten this angle. The conversation was a complete give away. In the garb of Black Dog’s Kenny G performance, the Mayor was doing the only thing that he was not supposed to. But that was not his concern. He now had all the details that he wanted about the new road contract, details about how the money would be handled et al. He now had his new man. He had had an easy evening, that with living in style!

While sleep was elusive and Rishi was savouring his Black Dog, he kept wondering how he would progress further in his love life with Suman. Neither had professed love, nor had they denied it. But it was too early to say anything. Neither knew each any better than a coin knowing its flipside. With this he started tossing a coin. He was never a believer of chance. He always liked to have his way. What if she loved somebody else? What if he popped the question too early? What if he delayed it too much? Ugh…
His mind drifted back to the days when he was working as a software engineer. He had fallen madly, deeply in love with one girl. He had seen her for the first time in a lift. He had barely managed to read her name. He did not even know if she sat in the same building as him. He was lost, without any direction. His friends tried to draw him away from the girl, but then he could not. Finally he saw her again. She was seated in the same floor as him, the very same building, but another wing. He was happy. He finally had a breakthrough.
Few days later, when he was stuck with some code of his, he desperately needed help. He dropped a mail to all the people working on the same technology as him. Late afternoon, he got a reply. It was from the same girl. He was elated. She worked on the same technology as him. He could try and get the friendship closer. But he did not pay him much heed. His colleague on the same project as him decided to move ahead, he wanted a change in the project. Another change in life. Tough part teaching the new person coming into the project. The replacement was a girl. Ok. She wasn’t as great looking as the other girls he knew. Ok. But then came the surprise package. The girl he loved and this new girl were very good friends! They even went out for tea together.
Five months he fielded for her. Five months he went for tea every evening with them. Then came the big day. His company was celebrating 25 years of being in existence. He was high. High on love. He searched for her. He searched everywhere. He searched with his friends. He searched with her friends. Nobody had any clue. He decided to call her up. She did not answer his call. There was a big singer who had been called. She was planning to come over in a limo. He was excited. He was one of the volunteers from the organizing committee.
Finally she answered his call. Her family had comedown from her hometown. She was with them. For the first time he came to know she had a twin, a bother. She did not want to speak to him. He was bursting out of excitement. He could contain himself no longer. He burst out. He told her how much he loved her. She cut the call. She did not pick up his calls after that. He was happy he had told it to her.
Madonna arrived in her limo. There was Black Dog on the house. Public went crazy. He went crazy. At forty plus, she still looked so desirable. She still looked so HOT! His heart skipped several beats. None of them were allowed anywhere near her though. But still… they were happy even looking at her. The evening was a resounding hit. Madge belted songs upon songs. She even sang some of her unreleased numbers. They had all called it Black Dog Easy Evening! He had gone back home happy. Things never worked out between the two is another story. He wanted to make this story work. He wanted this story to work. He wanted someone he could come back home to.


Rishi got back home later than everyday that evening. He tried falling asleep but then sleep was not coming easily to him. He tried counting the sheep, he tried counting the clouds as well. Nothing seemed to help. He seemed to be continuously thinking of Suman. Her smell was still intoxicating his senses. He did not know what to do. He got up and decided to take a walk in his balcony. May be tiring himself would do him some good.
He spent the better part of the hour walking around and trying to tire himself out. It did not work out either. Finally he headed to his minibar. It was built a few years ago when he bought the house as per his specifications. He had seen a similar bar else where. He did not remember now where that was; but it had stayed ingrained. His bar was built into his wall. All that he had to do was press a button on his smart phone and his smart home responded back instantly. He could turn the lights on or off, he could turn the TV on or off, change channels, schedule the lights to power on on a schedule etc..
His bar was his personal interest. It was stocked with the best he could have ever found around the world. He had the best Wines one could find, he had the best Tequilas, but his bar would have been incomplete if he did not have his favourite Black Dog. If he could pay so much attention to his stock of liquor, how could he not pay attention to the other accessories?
He had hand picked his accessories from all his previous travels around the world. Unlike the bars elsewhere where he was forced to take Ice made of water in his Scotch, he had the Whiskey Stones at home. He hated having water in his Scotch.
  11
And if he was having special guests at home, he made sure he used the Eternal Ice Drop. It always proved a lasting impression on the guest. But all this was of no use if he did not have his special glassware. It was perfect for the lasting impression. And for his those guests who had Wine or Champagne, he had his special Brass Knuckle corkscrew! He always knew he wanted to live in style!
  
Images sourced from here. Thank You The Cool List for allowing me reuse your images. 🙂

Ø Available on iOS and Android 4.0

Ø Comes packed with unique features – Live HomeShop18 TV channel and inbuilt QR code scanner

Ø Users can now shop easily while on the go

Ø HS18.com app is already trending as the top lifestyle app at the iTunes store

Bangalore, 05 March 2013: HomeShop18, India’s leading virtual retailer, is giving a new meaning to mobile shopping by taking a big leap in M-commerce. Soon after launching Scan N Shop, India’s first virtual shopping wall at T3 Terminal of Indira Gandhi International Airport, the virtual pioneer now launches mobile shopping application for iPhone and Android 4.0 phones. HomeShop18 customers can now stay connected 24×7 to HomeShop18, wherever they go. To download they just need to search HS18 on the app stores of their smart phones. Besides an amazing shopping experience and a great user interface, the unique app comes packed with first of its kind features like Live TV streaming and an inbuilt QR code scanner.

With the new apps, HomeShop18 empowers shoppers to ‘Shop Unwired’. Now, they have the freedom to shop for apparels, accessories, gadgets, fashion and lifestyle products etc. through their mobile devices while on the go. At present, smart phone market is growing at 80% per year and as per Nielsen data, smart phones contribute to 17% of total mobile phones sold in India. If all this is an indication, it’s indeed a logical step for HomeShop18 to extend their shopping experience on mobile.

Sundeep Malhotra, CEO and Founder Homeshop18.com and Homeshop18 TV said, “The launch of HomeShop18’s m-commerce initiative is another testimony to our unique multi screen strategy. We are committed to providing our consumers convenient shopping alternatives from their homes, work places and now on-the-move. Our applications are ahead of the times in terms of both the technology and user experience we offer.”

Sundeep added, “Online shopping in India is going through a transformative phase driven by technology and changing lifestyles. With 30 million (and growing) smart phone users and the increasing usage of smart phones, we believe ‘shopping on mobile’ is here to stay. It’s inevitable to bring shopping on the mobile screens of this smart phone generation. Internationally, popular e-commerce brands are already generating around 10% of their transactions through mobile phones; we can expect a similar trend in India in the coming years.”

With the launch of HomeShop18 apps, shopping will never be the same. One can now just browse through 12 million+ products and get them delivered at their doorstep. It also integrates multiple shopping channels offered by HomeShop18. Additionally, the simplified checkout process will enable users to enjoy a great shopping experience through their mobile devices. User can instantly view details of a product with just a click. Order can also be placed by calling up the call centre.

Benefits that come packed in HS18 App are:

· Shopping Unwired.

· Easy sign in to your HomeShop18 account.

· Users can easily synchronize their personal shopping cart with the website.

· Browse products by category / sub-category or search products by keyword.

· Enjoy live stream of HomeShop18 TV channel.

· The app comes with a pre installed QR scanner for user’s convenience.

· Users can also order with a click to call option on product page

· Cash-On-Delivery option on all products to ensure ease and

· View your Order status anytime you want through the app

· The iPhone app can be downloaded from the below link:

o https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hs18.com/id593437970?ls=1&mt=8

About Homeshop18:

HomeShop18 is India’s first comprehensive virtual retail business, selling credible brands to customers nationally, operating in a multimedia environment including Internet, TV and via mobile.

Started in 2011, HomeShop18.com is the e-commerce arm which is setting a benchmark in the ecommerce industry by offering innovative, differentiated and demonstrative retail experiences on the Internet.  With the introduction of M-Commerce in a unique format,  HomeShop18 has redefined the way Indians shop using mobile phones. HomeShop18.com has emerged as the largest e-retailer in India with a monthly reach of over 5.3 million unique visitors (ComScore Data, Jan 2013) a 156.2 % increase year on year.

As a pioneering player in the space, HomeShop18 changed the way Indians shop by launching India’s first 24 hour Home Shopping TV channel in 2008. Today, HomeShop18 reaches a strong loyal customer base of 100 million+ consumers and 20 million+ households in a week with an impressive portfolio of over 11 million products across multiple categories and a logistical reach of over 3000 locations across India. HomeShop18 strives to provide high quality products at exceptional value to consumers through innovative, differentiated and demonstrative retail experiences on Internet, TV and mobile. From the stage of product selection, to placing the order & all the way to the final delivery at your doorstep – an experience that you can depend upon! Great products & established brands, multiple payment options and time bound delivery – HomeShop18 is committed to building a credible proposition for both the consumer & its partners.

For details on HomeShop18 shows and its various products, customers can call 1800-1800-918 or they can log on to www.homeshop18.com and check exciting offers.

The new LifeSize UVC Multipoint Enterprise Edition delivers the quality of a hardware-based MCU with the flexibility, scale and affordability of software, as well as interoperability with Microsoft Lync

New Delhi, Feb. 20, 2013 ̶ LifeSize, a division of Logitech (NASDAQ: LOGI) (SIX: LOGN) today announced the enterprise edition of LifeSize UVC Multipoint, available on the software-based LifeSize UVC Platform. The enterprise edition of this multiparty video calling solution offers quality upgrades that make the user experience comparable to most hardware-based MCUs, but with the flexibility of software and the ability to scale one port at a time. These features allow organizations of all sizes to experience high-quality video collaboration and to flexibly adapt their video environment as needs change.

LifeSize UVC Multipoint was designed to make multiparty calling accessible to all users of standards-based video systems, from room systems to mobile devices. Today, with the introduction of the new enterprise edition, Microsoft Lync users can also join the multiparty conversation with other standards-based systems, and view up to 49 participants on screen to facilitate more productive collaboration. This new enterprise edition also offers 1080p30 resolution, scheduling and a dedicated encoder per participant, which delivers the best quality experience for every user.

“As with the standard edition, companies can purchase and scale LifeSize UVC Multipoint Enterprise Edition one port at a time,” said Simon Claringbold, general manager and vice president of LifeSize Asia Pacific. “This makes it not only affordable for new customers just beginning to deploy video conferencing, but also for growing enterprises that need to incrementally scale geographically and serve an ever-increasingly mobile workforce. Our goal is to make multiparty calling less complicated and accessible to all: work groups, sales teams, customers, vendors and even Microsoft Lync customers. We believe LifeSize UVC Multipoint Enterprise Edition accomplishes that goal by enabling better collaboration and stronger connected relationships.”

Additionally, LifeSize UVC Multipoint Enterprise Edition and the entire LifeSize UVC Platform are available as virtual machine software or hardware. For the increasing numbers of companies moving to virtualized data centers, the platform is optimized for both VMware® and Microsoft® Hyper-V®. Alternatively, organizations that prefer hardware can get LifeSize UVC Multipoint and the rest of the software-based LifeSize UVC Platform applications pre-installed on LifeSize UVC hardware.

With the ability to be deployed on any server and to scale incrementally as needed, LifeSize UVC Multipoint Enterprise Edition gives organizations unmatched flexibility to affordably grow their video conferencing capabilities.

Features of LifeSize UVC Multipoint Enterprise Edition include:

• Quality enhancements with dedicated encoder per participant

o Each participant receives the best-possible video quality, even when callers with lower quality video join the call

o Eliminate self-view

o Select your own layout

• 1080p30 full-screen resolution

• Built-in meeting scheduler

• 49-way multiparty view

Pricing and Availability

LifeSize UVC Multipoint Enterprise Edition is globally available today, and starts at $2,999 U.S. MSRP for one flex port.

Additional Resources

· LifeSize UVC Multipoint Enterprise Edition datasheet

· LifeSize blog

About LifeSize

LifeSize is a pioneer and world leader in high-definition video collaboration. Designed to make video conferencing truly universal, our full range of open standards-based systems offer enterprise-class, IT-friendly technologies that enable genuine human interaction over any distance. Founded in 2003 and acquired by Logitech in 2009, LifeSize, with its commitment to relentless innovation, continues to extend the highest-quality video conferencing capabilities to anyone, anywhere. For more information, visit http://www.lifesize.com.

LifeSize, the LifeSize logo, Logitech, the Logitech logo, and other Logitech marks are trademarks of Logitech and may be registered. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

New Delhi Feb. 20, 2013LifeSize, a division of Logitech (NASDAQ: LOGI) (SIX: LOGN) today announced a deeper collaboration with Microsoft through its product development of a Microsoft® Lync® Room System. The joint effort with Microsoft enables LifeSize to deliver a video and collaboration solution that brings the familiar Lync unified communication experience to the meeting room.

LifeSize is one of four video collaboration vendors participating in the Microsoft Lync Room Systems program, aimed at developing a new product category designed around Lync 2013. Today the company introduced its LifeSize® LRS1000™ for Microsoft® Lync®, a meeting room collaboration solution that natively runs Microsoft Lync 2013 software optimized for meeting rooms. By including all of the superior quality components needed for more productive meetings, LifeSize LRS1000 for Microsoft Lync provides the familiar Lync user experience and group collaboration capabilities to conference rooms, enabling more productive meetings.

“LifeSize has been a proud collaborator with Microsoft since 2011, and we strive to continue to work closely with them to deliver products that seamlessly interoperate with Microsoft’s unified communication platform,” said Matt Collier, senior vice president of corporate development at LifeSize. “With this announcement of our new LifeSize LRS1000 for Microsoft Lync, we are making good on our promise to deliver the best-possible communications experience by extending Lync’s simple, user-friendly interface beyond PCs and mobile devices to meeting rooms of all sizes.”

LifeSize LRS1000 for Microsoft Lync allows Lync 2013 users to collaborate more effectively across distances with customers, partners and peers anywhere. The familiar Lync user interface is supported in this meeting-room based solution, enabling an enhanced collaboration experience that includes content sharing, voice and video calling. LifeSize LRS1000 for Microsoft Lync supports voice and video calling on Lync 2013 and Lync 2010 with a touch-screen control console that showcases a user directory, calendar and presence information, an HD camera, stereo microphone and support for up to two touch-displays for digital white boarding.

“Microsoft’s relationship and joint product development with LifeSize is of great value in our efforts to maximize adoption of unified communications video and collaboration solutions by everyone.” said Giovanni Mezgec, general manager for Lync product marketing at Microsoft. “Customers who are seeking a room-based video and collaboration system that runs Lync 2013 will be pleased with the seamless, intuitive experience that LifeSize has developed.”

Pricing and Availability

· LifeSize LRS1000 for Microsoft Lync will be available to order in the second quarter of the 2013 calendar year.

Additional Resources

· LifeSize LRS1000 for Microsoft Lync product information

· LifeSize blog

About LifeSize

LifeSize is a pioneer and world leader in high-definition video collaboration. Designed to make video conferencing truly universal, our full range of open standards-based systems offer enterprise-class, IT-friendly technologies that enable genuine human interaction over any distance. Founded in 2003 and acquired by Logitech in 2009, LifeSize, with its commitment to relentless innovation, continues to extend the highest-quality video conferencing capabilities to anyone, anywhere. For more information, visit http://www.lifesize.com.

LifeSize, the LifeSize logo, Logitech, the Logitech logo, and other Logitech marks are trademarks of Logitech and may be registered. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

After Suman left, Rishi looked at the missed calls he had. There were literally hundreds of them. All from the same person in the last two hours alone. Sunny. He knew had to come up with an excuse fast for not picking up the calls. He could not tell him he was messing around with two girls. Sunny hated it when he even messed around with one girl! If he said he was drinking, he would be punished with words even worse! What would be the best excuse? Just then, like manna from heaven, his subject walked in to the bar. He was saved.
He called Sunny back. Sunny literally barked his mouth off! Rishi’s ears were ringing hard! He waited for the storm to pass. Then when Sunny was finished, he asked him the progress of the case. This was Rishi’s chance to gain some solid ground. If he wanted Sunny to apologise, he had to do it now. He told Sunny he did not have too much time to small talk. He was busy on the case and had just arrived at the Kama Sutra Bar tailing the subject. His continuous calling was putting him off his guard.
In any case, he told Sunny that Sunday may be a big day because the subject was to visit a party at the Mayor’s house. They were planning to discuss a few deals about the latest road work contract that was going to be out. He was also expecting some currency to change hands. The entire of the last week the subject had been meeting all kinds of people to get them to invest in his venture. He even went ahead and visited a top CEO of a well known country to get him to invest. The CEO had agreed and the deal had been struck. The money had changed hands already and was lying with the subject in his quarters.
With the call disconnected, Rishi went back to looking at what his subject was doing. He was in the pool. Rishi wanted the relaxation himself after the harrowing time he had had with Sneha and Suman. He ordered for his Black Dog Quintessence to be brought in a while at the pool side while he himself went for a shower and a change. His mind was at peace now. All that he could think of was Suman. She had agreed to go out with him finally. They had agreed to meet this Sunday evening. Thank goodness she had said the Sunday evening. He would have had to give the chance a miss if she had asked him to meet in the morning. All that happens, happens for good. This was all that came to his mind. He wanted his tonight to be his Black Dog Easy Evening!
He wound up the evening relaxing on the poolside sipping his Black Dog and tapping away on his cell phone. He was checking his mails. He had a lot of mails that needed to be answered. He was in no mood to do just that. He wanted the world to wait for him. Recognise that he lived by his own terms. Recognise that he lived in style. He ordered for another large portion of Scotch. He shifted to using his tab. He had long come out of the pool. His daily dose of day’s news’ catching up had to be done. His favourite music pumped away into his ears! He had just bought the latest iPod! The deal had not come sweet in terms of money, but the pleasure of it turned out to be the deal sweetener. He was in love. With music and a lady!

Rishi was spell bound at the sight of this girl. She was all that he had ever dreamt of. She had the same eyes that dogged him in his dreams every night. He sat mesmerised on his bar stool wondering what way he could strike up a conversation with her. This was not his nature. He was supposed to be an outspoken extrovert. Girls were like toys to him, ones whom he had dancing on his fingers. On one end, his heart wanted to go out strike up a conversation with her and on the other, his playboy image did not permit it. He was torn apart by his own personalities.
Alex was watching Rishi and following his eyes. He knew exactly what Rishi was looking at and what he wanted. He offered Rishi his help. He said he knew the girl as a regular at the bar. Rishi agreed. He saw no option. He thought of the best pick up line that he thought would work. He put it down on a tissue paper and sent it across. The answer that came back was something that Rishi had expected. A resounding slap. After all, this was real life and not a movie where if the hero sent across a cheesy pick up line to the heroine she would fall for it and then the two would be singing a romantic duet the next minute. But what came next was not what he had imagined. The girl told him that if he wanted to talk to her, he had to be a man! He had to walk up to her and talk to her. Saying so she turned around and walked away clicking her heels behind her.
This definitely was not an easy catch to be. He had expected some retaliation but not this kind. His senses were now alert. He took the girl’s advice and walked down to her table and politely requested if he could join the two girls. Suman was about to say something when Sneha’s heel struck her hard on her foot and she shut up. Sneha twirled her hair and said “Of course!” Rishi saw an empty table and asked the girls if the would have something. Once again Sneha replied, “Sure, we would have something, but then what would that something be?” Rishi signalled for the menu and deferred with the girls if they would like Sushi. The girls agreed. He was not sure what the girls would like to drink. He deferred to them again. They did not reply. He decided to let go of it. He ordered a Black Dog for himself. The girls were not sure if the choice was good but they decided to try it none the less. They added that they would like a Scotch as well.
All this while Suman kept trying to avoid the gaze. This was the very opportunity she had been waiting for. But how could she let him have it so easily. She wanted to play a little hard to get as well. After all, Rishi had not been easy himself! She said she would also like Salmon with Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Brussels Sprout Leaves, and Fingerling Potatoes. She wanted to know how deep Rishi’s pockets would go. She wanted to know if he knew how to live in style!
Rishi introduced himself as a businessman. The girls introduced themselves as well. Sneha was particularly curious about the pairing of the Scotch with food. After all Scotch was supposed to be had as an after food accompaniment. Somewhat like a dessert. Rishi cleared the air of doubt. He went on to explain how Scotch could be paired with many different kinds of food items including Dark Chocolate. he even explained that Suman’s choice of Salmon with Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Brussels Sprout Leaves, and Fingerling Potatoes was indeed a great combination since it paired the Scotch with a food item from it’s place of native origin! Just then Rishi’s phone rang. He let it ring. He could let the world wait while he wooed his woman of dreams!

While the master Blender was giving tasting notes and while Rishi was trying to keep an eye on his subject, somebody else was noticing him as well. Slyly through the corner of the eye. Wishing just that he would see her just once. Notice her as well. However, he was too engrossed in himself.
Suman had never thought that she would see him once again after the comedy night years ago. Much water had flown down the Ganges since then. But the feeling that she had felt towards him that day, she had not felt the same for anyone else. How was it possible, she wondered. She wanted to corner him. Tell him what she felt about him. She wondered if he felt the same as well; but she also wondered if he had even seen her at all.
She let out a heavy sigh. Was there any point wondering so much as well. What would he think of her as if she made the first move? But what was wrong in making the first move? Wasn’t this the time and age of equality among genders. No. Indian men would remain Indian men. The same stereotyped men. Ones who thought of every women as an object to use and once bored, throw them away and move. All that the men ever wanted was sex. Discuss marriage with them, discuss settling down with them and they would be faster than the Houdini at vanishing from the sight. Oh, what if this man was not like them. What if this man valued her, her feelings and did not want just her for her body. Thousands of questions and emotions were erupting in her mind.
Little did Suman realize that the group activities had changed from discussing the history to tasting the Scotch. She forced herself to come back to her senses. It was necessary if she had to enjoy what she had come here for. The entire group was now seated around a large table with the master Blender at the head seat. She tried noticing more of her surroundings. The entire setup was created to give the dramatic effect of having transported them back to the Victorian Eras when James MacKinlay would have taste his first blend! The table also seemed to be from the same set up. Large, heavy looking, made out of mahogany. The chairs were made of mahogany as well. Each had tall backs. It made her look puny and kid like when she tried imagining herself seated on the same chair in front of a mirror. It reminded her how the people back then lived in style!
One of the Assistants came around the table handing each a glass of Black Dog Scotch. The master went on to explain that the glass held the Centenary edition of the Scotch. He asked each to take a sip and let the group know what they thought about the flavour and what the contents that went on to prepare the Scotch would have been. Each had his own interpretation and thought about the flavour. This was repeated one after the other with each of the Black Dog Scotches available. Twelve year old, Eighteen year old and Twenty One year old. He even joked, that while in our country, one was eligible to vote at the age of eighteen, eligible bachelor at the age of twenty one, he could have the Scotch legally only at the age of Twenty Five. Oh so very unjust.
After all the versions of the world’s finest Scotch were discussed, each were handed out a paper with the real ways to taste and the real aromas that each Scotch had. Every one had gotten at least one item wrong or may be missed it out altogether.


Black Dog 21 Year Old:
Colour – intense amber gold with shimmering highlights
Nose – a harmony of delight orchestrated by a multitude of seductive aromas immediately arouse the senses. Soft peaches and ripe citrus fruits coupled with pear, marzipan and bergamot begin this flirtatious fanfare. The aged malt whiskies from the Speyside valley make their own inimitable contribution by adding that distinctive charm and finesse. Velvet and smooth. The hand of time in the finest sherry wood has weaved its magic spell to perfection.
Taste – Bold and magnificent. This outstanding blend must be given the reverence and respect it richly deserves. For twenty one year’s these aged single malts and grain whiskies have remained dormant in our cold dark warehouses before they were finally blended together by our master Blender. Therefore the spirit must be held long on the palate for at least twenty one seconds to awaken its many hidden attributes. Like a rare masterpiece it will reveal its inner beauty. It’s inner world. Intense flavours of Seville oranges, ripe sweet mangoes and ginger spice reward the palate, and then whispers of bitter chocolate, liquorices and crushed almonds drift lovingly on.

Black Dog 18 Year Old:
Colour: Deep, golden, glossy and mahogany.
Nose: A truly noble bouquet of luscious malty tones and rich velvety textures with a hint of dolorosa sherry in the background.
Taste: Round and mellow complex quixotic flavours with an impeccable balance of individual malt and grain whiskies and silky soft tones that dance on the tongue.
Finish: Luxuriously smooth and long, a testament to the malt & grain whiskies which have spent years in oak casks & vats.
Black Dog 12 Year Old:
Colour: Amber, with golden highlights.
Aroma: Robust malty, mellow woody, complex yet delicate aroma of sherry and vanilla
sweetness with whispers of soft peatiness in the background.
Palate: Beautifully rounded, heavy body, pronounced malty, mellow woody, fruity sweetness
with teasing light warm peat.
Finish: Luxurious and exciting, long and warm with a touch of cream.
Black Dog Centenary:
Colour: Amber with golden highlights.
Aroma: Matured wood, toasted malt, mild honey sweetness, delicate butterscotch bordering on cream,
with floral nuances that emerges at the end.
Palate: Robust body, pronounced rich malt and oak and sherry sweetness, spreads warmly in the
mouth like silent sea waves.
Finish: Balanced, long, intense and bright.


Rishi’s latest case was giving him a lot of fun. It was taking him to places he had never imagined nor ever dreamt of either. Earlier his subjects had dragged him into art galleries, museums and what not. But the latest subject was different. He was interested in not just the run of the mill art galleries etc., but also had an itch to know more about brewing scotch. Blame it on the social media group he was a part of.
Rishi had found himself getting actively involved in all the contests and conversations that his subject engaged himself in. He loved the fun of participating in the contests. Whether he won or not was a different story, but he made sure he was at the right place at the right time. This last contest had been held to get the social media more interested in the art and history of scotches. Rishi would never have let this chance go by. Whether his case had taken him there or not.
The entire entourage had been asked to assemble at a well known public place in the middle of the city. They group was then planned to be taken to the brewery where the entire process would be explained to them by a master Blender. The company that had organised the contest had kept the entire thing a secret about where they would be visiting and which brand’s brewery they would be visiting. Rishi’s joy knew no bounds when he saw the bus stop at the Black Dog’s brewery!
He always wanted to know what the process of making one of the world’s finest scotch was. After all, it was his favourite too. The master Blender started off with clearing the basic perception that everyone had. Black Dog was not named after a black canine! Everyone had thought it was named after the canine! So much for general knowledge. He went on to say that the birth of the great Scotch Whisky took place over 125 years ago when James MacKinlay of the second generation of the Leith Scotch Whisky blending family launched the masterful whisky by the name of Millard Black Dog. It is said that in the year 1883 Walter Millard, a Scot from the British East India Company came searching for the perfect Scotch and eventually discovered the great taste of this whisky in these misty shores of Scotland. Being a keen angler, Walter Millard named the whisky Black Dog in honour of his favourite salmon fishing fly used in the Spey and Tay rivers of Scotland since the early 19th century.
A spell bound Rishi was for a minute taken aback when his subject briefly went out of sight. However, things were back great when he returned just a minute later. The master Blender also gave tasting notes and let the group know how one was to taste the scotch and the qualities of each type of Black Dog Scotch that was available in the market.