Whisky Tasting – Triple Tasting Night
Whisky Tasting – Triple tasting night with guest taster Mr. Alex Milne.
Tuesday 19th May 2009 @ 8 p.m.
Our guest taster this week is Mr. Alex Milne a businessman and entrepreneur from Kirkintilloch, on the outskirts of Glasgow.
A genuine family man with his lovely wife Linda, two sons and a daughter Robyn, who understandably is heading for a career in Television and just maybe, Hollywood. The Whisky boys could be her manager and tour the world with her, only a thought.
Other than his family Alex enjoys some of the better things in life, like his BMW a wee dram now and again, but as yet has to experience the joys of a Whisky Boys tasting evening.
What else can I say about Alex – I have known him approximately 45 years and is the only builder/tradesman I would let near my old cottage.
So as normal we all sat down in anticipation of the forthcoming tasting, Jim, Dougie, Nicola and guest taster Alex.
This evenings tastings are:-
Tormore Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years.
Talisker Isle of Skye Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years.
Old Pultneney Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years.
The first on our list was the Tormore.
Tormore Distillery
Tormore,
Advie,
Grantown-on-Spey,
Morayshire.
PH26 3LR
telephone 01807 510244
website www.scotchwhisky.net/distilleries/tormore.htm
Owners, (Chivas Brothers) Pernod Ricard.
The tastings
Colour…Maple syrup with golden highlights.
Nicola’s tasting
Nose…Sweet and delicate vanilla syrup
Taste…Dry and spicy but a shade hard.
Finish…Long and quite well rounded.
Dougie’s tasting
Nose…Delicate and light, vanilla and sherry.
Taste…Light dry spice to start, followed by burnt toffee.
Finish…Medium length maltiness.
Jim’s tasting
Nose…Sweet maltiness with a small citrus hit.
Taste…Medium body, spice and citrus hits with no commanding flavour.
Finish…Mid to long and drying.
Alex’s tasting
Nose…Honeycomb with a slight vanilla backdrop.
Taste…Mild and silky smooth.
Finish…A mild glow to the tongue.
Well that went down quite well, Alex being surprised that by taking you time and concentrating you can experience more than just the “Whisky taste” from your wee dram. Alex continued “lets move on to the next one”, which we did after cleansing our palate’s with fresh water.
Number two on our list was the Talisker.
Talisker Distillery,
Carbost,
Isle of Skye,
Inverness-shire.
IV47 8SR
telephone 01478 614308
Owners. Diageo.
A world renown Whisky, admired and written about over the years and has many editions in its quite delightful range, if you visit the website you will not be disappointed either in the range or the information you can glean from the smashing site.
To the tasting.
Colour…Aged pitch pine.
Nicola’s tasting
Nose…Medicinal,smokey and burnt.
Taste…Spicy with sweet smoke.
Finish…Short but warming.
Dougie’s tasting
Nose…Smoke blowing over a damp seashore, added dried fruit.
Taste…Sweet and smokey with a rich peppery spice.
Finish…Medium length with tongue tickling sweet spices.
Jim’s tasting
Nose…Strong and smokey and a slight hint of alcohol rub.
Taste…Sweet and smokey with a short trip to the seaside.
Finish…Medium to long with a peppery tingle, lovely.
Alex’s tasting
Nose…Old fashioned smoke fire with a slight antiseptic hint.
Taste…Smokey and comforting to the palate.
Finish…All of a sudden sweet! Where did that come from?
Well you can tell from the tastings above all but Nicola really enjoyed this smokey Island malt Whisky, as most of our readers will know by now Nicola is not a fan of the heavy peats or smokey Whiskies, she still prefers the Speyside and one or two Islay Malts (Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain her favourites). Alex like the Whisky Boys enjoyed this strong and smokey Single Malt.
The third of our tasting’s is the Old Pulteney.
The Old Pulteney Distillery,
Huddart Street,
Wick,
Caithness,
KW1 5BA
telephone 01955 602371
Owners, Inver House Distillers (Thai Beverages plc)
This is the most northern Distillery on the mainland, and is classed as a small distillery, using only one pair of pot stills. Take a little time and visit their website and join their members lounge for all things Pulteney.
To the tasting.
Colour…Yellowish amber.
Nicola’s tasting
Nose…Mash tun sweet/ale.
Taste…Smooth and dry with a sweet and pleasant aftertaste.
Finish…A sweet medium finish.
Dougie’s tasting
Nose…Fresh and sweet with a seaside tang.
Taste…Medium dry and smooth with a cooking apple and a sea breeze.
Finish…Medium length finish with a sea saltiness end.
Jim’s tasting
Nose…Sweet with a wee bit of peat.
Taste…A bit oily with sweet toffee and a tiny bit of dry peat.
Finish…Very pleasant with sea saltiness but not lasting too long.
Alex’s tasting
Nose…This is a genuine Whisky smell with a smoke hit.
Taste…Toffee flavoured apples with salt sprinklings.
Finish…Long with a mild and elegant glow.
This is one of our few triple tastings and we all enjoyed it, three very different Malt Whiskies, with four different views, just the way the Whisky Boys like it.
Not sure if Alex was really prepared for the experience, but as it was 12.30 in the morning when he left we can only assume that it was not torture for him. He certainly left with a welcoming glowing smile – a bye product of visiting the Whisky Boys, and asking “when is the next tasting?”
