Girls Whisky Tasting Evening
It is early evening and Jim and Nicola have the tasting table all set out for our guest tasters who are all girls from all very different backgrounds.
Lee Madigan – who works for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Stirling. Lee has previously been a guest taster and as a result, now enjoys a wee dram our two.
Claudia Brisci – lives in Cumbernauld with her two sons Joseph and Luca. Claudia is looking to start her own business – Claudia’s Beauty Services.
Jacqueline Coleman – is Jim’s wife and is a secretary in Stirling Royal Infirmary.
Angie Grigor full-time housewife and mother to 5 children. On top of this, Angie also helps her husband Stevie run his plumbing & heating business – Excel Plumbing & Heating (Scot) Ltd.
The girls are not regular Whisky drinkers, most of them usually drink wine, gin and tonic or vodka and mixer, so Jim and Nicola had also the challenge of selecting three Whiskies that these novice Whisky tasters would enjoy and at the same time, not be too powerful for them.
So Jim and Nicola welcomed the girls in and had a wee chat prior to going through for en evening of delicious drams and wonderful chatting.
Chivas Regal – 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky 40% Alc/vol 70cl
This is The Whisky Boys first choice for this evenings tasting, Blended by the Master Blender Colin Scott and bottled by Chivas Brothers ( Pernod Ricard ). The spiritual home of the Chivas Regal range is Strathisla Distillery, Keith in the heart of Speyside.
Colour… Rose amber
Nicola’s tasting
Nose…Full of almond cake and honey.
Taste…Sherry and oak woodiness, a hint of grass and a touch of spice.
Finish…Medium finish a delightfully smooth dram.
Score…3 Corks
Lee’s tasting
Nose…Very fresh aroma with fruit coming in.
Taste…Sweet and smooth, very fruity with apples being dominant.
Finish…Medium finish with a lingering sweet after taste.
Score…3 Corks
Claudia’s tasting
Nose…A surprisingly sweet fruit cake.
Taste…Oh so smooth and sweet and a wee bit of toffee apple.
Finish…Not too long on the palate, but I do like this one.
Score…3 Corks
Jacqueline’s tasting
Nose…Dundee cake and honey.
Taste…Not too sweet, mellow and creamy.
Finish…Leaves a warm delightful finish.
Score…3 Corks
Angie’s tasting
Nose…All I get is loads and loads of fruit.
Taste…Very smooth and mellow, nothing harsh in my glass.
Finish…Medium finish, this is nice.
Score…2.5 Corks
Jim’s tasting
Nose…Fruits and honey with some wild heather.
Taste…Lots of honey and it is almost chewable with plenty of oak ad vanilla.
Finish…Medium to long finish, leaves you wanting to pour another dram of this elegant dram.
Score…3.5 Corks
So this is the first dram and all our tasters are quite impressed especially Angela, who commented earlier that she did not really drink Whisky and out of all the guest she is the most pleasantly surprised, but there are two more drams to taste and these will be Single Malts.
Our next wee dram is:-
Glengoyne – 10 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky – 40% Alc/vol 70cl
This fantastic Glengoyne Distillery is said to be Scotland’s most beautiful Distillery and is within easy reach from Glasgow an Edinburgh, also this Distillery is open all year round and well worth a visit. Check out their website www.glengoyne.com
Lets fill or glasses and taste this we dram.
Colour…Bright gold
Nicola’s tasting
Nose…Thornton’s special toffee and add some liquorice.
Taste…Green apples, fabulously peat free, sugared almonds and liquorice allsorts.
Finish…Long and so delightful, pour me another.
Score…3.5 Corks
Lee’s tasting
Nose…Sweet caramel shortcake.
Taste…Quite strong on the palate, fiery liquorice.
Finish…Long and tongue tingling.
Score…3 Corks
Claudia’s tasting
Nose…Sharp green apples, a wee bit of caramel.
Taste…Nippy on the tongue, not too sure about this one.
Finish…Long with lingering liquorice.
Score…2.5 Corks
Jacqueline’s tasting
Nose…Millionaires shortcake with a marmalade coating.
Taste…A wee bit antiseptic with some vibrant liquorice.
Finish…A long finish, with a warming end to this dram.
Score…3 Corks
Angie’s tasting
Nose…A strong aroma with a bit of wood shavings.
Taste…A little too strong for me, but with some water it is okay.
Finish…A long and sharp finish.
Score…2 Corks
Jim’s tasting
Nose…Fresh apples and some toffee, very clean on the nose.
Taste…Meadow grass under some apple trees, and like most of the girls, there is a wee hint of liquorice.
Finish…Long and oaky and a little drying.
Score…3.5 Corks
This seemed to get a mixed reception, Jim knew that Nicola would love it as it does not have any peat in it. The other girls gave it some mixed reviews.
The third and last dram of the night is:-
Glenlivet – 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky – 40% Alc/vol 70cl
This is not only one of the Whisky Boy’s favourite range of Whiskies but it certainly is one of our top three Distilleries and a must for all Whisky lovers to visit. Check out their website www.theglenlivet.com
Colour…Polished brass
Nicola’s tasting
Nose…Apple and pear orchards, pear drops.
Taste…Fruit, grass, floral notes, very light and airy with an apple and grape combo.
Finish…Quite short but ever so enjoyable.
Score…3.5 Corks
Lee’s tasting
Nose…Brasso and aniseed balls.
Taste…Very smooth and light and quite fruity.
Finish…Medium in length but with a smooth lingering aftertaste, lovely.
Score…3.5 Corks
Claudia’s tasting
Nose…So much pears in here.
Taste…A nice and light dram, so smooth and fruity.
Finish…Medium in finish with a light peppery aftertaste, I really did like this one , can I have another.
Score…4 Corks
Jacqueline’s tasting
Nose…Sinus clearing vapours, but in these vapours we have a flower bed of aromas.
Taste…An adult flavour which is very addictive, vanilla, this is an opium of a Whisky.
Finish…Now I have a dancing tongue, a remarkable dram.
Score…4 Corks
Angie’s tasting
Nose…Grass and a fruit cocktail.
Taste…The smoothest, mellow and lightest of all the drams tonight, quite a wee beauty.
Finish…A short finish but oh so sweet.
Score…4 Corks
Jim’s tasting
Nose…Soft floral noes and creamy oak, a delight.
Taste…Vanilla ice cream over a summer fruit cocktail, you can only love this wee drm.
Finish…Long with a smooth but warming feeling all over.
Score…4 Corks
No contest here The Glenlivet won hands down, Jim and Nicola are so pleased as the tasting went on the girls were able to appreciate our national dram.
Watch our website as the Whisky Boys are about to do personal and corporate tastings and a menu is being produced as you read this, both Jim and Nicola are getting quite excited about this extension to the Whisky Boys ability to spread the word about the world of Whisky, but with Scotch being our main aim.
If any of the tasting notes provided above have wet your apetite, you can use the window below to purchase these fine Whiskies online, don’t forget to tell them that the Whisky Boys sent you: