Whisky Tasting – Guest Night with 5 Grand Drams, Part 2
The evening is going down very well and it is now time for a short break. Jim’s wife, Jacqueline has made some Irish stew and everyone enjoyed a healthy plateful.
With our rest over we got down to the business in hand, enjoying part two of our tasting session.
Our 4th tasting of the evening is :-
The tasting.
Colour…Oak flooring.
Nicola’s tasting.
Nose…Cereal, toffee flapjack breakfast bar, biscuit.
Taste…Caramel cake, peat waft, creamed cereal.
Finish…Long.
Score…3.5 Corks.
Lee’s Tasting.
Nose…Loads of toffee and cereals.
Taste…Creamy caramel, slightly peated, oh so extremely pleasant.
Finish…Medium but lovely.
Score…3.5 Corks.
Helen’s tasting.
Nose…Cereals and biscuits, quite creamy.
Taste…Millionaires shortcake, slightest hint of peat.
Finish…Long and sweet, really enjoyable.
Score…3.5 Corks.
Jim’s tasting.
Nose…A wee hint of peat, vanilla, creamy toffee, herby floral notes.
Taste…Islay in a glass, soft peat, sweet vanilla sherry with some soft root ginger some citrus sweetness is there.
Finish. Long and delicious, the ginger spice sits well, the fine delicate peat is just a delight.
Score…4 Corks
Alex’s tasting.
Nose…Some nail varnish, I hope it tastes better.
Taste…Surprised, I do enjoy the toffee flavour, but not enough to extinguish the fire, too strong for me.
Finish…Long and fiery.
Score…3 Corks.
Reg’s tasting.
Nose…Very creamy and smooth.
Taste…Peat is slight, sweet and just lovely.
Finish…Medium finish and delightfully smooth.
Score…3.5 Corks.
This dram is a long awaited Bruichladdich as it is the first 10 year old they have produced solely from spirit laid down 10 year ago shortly after the distillery was taken over.
A wee bit of a mixed tasting on this one but Jim thinks it is just a delight and cant wait to visit Bruichladdich at the end of May for the festival.
It is now time to open the final bottle of tonight’s tasting and that is :-
The tasting.
Colour…Rosy copper.
Nicola’s tasting.
Nose…Rum and raisins coated in toffee.
Taste…Treacly smooth, deep strawberry sauce, summer fruits in a sponge trifle.
Finish…Long and beautiful.
Score…4 Corks.
Lee’s tasting.
Nose..Gorgeous.
Taste…Ultra smooth caramel, and by a long way my favourite of the night.
Finish…Long and one of my all time favourites.
Score…4.5 Corks.
Helen’s tasting.
Nose…Loads of rum and raisins, excellent example of a sherry cask.
Taste…Treacle and golden syrup, rum soaked raisins.
Finish…Yes it has it all.
Score…4 Corks.
Jim’s tasting.
Nose…Great sherry aroma’s, raisins soaked in deep dark rum, loads and loads happening in here.
Taste…Rich and full bodied, coffee and dark chocolate covered raisins, heavy orange note and a little winter spice.
Finish…Medium to long finish, the spice tingles the palate, some forest fruit jelly.
Score…4 Corks.
Alex’s tasting.
Nose…Welcoming feeling of a warm fireplace.
Taste…A beautiful taste, smooth with hints of rich fruit and sherry.
Finish…Long, slow and very satisfying.
Score…4 Corks.
Reg’s tasting.
Nose…Strong vanilla and sherry, really nice.
Taste…Bundles of fruit and chocolate covered raisins, so so smooth.
Finish…Long lasting and really a big winner with me.
Score…4 Corks.
By the scores that was achieved by this GlenDronach it has overall been the outstanding dram of the night, and Lee has already added it to her 2012 Christmas wish list.
The end of a long night of tasting is over, all our guests much appreciated a great selection of drams and all asked when is the next tasting event.
The Whisky sipping is not quite yet over, as we sat around and chatted about this evenings drams, Jim and Jacqueline set the fire in our outside Wee Hoose and invited all our guests to join us for an end of the evening dram and one or two for the road.
Some of the drams that we all enjoyed in te WEE Hoose were Whyte and Mackay 13, Yamazaki 12, Aberlour A’bunadh, Naked Grouse, Glenlivet 12, Chivas Regal 12, Glen Garioch, Bruichladdich Rocks, Isle of Jura Superstition and a Glenrothes to mention but just a few.
Now all that is left for Jim and Nicola, your Whisky Boys is the planning of our next big tasting and the drams we would love to sample.
Almost all the above drams are available from your specialist Whisky shop and certainly on-line, and if you buy a bottle or two let them know the Whisky Boys recommended them.
