Great Scotch Whisky Tasting

I went to a 'scotch whisky' tasting at State Line Liquor Saturday evening, 10 Mar ’18, and was really surprised at how much I enjoyed the evening.  There were 8 whiskies ranging the spectrum from Japanese rice based scotch to quite expensive Islay peated malts all of which were upper tier in my estimation (by my amateur rankings they ranged from 75+ to in the low 90s) and ranged in price from about $45 to $120 – all of which were great values because they were Exclusive Cask bottlings from well known distilleries not sold under the distilleries name.  . The presenter, Jared Card, was extremely well versed in information and quick to give reasoned – though occasionally flippantly humorous - answers to question from the attendees.  Two Islay malts in the $45 range were superb, tasting like those normally priced in the hundred dollar area.  I learned some interesting new facts about the Scotch world that had never occurred to me to consider before.

Scotch Tasting:  Jared Card, Mid-Atlantic Manager, ImpEx Beverages   (all products discounted 10% this evening) Saturday, March 10, 7-9pm   Seated Event   $15 Pre-Paid Tickets   1.  Ohishi Rice Whiskey Brandy Cask …………………………… $69.99 ˃  $62.99 2.  Ohishi Rice Whiskey Sherry Cask ……………………………. $69.99 ˃  $62.99 3. Tipperary Watershed Irish Whiskey …………………………    $64.99  ˃  $58.49 4. Exclusive Malts Regional Speyside 8 year old ………………    $49.99  ˃  $44.99 5. Exclusive Malts Regional Peated Highland 8 year old ………    $49.99  ˃  $44.99 6. Exclusive Malts Regional Islay ………………………………... $49.99  ˃  $44.99 7. Exclusive Malts Highland Park 14 year old Single Cask …….. $129.99  ˃  $116.99 8. Exclusive Malts Islay 9 year old Single Cask ………………… $119.99  ˃ $107.99

Never having been to a Scotch Tasting before (and only once to an open-air Wine Tasting event - which was a kind of unguided, untutored, and wandering sort of find the way as the spirit guided from tent to tent.) I found this evening’s event nicely structured with some number of tables in rows with a central isle and isles down the sides along the walls.  I took a central isle seat near the front only moments before Jared started his presentation using mainly his spoken voice and references to still photographs displayed on large TV computer display.  Each seating had a small bottled water along with a small stemmed wine-like glass (probably designed specifically for Scotch tasting – although I personally like my small 4 ounce, more bowl shaped stemless crystal wine glass) along with two printed listings, somewhat as above, with a small map of Scotland showing the various Scotch regions, the lowlands, the highland, the isles, etc.

Each of us were to be served ½ ounce of each listed Scotch during the course of the evening, which in total means we would all be drinking 4 ounces of Scotch, ranging from about 82 to 118 proof, say 50% average over all – and Jared reminded us of this in a low-keyed kind of way but straight forwardly enough for us to take it as the ‘drive sensibly when you leave here’ admonition that is needed at events like this.  That ½ ounce of Scotch is just enough for several savoring sips to give one a reasonably true feeling of how this particular Scotch appealed to one’s taste.  The first two Japanese Rice Whikeys each gave a surprisingly scotch taste though being rice based.  Other than colouration – with the Brandy cask being a lighter colour than the Sherry cask, the two Ohishi, both greater than 7 years old but with no definitive age listed, were mild but pleasant indeed. Although not appealing to my particular malty, smoky liking they both rated well with me otherwise – with me giving the Brandy cask a 75+ and the Sherry cask an 80- rating on their great delicate flavour.

Next in line was the Tipperary single malt – and here an Jared gave an aside about how difficult it can be with Irish Whiskey to know just what it is in the bottle, and that unless the words ‘single malt’ are on the bottle then odds are that you are drinking grain, or a grain, malt blend – this one got a nice 85 from me.

Then came three Exclusive Malts in the $45 range , all 50% APV, all natural colour, all non-chill filtered (more about non-chill later) and all single cask bottling which is a great pedigree indeed and all three were well worth the evening’s tasting:

            4. (Glentaucher) Speyside 8 year old – great finish – 80 minus

5. (Ardmore)   Peated Highland 8 year old – over all great – 85 plus & to buy

6. (Laphroaig) Islay no age statement – 85 plus & to buy

The last two were both 90 plus but out of my dollar bracket sorry to say:

7. Highland Park 14 year old, single cask, 54.5%, extremely nice, great finish –

90 plus

8. (Lagavullan) Islay 9 year old, single cask, 58.9%, Great opening, nice finish – 90 plus

I did not get to take more detailed notes sorry to say, but all of the malted drinks were very good or better – and I figure the small fee to enter the tasting was well spent.  I spent my next four months whisky allowance on #5 and #6 and have been trying them on for size every day since then.  If you ever have a chance to attend a ‘Scotch Tasting’ give it a try for as I know from experience that buying an untried whisky can often leave you with a ¾ full bottle that is too good to throw away, but too poor to drink – my $15 tasting fee steered me directly to two really fine whiskies so that my average price per bottle was less than $50 each for two whiskies that would be on the store shelf in the 70 to 100 dollar range.  Give it a try.

Norvell Himself!