Dear Friends,
First of all, allow me to wish you all a happy St. Patrick's Day!
We completed our sixth tasting this week, thus concluding our initial circumnavigation of the major regions - Speyside; Highlands; Western Islands, Skye and Islay in particular; Lowlands; and Northern Islands. Once again we enjoyed a very pleasant evening together, a few of us learning on the morning after that it is truly wise to "beware the Ides of March." Luckily, green is in vogue for this time of year ...even if it's the color of your skin.
Our tasting this month was of Orkney's Highland Park 12 year old (43% ABV). We must credit our own PK who offered that this whisky was "well balanced, but not memorable." The rich golden color would lead you to believe that this one held a stronger flavor, but instead it was smooth and dry. And although there were hints of peat and salt, a characteristic of most island malts, neither of these stood out from the whole. In the end, we gave it slightly above average marks, with a result of 5.6 out of 10. If we account for one particularly low score, it would have obtained a 6.5 -- in either case, a low-end performer. However, the price of this whisky helps to offset its lack of luster, and I might even go so far as to say that it would pair well with a dessert or cigar that had a lot of its own character.
We missed several members at this month's event, but we wish them all peace and health, and look forward to their attending again soon. Although K---- was out of town, I think we all felt that her replacement behind the bar was an acceptable alternate. We even met a few new faces there who encouraged us to start expanding the club in a more meaningful way (a subject for further conversation!). The service was back on track at dinner, and although not all of our members are as adept with the English language as our favorite server, we all enjoyed the conversation.
What will the future hold for our club? Will we continue our trials of select individual brands, or will we begin comparitive tastings? You'll have to wait until next month to learn more!
Until then, I remain...
Sláinte,
