My Dear Friends & Esteeemed Guests,
It seems so long since we met, but February is a short month, and time tends to fly as the days stretch and the weather perks up. I am glad to report that our last meeting was our most well attended ever. We had thirty people in attendance, twenty seven of whom sampled and scored Scotland’s finer wares. And, lest I forget, there is a free tasting at our beloved Old Toad on Wednesday, the 9th of March at 3:00 PM. Please be sure to let Kevin know if you plan to attend.
I would be remiss not to mention - in advance of the occasion - that March’s meeting is NOT a formal tasting; it is a social gathering (as much as I love entertaining, I must take a month off each year and simply celebrate the whisky without all the research, collateral development, and requisite fanfare). Furthermore, this will be the first time in the five plus years of our association that our gathering has fallen on a “holiday”. However serendipitous it appears, the first such occasion being St. Patrick’s Day, it is never-the-less a challenge to find a place to gather amid all the revelry and madness. Never daunted, we will do what we can!
We complete the last of our Nosing Course in February. I am sure you will agree with me when I assert that it was worth the wait to get to the (non Islay) “Islands”. Defying clear classification, the Islands region is, technically, part of the Highlands. Each island seems to have its own characteristic; a certain oily, maritime character being the common thread. There are a few Coastal Highland whiskies that exude the olfactory and tactile reminders of the sea, and these are sometimes grouped together with the Islands’ drams. The more sheltered among the (currently) seven whisky producing island distilleries, such as Arran and Tobermory, produce a more genteel dram, but these are the exception; note that Tobermory also produces Ledaig, a clear example of the peated Islands style. From the more wind-swept and adventurous of the islands come whiskies as salty as any dog ever to have sailed the Seven Seas, and at least one that will ignite a wild fire in your belly!
The particular scents we went after at the February tasting included Malty and Citrus, both of which we put our noses to before. These are introduced during malting and fermentation, respectively. “Grain-like”, “biscuit”, and “burnt” are some expressions along the Malty scale, and a certain cake-like sweetness may be found. Citrus needs no explanation, “lemon” and “orange” are present so often that it would be redundant to discuss the scale any further here. We have also nosed and discussed the Smoky range on more than one occasion, but it is important to remind the reader that “salty” actually arises on this scale. The introduction of “saltiness” may come at one of two places in the production process: the first is during kilning of the malt, where the smoke of the burning peat may introduce the flavor. The second is during maturation, where salty sea air interacts for years with the precious liquid stored in quietly slumbering casks. There are some passionate debates relative to which of these is the more probable cause, but I, for one, am content that the effect happens at all!
We enjoined to test three samples, the first of which being my personal favorite - and the source of some consternation over the impact of its domineering character on the rest of the tasting. Talisker 10 year, “The lava of the Cuillins”, has been a constant favorite among our members - even taking second place among our Best of the Best. The best way to characterize this dram is to reminisce of bonfires on a summer evening on an ocean beach. And it’s easy to see why The Isle of Skye is home to both this whisky and to the Viking MacLeods… Talisker 10 scored a 7.8, clearly continuing its tradition of leadership.
Our next expression was Oban 14 year. This coastal whisky is, as much in the glass as in the town it is named for, “The Gateway to the Isles”. There is something of a beautiful marriage between Highland and Island styles in this whisky, which invokes rich sweetness and fruits, with sea-salt, spices, and a peaty smokiness that fill the mouth. Oban took our second position, earning for itself a respectable 7.3 overall.
The last glass was Highland Park 12 year, although a few were pleased to receive the 18 year as a result of the sheer size of our crowd draining the available reserves. The famed whisky journalist Michael Jackson touted this as “the greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky”, but it has never received quite so nice a reception at our events. Highland Park is in fact a very well-balanced malt, with sweetness and smokiness in proportion, a high level of maltiness on the palate, and a heathery, teasing finish. But this subtlety may be just “on the fence” enough to belie the almost magical skill of Highland’s Master Distiller. Perhaps this is a dram better sampled on its own, the result of our tasting being a somewhat disappointing 6.5.
We will begin, after March’s brief reprieve, to re-score “The List” - so tragically lost in the sinking of our prior web site. On the bright side however, there has never been a better excuse to sip a dram with good friends and enlightened aficionados!
Until then,
Sláinte,
It seems so long since we met, but February is a short month, and time tends to fly as the days stretch and the weather perks up. I am glad to report that our last meeting was our most well attended ever. We had thirty people in attendance, twenty seven of whom sampled and scored Scotland’s finer wares. And, lest I forget, there is a free tasting at our beloved Old Toad on Wednesday, the 9th of March at 3:00 PM. Please be sure to let Kevin know if you plan to attend.
I would be remiss not to mention - in advance of the occasion - that March’s meeting is NOT a formal tasting; it is a social gathering (as much as I love entertaining, I must take a month off each year and simply celebrate the whisky without all the research, collateral development, and requisite fanfare). Furthermore, this will be the first time in the five plus years of our association that our gathering has fallen on a “holiday”. However serendipitous it appears, the first such occasion being St. Patrick’s Day, it is never-the-less a challenge to find a place to gather amid all the revelry and madness. Never daunted, we will do what we can!
We complete the last of our Nosing Course in February. I am sure you will agree with me when I assert that it was worth the wait to get to the (non Islay) “Islands”. Defying clear classification, the Islands region is, technically, part of the Highlands. Each island seems to have its own characteristic; a certain oily, maritime character being the common thread. There are a few Coastal Highland whiskies that exude the olfactory and tactile reminders of the sea, and these are sometimes grouped together with the Islands’ drams. The more sheltered among the (currently) seven whisky producing island distilleries, such as Arran and Tobermory, produce a more genteel dram, but these are the exception; note that Tobermory also produces Ledaig, a clear example of the peated Islands style. From the more wind-swept and adventurous of the islands come whiskies as salty as any dog ever to have sailed the Seven Seas, and at least one that will ignite a wild fire in your belly!
The particular scents we went after at the February tasting included Malty and Citrus, both of which we put our noses to before. These are introduced during malting and fermentation, respectively. “Grain-like”, “biscuit”, and “burnt” are some expressions along the Malty scale, and a certain cake-like sweetness may be found. Citrus needs no explanation, “lemon” and “orange” are present so often that it would be redundant to discuss the scale any further here. We have also nosed and discussed the Smoky range on more than one occasion, but it is important to remind the reader that “salty” actually arises on this scale. The introduction of “saltiness” may come at one of two places in the production process: the first is during kilning of the malt, where the smoke of the burning peat may introduce the flavor. The second is during maturation, where salty sea air interacts for years with the precious liquid stored in quietly slumbering casks. There are some passionate debates relative to which of these is the more probable cause, but I, for one, am content that the effect happens at all!
We enjoined to test three samples, the first of which being my personal favorite - and the source of some consternation over the impact of its domineering character on the rest of the tasting. Talisker 10 year, “The lava of the Cuillins”, has been a constant favorite among our members - even taking second place among our Best of the Best. The best way to characterize this dram is to reminisce of bonfires on a summer evening on an ocean beach. And it’s easy to see why The Isle of Skye is home to both this whisky and to the Viking MacLeods… Talisker 10 scored a 7.8, clearly continuing its tradition of leadership.
Our next expression was Oban 14 year. This coastal whisky is, as much in the glass as in the town it is named for, “The Gateway to the Isles”. There is something of a beautiful marriage between Highland and Island styles in this whisky, which invokes rich sweetness and fruits, with sea-salt, spices, and a peaty smokiness that fill the mouth. Oban took our second position, earning for itself a respectable 7.3 overall.
The last glass was Highland Park 12 year, although a few were pleased to receive the 18 year as a result of the sheer size of our crowd draining the available reserves. The famed whisky journalist Michael Jackson touted this as “the greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky”, but it has never received quite so nice a reception at our events. Highland Park is in fact a very well-balanced malt, with sweetness and smokiness in proportion, a high level of maltiness on the palate, and a heathery, teasing finish. But this subtlety may be just “on the fence” enough to belie the almost magical skill of Highland’s Master Distiller. Perhaps this is a dram better sampled on its own, the result of our tasting being a somewhat disappointing 6.5.
We will begin, after March’s brief reprieve, to re-score “The List” - so tragically lost in the sinking of our prior web site. On the bright side however, there has never been a better excuse to sip a dram with good friends and enlightened aficionados!
Until then,
Sláinte,
