The tasting was at the Hilltop Restaurant in Orange Park as it has been for a number of years. Our gracious hosts provided the upstairs room and plenty of seating. We had over 70 people come to hear Todd and I speak about Whisky. I am just as flattered by Todd asking me to help him as he is by being appointed Whisky Master by the Highland Games. Thank you. Thank you.
Also thanks should go out to Todd, our representative from the distributor, who provided the bottles of fine Water of Life. We were apparently one of the first people in Florida to taste Nikka, having only recently been released in the US, and Ben Riach 12 year, which we could not get before the Tasting.
School teacher Todd, club president, always leads us in the tastings for our club meetings. His general knowledge of whisky, not to mention the specifics for each expression we taste, make it a learning/enoying adventure. This was the first outside of our own club meetings. We understand that it went well and hope to please in coming years.
About an hour before the tasting began, Todd Hull and I opened a bottle of the Ben Riach 12 year. Here is what we tasted:
*Ben Riach 12yr 46%ABV
-smells slightly oak sweet
-tastes sweet oak
-short flavor! that trails pleasantly and no bitterness at all
-with water - a lighter flavor but exactly the same
This is an easy sipping whisky. It surprised me that the flavor was not gone when I added water. I could easily replace some of my easy, pleasant drinking whiskies with this one.
Also thanks should go out to Todd, our representative from the distributor, who provided the bottles of fine Water of Life. We were apparently one of the first people in Florida to taste Nikka, having only recently been released in the US, and Ben Riach 12 year, which we could not get before the Tasting.
School teacher Todd, club president, always leads us in the tastings for our club meetings. His general knowledge of whisky, not to mention the specifics for each expression we taste, make it a learning/enoying adventure. This was the first outside of our own club meetings. We understand that it went well and hope to please in coming years.
About an hour before the tasting began, Todd Hull and I opened a bottle of the Ben Riach 12 year. Here is what we tasted:
*Ben Riach 12yr 46%ABV
-smells slightly oak sweet
-tastes sweet oak
-short flavor! that trails pleasantly and no bitterness at all
-with water - a lighter flavor but exactly the same
This is an easy sipping whisky. It surprised me that the flavor was not gone when I added water. I could easily replace some of my easy, pleasant drinking whiskies with this one.