A Whisky Affair 2013 11/14/2013

     This year A Whisky Affair was held at a swanky Hotel called Aloft just off Southside Boulevard. The space was not so cramped as previous years, especially 2012. Once again there were no tables of any kind to sample food and drink. We were reduced to plates on laps and sitting on planters and landscaping walls. Water was not available for tasting either. The atrium was a nice area to be in except for the cigar smoke that made me light headed at one point. As always, it was great to see Dick and Marti from Palm Ridge Reserve. I would like to thank them again for selling us another used barrel. 
     Between tasting some BBQ and chicken and cheese I did taste a few whiskies. It was dark out in the atrium and I didn't get a single picture. 

*George Dickel Barrel Select 43% ABV
     -smelled light wood
     -tasted slight oak with peppery alcohol
     -trailed light wood with peppery alcohol
That is why people drink this in shots and mix stuff with it. 

*George Dickel Rye 45% ABV  (95% Rye/5% Barley)
     -smelled of rye/slightly moldy bread
     -tasted sweet perfume at first
     -went to a floral, almost lavender flavor
     -trailed pepper/alcohol
Very surprising taste. I expected a rye bitterness. Maybe the barley offsets that in this whisky. 

*The Itishman Single Malt  40% ABV
     -tasted sherry in the aftertaste
     -tasted like a light Speyside
     -very light, unremarkable

*New England Corn Whisky 43% ABV   (aged in cherry and white oak)
     -smelled sweet wood, citrusy
     -tasted creamy wood with a sweetness
     -trailed oak - new oak tartness
The cherry wood may have sweetened the whisky and countered the white oak. I was expecting sour oak flavor.