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.

        Our plan was to actually taste a few of the whiskies that were to be presented at the NE FL Highland Games Whisky Tasting.  This was really homework for Todd, the Games Whisky Master. He succeeded in bringing together all but the Ben Riach expression that we ultimately tasted an hour before the Games Tasting.  I was also taking notes since I was to be his helper.
Here is what we tasted:

*Nikka   12yr  40% ABV  A blend of 2 Japanese single malts
    -smells sweet caramel, apples
    -tastes strong alcohol, slightly woody and trails quickly
    -with water - smells a tinge sour
    -tastes dry like chardonnay, very sour like paper
    -trails quickly
    I have tried a few of the Japanese whiskies and this one has something to taste. The others have been shooting whiskies - Kanpai!! It's not what I would call an easy drinking whisky though.

*The Famous Grouse   No age statement   40% ABV   Blend
    -smells garden hose
    -tastes rubbery with a peppery taste underneath
    -with water - less rubbery
    -can't distinguish this from other bland blends
    -poured a second taste into a different glass with narrow bottom and wide  opening - opened up the smell of flowers and trailed rubber

*Black Grouse  40% ABV  Blend
    -no rubber like The Famous Grouse
    -smells sweet wood with a tinge of burnt wood
    -tastes slight peat with a chalky/earthiness
    -trails very quickly
    -with water - got warm with very little taste
    -slight oak but not sweet
    This second tasting was a bit different than the first. I was not stuffed full of delicious dinner. Being slightly hungry helps more of the flavors come through.

*Glen Dronach 15yr  Oloroso Cask  46% ABV
    -smells sweet dessert like cinnamon buns
    -tastes a tinge of wine at first then goes almost to a plain flour taste
    -with water - smells sawdust/pine
    -slightly sweeter and trails quickly
    What a difference from the first time I tasted this! I didn't get the peppery/rubbery  flavors.

    Ah yes, the reading of poetry, clinking of glasses and the tasty snacks - hell- it was dinner. Drew cooked some awesome beef something, which even I tried. I don't usually eat beef. The other dishes made our gathering into a complete meal. Thanks everyone for slaving in the kitchen and fillin' our bellies. Thanks also to Rebecca and Drew for having us in their home!
    The Burns poems were racy and funny. Donna definitely got her money's worth for the e-book she purchased. I honestly cannot remember who won the prize for best reading. (I can see the stern look from Todd now.) I'll just blame it on the whisky. Yeah.
    
    Here is what we tasted:

*Glen Dronach  15 yr    46% ABV    Oloroso cask
     -smells sweet caramel
    -tastes sweet oak
    -with water- a little rubbery w/pepper
    -very peppery trailing taste
    -tastes rubbery after a few minutes, very
    This whisky blends sweetness with a bitter, rubbery flavor. It's actually easy to drink. 

*Famous Black Grouse    Blended Scotch Whisky    40%ABV      Includes Islay 
    -smells slightly leathery with a tinge of smoke/peat
    -peppery trailing taste with peat smell
    -with water - gets much sweeter  with a little smoke
    -trails very quickly wood
    I was pleasantly surpirsed by this blend. It had some flavor that I did not expect. (I never research/learn about a whisky before I taste it. I don't want to be influenced) One can easily taste the peated whiskies from Islay as they overpower the lighter ones. 

*Chivas Regal   18yr  Gold Signature   40% ABV
    -smells slightly vanilla
    -tastes very light vanilla-afraid to add water
    -with water a tinge of rubber
    -trails oak sweet quickly
    This is a very easy drinking whisky but without water. It is too light to dilute without losing flavor.