Once again Todd and I were flattered with the invitation and graciousness of all involved to allow us to present the whiskies for this year's NE Florida Highland Games Whisky Tasting. Attendance was up from last year with about 100 seats filled. The auction to benefit K9s for Warriors was also a success. Thank you to all who bid and won from IMWC!
The order of the tasting was:
Cutty Sark, Famous Grouse, Black Grouse, Ben Rioch 12 yr, Glen Dronach 15 yr and Yoichi - Nikka 15 yr. My previous notes cover the Cutty Sark, Grouses, Ben Rioch and Glen Dronach. Todd and I had not tasted the Nikka 15 yr until that night.
*Nikka 15 yr 45% ABV
-smelled sweet wood/vanilla
-tasted slightly smoke/pepper
-trailed oak sour
-with water lightened the vanilla and no smoke
-tasted chalky pepper
-turned quickly to sour tannins and oak
Water is not good for this whisky!
Later the bartender at the Hilltop Restaurant gave us a taste of a rye whisky.
*Colonel E. H. Taylor Straight Rye 50%ABV
-smelled slightly sweet rye/oatmeal
-trailed a little dough
-tasted rye with chalky pepper
-with water smelled rubbery sweet confection
-tasted peppery with candy hearts, rye bread (Todd described as licorice)
-quickly went back to pepper oak
-smelled buttery rye bread
-more water - mellowed rye and increased oakiness
-trailed tannins and oak
I like rye bread. Rye whisky is somewhat of a mystery to me since I have only had a few. There are interesting sweet notes mixed with the bitterness of the grain. I would like to see how much marketing hype is pitted against the actual flavor of the rye whiskies that are supposed to be the "the next thing."
The order of the tasting was:
Cutty Sark, Famous Grouse, Black Grouse, Ben Rioch 12 yr, Glen Dronach 15 yr and Yoichi - Nikka 15 yr. My previous notes cover the Cutty Sark, Grouses, Ben Rioch and Glen Dronach. Todd and I had not tasted the Nikka 15 yr until that night.
*Nikka 15 yr 45% ABV
-smelled sweet wood/vanilla
-tasted slightly smoke/pepper
-trailed oak sour
-with water lightened the vanilla and no smoke
-tasted chalky pepper
-turned quickly to sour tannins and oak
Water is not good for this whisky!
Later the bartender at the Hilltop Restaurant gave us a taste of a rye whisky.
*Colonel E. H. Taylor Straight Rye 50%ABV
-smelled slightly sweet rye/oatmeal
-trailed a little dough
-tasted rye with chalky pepper
-with water smelled rubbery sweet confection
-tasted peppery with candy hearts, rye bread (Todd described as licorice)
-quickly went back to pepper oak
-smelled buttery rye bread
-more water - mellowed rye and increased oakiness
-trailed tannins and oak
I like rye bread. Rye whisky is somewhat of a mystery to me since I have only had a few. There are interesting sweet notes mixed with the bitterness of the grain. I would like to see how much marketing hype is pitted against the actual flavor of the rye whiskies that are supposed to be the "the next thing."
This is my painting that was auctioned off.
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