We enjoy sipping a nice glass of white wine or a fancy cocktail, but scotch is a taste these two hungry girls have recently acquired – and are learning to love. Thanks to Sherry’s Original Whiskey Society, sponsored by Sherry’s Wine, we got to dive into some rare and pretty spectacular scotch last week.
Our kilt donning host for the evening, Jared Card (an Impex Regional Whiskey Ambassador) took us on a tour of six single-malt whiskies from Northern Scotland, each ranging from 14 to 30 years old.
We began with the lighter Arran Island and ended with the extra smoky Kilchoman Machir Bay. We’d be lying if we didn’t admit that the Kilchoman was a bit stout for our sauvignon blanc loving selves. But for the whiskey connoisseur, every bottle on this tasting menu would have you coming back for more. Here’s what we tasted:
- Arran 14 year old, Island
- Chieftain’s Tobermory 18 year old, Island
- (Our favorite!) Chieftan’s Dailuaine 30 year old, Speyside – single cask, only 214 bottles
- Chieftan’s Glentauchers 21 year old, Speyside – only 223 bottles
- Smokehead, Islay
- Kilchoman Machir Bay, Islay
A sampling of fruits, cheeses, nuts and flavorful lox kept our palate satiated thanks to venue host New Heights Restaurant. After those savory tastes, we’re looking forward to heading back for a full meal and to check out the “Gin Joint” for more delicious libations.
What really set this tasting apart from other tastings we’ve experienced was the history lesson Jared so colorfully led us through. His passion and knowledge for scotch was evident – as was his fondness of the brown liquor. We got to see some of the distilleries and walked through the whole process from peat digging to barrel construction to the scotch splashing in our glass.
Truly a fun, interactive experience to continue our scotch education. For more on the Whiskey Society’s events and upcoming tastings, contact Sherry’s.
Sláinte!