SO, after a recent whisky event at the fabulous Albannach bar in Trafalgar Square (http://tinyurl.com/pt7vta) – at which I received one of their whisky taster sets – I decided what better way to try to convince the boy that he WILL like this golden liquid than to have a mini taste-testing sesh.
Now, as many Londoners will know, April’s weather has been more encouraging of Pimm’s consumption than whisky, but even so, I believe the “winter warmer” can be loved year-round. So even with the sun rays darting into our lounge, we decided what the heck! we’ll give these bad boys a taste. It was a Monday after all…
The three whiskies in the tasting set are elegantly presented in a white, silk-lined box (adorned with the Albannach symbol) and come with a Glencairn glass (the industry standard tasting glass). It includes a 10-year old Islay, a 14-year old Speyside and a 10-year old Blended.
A wee dram anyone?
With pens and paper at the ready, I poured us each a small sample of the Blended to get us started and, like seasoned pros, we took to the task tres seriously giving each a few notes on taste, smell and even a score out of 10! We followed with the Speyside and ended with the Islay.
So…what did we think?
I gave my high-scores to the Islay, surprising myself as I don’t normally drink this varietal as it’s often too harsh and smoky. But, this one was far from overpowering, proving instead to be a bit sweet and creamy, with a complex taste and aroma that reminded me of how the night air smells at a lake beside a campfire, along with leather and the sea. It had a delicious, smoky aftertaste too, and I gave it 8 out of 10. Lee took a more serious tone, linking it with his vision of what a tortured writer would drink or to quote: “What Hemingway would have drunk before shooting himself in the head.” But not in a bad way – no, no, he felt it was a deep and complex, sophisticated whisky, meant for those special occasions…or in Hemingway’s case, his final occasion…
Taking his tasting notes seriously!
The boy’s high-score, meanwhile, went to the Blended whisky – he considered it a summery, light and easy-going whisky, one that novices would enjoy, that had quality but was not too complex. He scored it a 9 out of 10. I rated this one a 6 out of 10, but that was simply because I found it too sweet, with an overly butterscotch, or salt-water taffy taste for my liking. It was a quality whisky, but didn’t quite offer the bite and richness of the other two.
This left, of course, the Speyside. We both ranked it 7 out of 10, with the boy suggesting its lightness (note: the colour was nearly clear) in both colour and aroma, would fool a drinker into thinking it wasn’t rich, when in fact it was far more deep and intense than the caramel-coloured Blended whisky. I found its aroma pleasant – like green peas in a summer garden – but really enjoyed the sharp, almost-acidic bite it had, which struck me completely out of the blue.
We finished off all three – of course, what else would you do? – and I think I may be turning a curve in the whisky war. Or maybe it was just the fact we’d enjoyed drinking quantities of whisky on a Monday afternoon in the sunshine…only time will tell!
gwiltypleasures 
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