Tasting session

[scotchaluvin]

so far we have:
Glenrothes 84
Glenrothes 91
Lagavulin 16
Highland Park 12
Ardbeg 10

going for a few more this week, but I'm not on top of pricing; can someone advise on these prices (US $):

Balvenie 15 $50
Laphroiag 10 $39
Talisker 10 $37

anything else I should consider to add? Calling it a tasting is a stretch, just a couple of guys curious about this stuff.

Cheers!!

[Mr Fjeld]

Hi scotchaluvin - and welcome to the best whisky forum in the galaxy

You have a nice lineup there but why not add something with a stronger sherry character to your otherwise excellent selection. Aberlour 15 Sherry Finish is one I can wholeheartedly recommend. Glenfarclas 12yo is also very enjoyable with strong hints of sherry cask matured whisky in the vatting. The 15 (Glenfarclas) is also praised by many around here for being an excellent "sherry whisky" .

[Deactivated Member]

Hi Scotchavulin and welcome from me too.

Firstly, are you looking for a selection to enjoy at one sitting, or over a period of time?
By this I don't the full bottles, but a sample of each?

As an organisor of actual tastings I would say that 6 drams is the ideal number to sample at one time, although if carefully selected, you could stretch this to as many as eight, but no more as your palates will be bombed out by the last one.

You should also structure any tasting / prolonged session quite carefully. For example your stronger flavours / peaty ones should be sampled last and the lighter ones first. Otherwise, again your palates will still be relishing the heavy flavours whilst you are trying to offer them something lighter which they will never taste.

So far you have listed eight drams, I would suggest you add another 2-4 and then split them. Perhaps add something like a Macallan 12 Sherry or even a 10 CS and why not try a lowlander too? Something like a Bladnoch, Auchentoshan 10 or Rosebank.

MT

[scotchaluvin]

we will just have a sample or two of each. just really a couple of guys new to this drink and want to see what we've been missing. the listed bottles are just what I've collected over the last month or so and they want to try them out. this is nothing formal, just a few drinks and possibly pizza?

thanks for the suggestions, I think the Glenfarclas is a possibility.

[Deactivated Member]

I hope you enjoy your sampling, but my comments about not tasting very much after too many drams or drams sampled in the 'wrong' order still stands, even if it is an informal session.

I should also look carefully at what you eat whilst sampling. Some Pizzas are fine, others may be a little oily or too spicy depending what is served on them.

Have fun,
MT

[les taylor]

With the whisky tasting at whisky live on saturday they had on each table Oat Cakes. The round biscuit type things that and still water to cleanse the palate. It worked for me.

[Deactivated Member]

I use plain white baguettes and normal unchilled tap water (Munich's finest alpine with no chlorine or other nasty tasting chemicals added)) at my tastings and this also works very well. But people do need something a little more substantial at the half-way point during a tasting.


It's maybe worth pointing out that Munich's water is often tested and rated as being more pure than many bottled mineral waters!
MT

[Ann-Helen]

I like to clear my palette with coffee and water.
A little bit of coffee and some water works for me .

[les taylor]

Very Interestingly John Glaser from Compass Box was talking about recalibrating the nose during multiple tastings. One of the things he does is to get coffe beans rub them in his hands and then get a big blast up the nose, in order to get his nose back into a neutral position.


Dave Broom spoke of using Glenmorangie Ten in order to recalibrate his palate especially when sampling peaty whiskies.

Its quite a subject.

[scotchaluvin]

we have:
Glenrothes 84
Glenrothes 91
Balvenie 15
Oban 14
Highland Park 12
Lagavulin 16
Ardbeg 10
Laphroiag 10
Talisker 10

Can anyone give me a sequential order to follow for these? it's three rookies drinking a bit of each later this week.

thanks!!

[parvus]

we have:
Glenrothes 84
Glenrothes 91
Balvenie 15
Oban 14
Highland Park 12
Lagavulin 16
Ardbeg 10
Laphroiag 10
Talisker 10

Can anyone give me a sequential order to follow for these? it's three rookies drinking a bit of each later this week.

thanks!!

I'd personally split them into two separate flights, that much peat would be too much for my palate by the time I got to the last two or three, no matter how you stacked it.

[Deactivated Member]

The conventional wisdom is to start light, end with peat. But I note you have four peaty drams, and five nonpeaty ones. In this case, I would alternate, perhaps like so:

Highland Park 12
Lagavulin 16
Glenrothes 91
Laphroaig 10
Oban 14
Talisker 10
Glenrothes 84
Ardbeg 10
Balvenie 15

However, I would expect any number of members here to say I'm insane.

I personally think nine malts is a lot to digest in one tasting. Again, not everyone will agree.

[Deactivated Member]

OK Mr. T. I'll not disappoint, consider it said

I personally think the Glenrothes and Oban will hardly be tasted after the Lagavulin and Laphroaig.

I totally agree that so many drams are a bit much for one sitting, although I have run a couple of tastings with 8 drams - bzt by the end of these the palates were well drammed out!

I still believe these drams should be split into two distinct halves, perhaps with a break in the middle for food, but certainly a good hour or so before the second half.

MT