I had my first whiskey tasting with friends recently, it was quite fun. We had 10 different types of whiskey, mostly popular brands on the cheaper side. I suppose we can get into the expensive hardcore stuff soon enough, but it seemed to make more sense to just try a variety of the entry level stock as most of us were uninitiated. If you hold your own tasting, these points are recommended:
*If doing it in a small group, find a way to vote for the best ones you would like to try and find an even way to split the cost. You could have one person buy it all and reimburse them, or you could have each person buy a different bottle and make sure they let others know what they are getting so the same thing isn't bought three times over.
*Be responsible. Eat a big meal beforehand (don't drink on an empty stomach) and make arrangements to prevent people from drunk driving or killing pigeons and bathing in their blood in a drunken stupor.
*Find some good glasses for the tasting. Shot glasses work, or try something like a broad based glass with a bit of a bell or curve to it. Something like this:
*Don't add ice or water, at least initially. They can interfere with subtleties in flavor. Once you get the taste in, if you please you can add a shot of spring water or ice cubes made of spring water. Why spring water? Tap water or mineral water have a lot of funky metallic and mineral flavors that will interfere with true taste. If you want to be REALLY pure, rinse your glass between types of whiskey or use whole new glasses. It's also a good idea to drink whole glasses of water frequently, stay well hydrated to avoid alcohol headaches etc. If you want to keep whiskey cool but don't want it diluted by melting ice cubes, whiskey stones are a good idea. These are simply special rocks you cool and chuck in the glass to serve this purpose. They look kinda like:
*Blindfolds are a knifty idea. That way there are less image based preconceptions or judgements that may alter your perception on how a whiskey tastes. If you want to do it 'eyes open', start with what are supposed to be lighter whiskies and work your way up to the heavier ones.
*Palate cleansers are a must. You clean your tongue of aftertaste between different types of whiskey. Unsalted soda crackers or other bland crackers work well. So do plain baguettes or melba toasts. I've heard of some more exotic palate cleansers like lemon or lime sorbet or plain unsweetened green tea, but I wouldn't really bother unless you really really wanted to.
*Certain foods accent well with whiskey: dark chocolate, toffee, smoked salmon, rare beef, pate de foie gras, haggis, you get the picture. However, do not have these until you have the basic tasting done and through with, as even though the flavors compliment, they may disguise a true nature in a whisky's flavor.
*Don't gulp and guzzle. Take your time, smell it, roll it in the glass and on your tongue, breathe in and out, let the character shine.
*Stick to one general type for a tasting. Try not to have bourbon and scotch and rye all under one whole tasting. Stick to scotch alone, or American whiskies alone, for example. However for the tasting I participated in we added a few 'curveball' or outsider types to try at the end just for fun.
*Have fun! I know I sure as hell did!
Now, what of the results of the tasting I was at? Surprisingly, some highly rated ones ended up being poorer than thought and vice versa. Yet also at times the taste and quality was right in line with previous reviews read. Here's what we came up with, the general consensus:
~Rough rating guideline:
0- 100% pure paint thinner! undrinkable!!
1- poor (almost paint thinner)
2- not too great
3- good/fair
4- excellent
5- amazing
~Loose ranking (lowest to highest): (first rating is average online rating from multiple ratings......second rating aka 'actual' is what me and me chums thought)
GRANT'S FAMILY RESERVE SCOTCH WHISKY 4/5 actual 1.5/5
Wasn't too remarkable. It reminded me of the whiskey I got drunk on when I was like 5 years old, and since then never really went too crazy with alcohol. Kind of sharp and harsh with sweet hints, nothing too complex. It is drinkable, but not great, use as a mixer maybe.
JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK LABEL 4/5 actual 1.5/5
For all the hype and good ratings, this was surprisingly not too great. My one friend found it mute or very plain. Me and my other friend found it a bit on the harsh side, I could taste 'dirty barrel'. I do think if you didn't like whiskey too frilly or sweet or fancy with a lowdown grit-tooth resolve to it, you may enjoy it. It's kinda like if whiskey was heavy metal, and Black Label was Black Metal. If you hate Black Metal because it all sounds the same and it's too one dimensional compared to many other metal styles...steer clear of Johnnie Walker Black Label for similar reasons.
GLENFIDDICH SINGLE MALT 12 YEARS OLD SCOTCH WHISKY 2/5 actual 2.5/5
Knew a few people who recommended this or preferred this previous to the tasting. The average online reviews said it was actually quite poor, surprisingly. For my pals and I, it was nice, but really nothing special. Not atrocious, not amazing. I'd say it's worth trying at least. The main thing working against it for me was this strange barfy aftertaste.
BUSHMILLS IRISH WHISKEY 4/5 actual 2.5/5
Bushmills is alright. I haven't had a bad Irish whiskey yet come to think of it. It's sort of the Irish whiskey to have that is a nod towards Canadian Rye or some American whiskies, though sweeter and milder. If you prefer those mentioned and want to venture into Irish territory this is a good entrance to that.
JOHNNIE WALKER RED LABEL 2.5/5 actual 3/5
Amazingly enough, far better than Black Label! I've yet to try Green Label (a level above Black) or Gold Level (a level above Green), but if this is any indication..I'm hesitant that the more touted and expensive kinds of Johnnie Walker are really so superior. Red Label is not terribly complex but not dreadfully boring or plain. It has SOMETHING going on. It's also not too harsh but not too sickly sweet. You can get mickey or airplane sized bottles for a fair price. I think this would be a fine introduction in the entire world of whiskey itself.
JAMESON IRISH WHISKEY 3.5/5 actual 4/5
Very fine for the price. I like to call this a 'dessert whisky'. It is not grossly sweet, just right. It has interesting overtones. It'd be great in an Irish Coffee. So far, my preferred Irish Whiskey, and it goes toe to toe with some good types of scotch.
JAMESON IRISH WHISKEY 12 YR 4/5 actual 4/5
Exactly as above, but the 'aged 12 years version'. I tried hard to find a difference but there seemed to be none. So probably not worth spending the extra money, the non 12 year is fine.
If you were seasoned beyond all seasons, a hardcore connoisseur, you MIGHT be able to tell the difference.
THE GLENLIVET 12 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT 3/5 actual 4/5
This one emanated good vibes all around even before the bottle was opened. It delivered nicely. I would say one of the best value wise. There may be plenty of whiskies out there far better, but try to find them even close to Glenlivet's cheap price. It seemed to have a balance of many good flavors.
THE BLACK GROUSE 4/5 actual 4/5
This one was great. It's like the Famous Grouse, but the next step up. Still very affordable. Sweet fiery quality with pleasant aftertaste, as was my experience. Strongly recommended.
ISLAY MIST SCOTCH 8 YEARS OLD SCOTCH WHISKY 4/5 actual 4/5
Another good one. It's aged 8 years, not 12, but tasted better than most 12 year old blends. It contains laphroaig, one of the most flavorful types of Scotch in the world. There is a medicinal smell and taste to Islay Mist, with hints of peat and smoke and wood, and a smooth sweetness. This was probably the best of the whole tasting, or tied with Black Grouse and Glenlivet.
