A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of participating in Devine’s 2nd annual Single Malt Scotch Tasting. While I have tried a few single malts, I can say with complete certainty that prior to the tasting, I had not tried any of the whiskies we had at the tasting. That fact alone made attending the tasting all the more worth it. I won’t go into any serious reviews, because Single Malt Scotch can be a very personal matter for some. To put it bluntly, I prefer certain styles over others, and Single Malt Scotch is definitely something that is very style-driven. However, I will provide a few tasting notes for each.
- Glenkinchie 12 year – very light smell and taste. Almost no peat in the taste. Bit of honey. Good way to introduce a novice to Single Malts.
- Cardhu 12 year – heavier scent, but almost as light on the taste. More depth; honey and flowers. A bit more peat smoke, but still not enough to scare novices away.
- The Singleton of Glendullan 12 year – first one that actually smelled like whisky (or at least what I’m accustomed to with whisky); honey, figs, malty sweetness in the nose. Big flavors of honey and malt, with the peat pushed back to the finish. This one was the sleeper of the bunch. I have never taken a second look at Singleton, mostly because of it’s rather mundane packaging – but no more.
- Clynelish 14 year – smoky, peaty nose; smooth taste, with a hint of sherry (thanks to the cask it’s aged in), but the peat smoke is definitely more noticeable in this whisky than the previous ones.
- Oban 18 year – the whisky I was anticipating most. Smoky nose, but not necessarily peaty. Very smooth, but peatier in taste than I remember the 14 year tasting, which is odd. You would think that because it’s older, it would taste woodier.
- Caol Ila 12 year – The first of 2 Islay Malts, which are among the peatiest and smokiest Single Malts. Strong scent of iodine in the nose, but surprisingly smooth on the taste. Lots of fruit and a hint of sweetness. Not bad.
- Caol Ila Distiller’s Edition – Oddly enough, not as peaty as the 12 year edition, but not as complex either.
So, why Whisky vs. Whiskey? It’s quite simple – while I love all whiskies, I’ve come to realize two things: 1.) While all whiskies share some similarities, there are also some stark differences, and 2.) It is those differences I love. Which brings me to my favorite style of whiskey – Bourbon. On March 22, Devine is hosting it’s first annual Bourbon tasting at Portico in Ruston from 6:00-8:00 PM. Tickets are only $15 each and are on sale at Devine Wines & Spirits now. We’ve limited this tasting to 30 people, and we’ve already sold 18 tickets. For the math wizards, that means only 12 tickets remain. While I don’t yet know what Bourbons will be on the menu, the tasting is hosted in conjunction with our distributor that is responsible for brands such as Blanton’s, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Elmer T. Lee, Hudson, Weller’s, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve and Van Winkle, amongst others. If those brands don’t wet your appetite, you must not drink Bourbon.
If you have any interest at all in attending Devine’s first annual Bourbon tasting, don’t wait until right before the event. I personally had to talk to quite a few customers who came by Devine to purchase tickets for the Scotch tasting in the days leading up to it and were angered upon being informed we were sold out. So don’t wait around – get your ticket now!
