I learned two new things about myself last night.
First, I really love wine.
Second, I really don’t love scotch.
To be a little more clear, last night’s final class in the Eurotour Series at The Wishing Well was all about scotch.
While I must admit, I learned significantly more than I ever thought I would about this specific type of whisky, I don’t think I’ll be ordering it at a bar anytime soon.
Let me be a little more specific and start off by explaining some of the things we learned last night.
Understanding Scotch Whisky
Single Malt –
A whisky made from 100% malted barley and coming from a single distillery
Cask Strength –
Whisky bottled directly from the barrel with no water added maintaining natural ABV
Grain Distillery –
Used to make whisky that is primarily used in blending. Can be made with unmalted barley, and other grains (rye, wheat, etc.)
Blended –
A whisky that is made from a combination of grain and single malt whiskies.
Peat –
Decomposed vegetation compiling over millennia to create a source of fuel for heating and for energy production in some countries.
I never really knew much about scotch before last night, besides the fact that my boyfriend loves it and every sip I’ve taken in the past has made me cough and my eyes water. To say I was nervous about this class is an understatement.
But I did learn about what I liked and what I absolutely didn’t like in a scotch.
Joe Armstrong, our extraordinary teacher and pot of knowledge gave me a quadrant to work with, with the top being smoky, the bottom being delicate, the left side being light, and the right side being rich.
After tasting the eight different wines (which are listed below), I realized that I like my scotch like I like croissants – delicate and light.
I starred the scotches that were tolerable for me, and there’s one that I might even order out if they have it at a bar (**).
The eight scotch whisky’s we tasted last night:
- Bank Note Blended Scotch Whisky
- The Lost Distillery “Auchnagie” Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
- **Auchentoshan 12 Yr Old Single Malt (Lowlands)
- *Glenmorangie 10 Yr Old Single Malt (Highlands)
- Springbank 10 Yr Old Single Malt (Campbeltown)
- *Balvenie 12 Yr Old “Double Wood” Single Malt (Speyside)
- Talisker 10 Yr Old Single Malt (Skye)
- Laphroaig 10 Yr Old Single Malt (Islay)
As for food, it wouldn’t be a class at The Wishing Well without a great spread! Here’s a look at what the Chef whipped up for the class last night:
Before I conclude this final post of the Eurotour Series, I have to say how enjoyable it is taking these classes at The Wishing Well.
Not only are they extremely accommodating, but you meet some really fantastic people who have similar interests to you – in this case, booze!
I’ve learned such an incredible amount of information about wines and now scotch, it’s an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. So if you missed out on these series, don’t fear – rumor has it they’ll have a new series coming out in the fall. As soon as anything is set in stone, I’ll let you all know.
Until then, cheers!
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