I know that this blog is about noir, but My wife and I hosted an AWSOME scotch tasting at our apartment a couple weeks ago, and that got me thinking about scotch and how more people should try it.
So I’ve gotten SUPER into scotch during 2016. As I started discussing scotch with my friends, I realized that most had never really given scotch a fair try, and the idea of hosting a scotch tasting was born. For this first tasting, I assembled a lineup of scotches that exemplify their respective styles.
We started with a lowland scotch: Auchentoshan 12 year. While most scotch is distilled twice, Auchentoshan is triple distilled, making it smoother than other styles. Great for beginners as it is smooth, but still retains some of the spice and flavor that is often lost with triple distillation. This one was a fan favorite.
Second of the evening was a highland scotch: Macallen 12 year. Macallen is a highland style that has flavors of spice and wood smoke. One of my favorites of the evening as flavor takes precedence over smoothness.
Thirdly, we moved on to a Speyside: Glenleviet 15 year french oak reserve. This is a great example of speyside scotches, sweet and buttery. This is particularly easy to drink as the spices do not linger on the tongue and throat like the highland scotch did.
And lastly, we finished with the Islay: Ardbeg 10 year. A great entry level Islay that doesn’t just overwhelm you with peat smoke but has a unique flavor profile. Another fan favorite, most loved by the people who were already familiar with scotch as it can be hard to be prepared for peated whiskey.
We had such a great time dressing up fancy, eating snacks and tasting scotch. I even put some cacao nibs out as a palate enhancer.
What are some of you favorite scotches? I’d love to try them. My current favorite is Aberlour A’bunahd, a cask strength, single malt, highland style scotch that is bursting with spice and possesses an incredibly lingering finish.
-Anderson Ryle
anderson ryle 