JOSH - ALBERTA What’s the point in purposely tasting a whisky blind having no idea which distillery or brand it’s from? Being attracted to a particular brand can be part of the grandeur, so why remove a seemingly important aspect of the whisky tasting experience? Over the years many people have asked me that question and my answer has always been a simple one: Bias. Experiencing a whisky as its purest self without any bias should be what the essence of sharing and drinking it is all about: No presumptions or preconceived notions, just bare-bone nose/taste – like or dislike. Naturally for me, when our editor asked if I’d be interested in blindly reviewing two whiskies I was absolutely overjoyed.
My tasting notes also include a great cigar pairing recommendation.
Sample 1, Non-peated
Sample 2, Peated
Appearance: Lovely deep bronze colour, looks calm and inviting in the glass. Nose: Immediately soft and warm, typical sherry notes like raisins and sultanas coming forward with a youthful and malty overtone. Palate: Full of malty goodness again and fairly soft in the mouth. Certainly easy to drink as it’s quite vibrant and plenty viscous. Delicate richness and slightest hint of vanilla in the back. Finish: Short to medium without much burn, makes me feel as if the ABV would fall somewhere on the lower to mid range of 40%. With water: For me, it didn’t do much for this already del- icate whisky, leaving it a little too thin and disappointing compared to drinking it neat. Cigar: Caldwell - The Last Tsar Belicoso (52 x 5 ½). This velvety whisky paired wonderfully with the harsh, in your face style of the tobacco. The whisky’s calming effect on the smoke almost causing some basic, even animalistic, indul- gences. Translation = I almost chugged it all immediately.
Appearance: Pale straw colour with fairly thin legs.
Nose: Some medicinal astringency yet I found soft and delicate peat at the forefront.
Palate: This one has lots of energy with notes of honey and young malts. Delicious and enticing waves of creamy grain throughout.
Finish: The zesty youthfulness with a hint of white pepper may be short, but the burn lingers awhile.
With water: Much sweeter but ultimately left it a little too flat for my liking.
Cigar: Drew Estate - Undercrown Maduro Robusto. Heavy and luscious smoke with toasted coffee beans and polished leather. Perfectly complement the single grain nature of the spirit while contrasting the dainty peaty overtone.
Overall: Tasting whisky blind is such a fun and humbling experience because you experience it as nothing more than just being itself, not what someone said it was or what an advertisement told you it should be. I highly recommend trying a blind tasting every once and while because you may discover yet another bottle worth keeping on your shelf. In the end, most of us drink the whisky we like because it’s tasty. What more could you ask for?
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the whisky explorer magazine
WINTER 2024
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