Caroline Martin Named Master Blender of The Busker Irish Whiskey
NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Award-winning The Busker Irish Whiskey is proud to announce the appointment of Caroline Martin as its new Master Blender at Royal Oak Distillery. Caroline Martin joins the team following a successful launch campaign which saw the brand take home multiple top accolades and scores. Proof of this is the highest rating (94 points) and “Best Buy” among all Irish whiskey blends from Wine Enthusiast and the medal collections achieved at World Whiskies Awards and at San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Furthermore, The Busker Pot Still won a Gold Medal at the Irish Whiskey Awards last month; our pot still is the most typical expression of Irish Whiskey and we’re honored to be recognized as one of the best in this category.
Photo: Indulge Press.
Caroline Martin, taking over for John Ramsay, will be responsible for the ongoing quality of The Busker Irish Whiskey as well as delivering an exciting innovation program for the brand and category as a whole.
Caroline’s 35-year-long career showcases her incredible leadership and expertise having worked as a Master Blender and whisky specialist on various staple Scotch and Irish Whiskey brands such as J&B, Bell’s, Johnnie Walker and Old Parr, as well as Roe & Co. and Indian Signature blends. Her wealth of whisk(e)y knowledge, experience, and dedication to the craft has brought her wide recognition across the industry, earning her the prestigious titles of Keeper of the Quaich and Blender of the Year by The Spirits Business in 2019 for her role with Roe & Co. Caroline Martin also proudly carries her reputation as a mentor and pioneer for women in whisk(e)y, pushing the boundaries of this industry.
“I am honored to take on the title of Master Blender of such a contemporary, adventurous and bold range of whiskies. It’s an exciting time not only for The Busker as a brand, but for the Irish Whiskey sector as a whole, which remains the fastest growing spirits category,” says Caroline. “The Busker is currently the only brand offering the full Irish whiskey experience of single pot, malt and grain whiskeys as well as a blended whiskey, all of which are produced at Royal Oak Distillery. As such, we have full visibility and control of how our products are distilled, matured and blended,” says Caroline. “I’m looking forward to working alongside the team, harnessing my passion for whiskey flavors, crafting new whiskeys, and ensuring the ongoing quality of The Busker range which is already winning many whiskey awards.”
Alan Dempsey, General Manager of Royal Oak Distillery states “We are delighted to have Caroline as part of the team at Royal Oak Distillery, working alongside our lead whiskey blender, Niall Bolger. Caroline’s experience, skillful blending techniques and positive attitude will play a key role in continuing to deliver the high quality of whiskey that Royal Oak Distillery is recognized for, while also driving innovation and flavour development of our whiskey portfolio. We wish Caroline all the best in her new role.”
About The Busker:
The Busker Irish Whiskey is born out of a modern Ireland, where the contemporary and bold meet at the crossroads of tradition. The Busker is produced at Royal Oak Distillery in County Carlow, Ireland, which is located on an 18th century estate in Ireland’s Ancient East region. It is the only distillery in Ireland which offers all three classic Irish styles of whiskey – Single Grain, Single Malt, & Single Pot Still, which make The Busker Single Collection. The Busker portfolio also includes The Busker Blend which is a beautiful blend of The Single Collection. The Busker uses different casks during the maturation process of their whiskeys including Bourbon casks, Sherry casks and Marsala casks. Most recently, The Busker took home multiple top accolades at the 2020 LA Spirits Awards: The Busker Single Malt was awarded the 2020 Platinum Medal and Best Irish Whiskey, while the Single Pot Still and Blend were awarded the Gold Medal.
For more information, visit http://www.thebusker.com and join the conversation at @thebusker_official
Where We Started: Drinking Wine and Spirits
I recently wrote about how I got started with writing about and studying wine. Made me think about how I got started with drinking both wine and spirits. Had a chat with my husband Eddie, and a boozy trip down memory lane, and this is where it started and led me:
Spirits And Wine
Eve at Del Dotto, into caves with winemaker Gerard Zanzonico, circa March 2012.
When I was in high school and underage drinking was at every party, I have seriously no recollection of imbibing but I’m sure I did – and God knows what. My earliest memories of booze include Bartles and Jaymes Wine Coolers, wine spritzers, as well as Mateus and Blue Nun wines. Not a fan of beer but I did enjoy Mickey’s Big Mouth malt liquor at least once.
Fast forward to my early 20s and I enjoyed Myer’s Dark rum with orange juice, Long Island Iced Tea, Cosmopolitans, Tequila Sunrise and Kahlua with milk, cream and/or vodka. So yea, I wanted sweet cocktails, preferably ones that hid the flavor of the base spirit.
When I met Eddie his mother introduced me to Vodka Tonics. Later came single spirits, for Eddie it was Chivas Regal blended Scotch whisky, for me my tastes evolved much later, into single malt, as there’s what Eddie became more interested in. I was covering cocktail events, which we both loved, and then whisky events. In both I was learning more and more about the spirits, and how to make cocktails with them. While I prefer gin cocktails like a Negroni or a Martini, Eddie prefers whisky. So added to my home-bartending recipes are the Sazerac, Old Fashioned and Manhattan.
Only Wine
I never drank White Zinfandel. When that was introduced I was enjoying red Zinfandel. I can remember being at Sutter Home in Napa and everyone ordering White Zinfandel, it was the moment I had to start saying “red” before the word Zinfandel to get what I wanted. Thank God that craze is over.
After we got married my sister-in-law and her husband invited us to a vertical wine tasting at Concannon. I didn’t know what that was at the time but quickly learned that we were to taste the same wine from the same winery over several years. It was U.S. my a ha moment as we carefully studied the difference in each vintage. A few years later, during our first trip to France, I wanted to visit Willi’s Wine Bar that I had read about in Wine Spectator. I’ve written about Willi’s several times over the years, suffice it to say that being introduced to the perfect Chateau Lynch Bages Bordeaux with owner Mark Williamson was a turning point for me.
Around the same time my first wine classes were via The Wine House in West Los Angeles: starting with sparkling wine and junk food, Chardonnay Fests, Cab Fests, and a few weeks worth of classes just on France. It would be decades later, after already obtaining my WSET Level Two that I would return there for classes held there by the North American Sommelier Association and my Level One Sake Certification.
Now, how did you get started?
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
SIP Awards’ Annual Spirit Competition Shatters Through the 1,000 Entry Submission Milestone
IRVINE, Calif., /PRNewswire/ — The SIP Awards to be honored for another record setting year as the authority review leader in innovative tasting competitions, representing the one and only organization focused on the feedback of real consumers, not professional tasters or industry insiders. The 2021 SIP Awards surged with more than 1,000 competing brands from 49 countries — the highest since its inception in 2009.
buy light pack online https://myhst.com/wp-content/themes/twentytwentytwo/inc/patterns/new/light-pack.html no prescription
The SIP Awards International Spirits Competition is committed to its core mission of bringing together informed, passionate consumers to experience rare and unique spirits and mixers from around the world. This year, cognizant of the ongoing global pandemic, SIP Awards reimagined spirits judging with their innovative at-home evaluation kits. With a record breaking 1,183 submissions, the 2021 evaluation was by far the most competitive for brands vying to secure coveted SIP Awards recognition and exposure.
buy super kamagra online https://myhst.com/wp-content/themes/twentytwentytwo/inc/patterns/new/super-kamagra.html no prescription
Participants registered online and selected a sampler kit in one of 108 spirits categories and subcategories (bourbon, vodka, tequila, mezcal, whiskey, scotch, liqueurs, infused spirits, and more) to be delivered to their home. Each kit included 6 to 12 unbranded samples, a link to submit the results and one exclusive Neat Glass scientifically designed to maximize the aroma, flavor and finish of each spirit. After the submission, the judges were able to see which spirits they actually liked and disliked in their blind tasting evaluation, which could help them in their buying decisions.
Winning a SIP Award is a critical milestone for brands that speak directly to their target audience, consumers. Awards include Bronze, Silver, Gold, Double Gold, Platinum, and Best of Class.
In addition, the most sought after, Consumers’ Choice Award, honors a brand’s unwavering commitment to their legacy, craft, and to the ever-important consumer palate, by placing in the SIP Awards two or more consecutive years. This year, 344 Consumer Choice Awards were distributed, underscoring the growing popularity of the event and the value it provides to brands.
There’s also an Innovation Award for spirits that bring an interesting and unique taste profile, as well as Package Design Awards for creative bottles and aesthetics. No brand receives participation awards, as the competition focuses solely on tangible differentiation in the winner’s circle.
“The fact that the SIP Awards sets new records each year for consumer and brand participation highlights what we’ve believed all along — that consumer opinion carries a lot of weight for brands to create, improve on, and market their products,” says Cher Holmes, Director of Operations. “We look forward to continuing this tradition of bringing spirits brands and their ideal customers together and improving the industry as a whole, one sip at a time.”
For a complete list of 2021 SIP Awards winner, visit: http://sipawards.com/
About the SIP Awards
Founded in 2008, the SIP Awards is the world’s only spirits tasting competition that uses real consumers as its judging panel. Brands can enter one or multiple spirits and review the raw feedback they receive from the judges and use it to improve their product. For brands that win a SIP Award, they can leverage their award in their branding and marketing. To learn more about the SIP Awards beverage competition, venue partnerships, or for a complete list of this year’s winners, visit https://sipawards.com.
Pandemic Trends Promote Small Producers of Premium Spirits
MIAMI/PRNewswire/ — Small spirits producers, such as independent bottler The Perfect Fifth, are set to benefit by taking their produce to the key Californian cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, as pandemic-driven trends indicate consumers are reaching for the top shelf when selecting lockdown indulgences.
With the pandemic forcing the closure of bars and restaurants across the globe, consumer behaviour has adjusted accordingly in the last year, and this trend looks set to continue. According to research group IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, “premium-and-above spirits are forecasted to increase their global volume market share to 13% by 2024 as consumers continue to favor quality over quantity.” As locked-down consumers seek out more premium products, this may have an unexpected positive impact on smaller producers, who had previously competed with major brands for space on the bar.
One such example is family-run bottler of premium single malt and single grain Scotch whisky The Perfect Fifth, who are taking advantage of the trend to target discerning drinkers in key international markets, including select US cities. In contrast with the larger producers who dominated liquor sales pre-pandemic, releasing their spirits in batches of thousands of bottles, The Perfect Fifth is an independent bottler of single casks of well-matured Scotch whisky. A single cask of whisky typically holds no more than a few hundred bottles, depending on the size of the cask, making every release from this new company an extremely small batch. The company has so far released four limited edition, single cask expressions of premium whisky (price range $850 – $3,000) from top distilleries across Scotland.
“Given the limited nature of our releases, we are releasing our next batch of spirits to select markets, to ensure we can meet anticipated demand,” said COO and Founder Karl Schoen. “San Francisco is widely regarded as a real paradise for lovers of good food and wine, with a plethora of diverse, Michelin-starred restaurants, and Napa Valley and Sonoma County on the doorstep. San Diego is a little-known secret among those who know where to look, as the city harbours some hidden gems of bars and retailers, and we’re thrilled to have our Scotches sitting on their shelves.”
The bottles from The Perfect Fifth’s first release of premium Scotch whiskies are currently stocked in retailers across California: In Los Angeles, stocks include Wally’s, K&L Wines, Cypress Craft Beer & Liquor, Wine Expo Santa Monica, Old Oaks Thousand Oaks, BL#2 Palmdale, Remedy Glendale, Hawaii Supermarket San Gabriel, Wing Hop Phung Arcadia/Monterey Park; stocks in San Francisco include Cask on 3rd, Ledgers Liquors, The SF Wine Co, The Whisky Shop; stock lists in San Diego include The Bottle House, Keg N Bottle, Sin Lee Food Whole Sale.
theperfectfifth.com
@perfectfifthspirits
American Airlines Chooses Six New Wines To Serve on New Flights from NY, Miami & Dallas to Tel Aviv, Israel – and Two are Kosher
(Bayonne, NJ) – For those heading to and from Israel, it’s the best news since the kosher meal option: American Airlines is now serving fine kosher wines in all cabins on all of its new flights between New York’s JFK International Airport and Tel Aviv.
Photo: MamaLikesToCook.com
And starting on June 4, All Miami and Dallas passengers will be able to order from American’s kosher wine list as well.
The panel tasted many different wines (hey, it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!) and narrowed the new selections down to six wines – only two of which are kosher certified – and both kosher varieties come from the esteemed House of Herzog.
Nathan Herzog, President of Royal Wine Corp. – which is owned and operated in the United States by the Herzog family – was not surprised to see the prestigious Herzog name on American’s kosher wine list. “After all, the Herzog family’s winemaking roots go back nine generations. They produce world-class wines that just happen to be kosher.”
Herzog said, “Royal and Herzog Wine Cellars are excited to partner with American Airlines. Their decision to offer high-end kosher wines shows how committed they are to this new route.
buy Flomax generic https://buywithoutprescriptiononlinerx.com over the counter
”
Travelers on American can order the Baron Herzog Chardonnay, a full-bodied white featuring fragrant notes of apple blossom and honeysuckle and flavors of ripe peach, tangerine, and a hint of caramel.
Those who prefer red wine will savor the soft, rich Herzog Lineage Cabernet Sauvignon with its aroma of black cherry, boysenberry, and tobacco. Both wines are perfect companions to foods of all kinds and will definitely set the mood for an Israeli sojourn.
About Royal Wine/Kedem
Founded in 1848, Royal Wine Corp. has been owned and operated in the United States by the Herzog family, whose winemaking origins go back more than 200 years in Czechoslovakia.
Today, Royal Wine’s portfolio of domestic and international wines range from traditional wine producing regions of France, Italy, and Spain, as well as Israel, New Zealand, and Argentina.
Additionally, Royal Wine Corp.’s spirit and liqueur portfolio offer some of the most sought-after scotches, bourbons, tequilas and vodkas as well as hard to find specialty items such as flavored brandies and liqueurs.
The company owns and operates the Kedem Winery in upstate New York, as well as Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, California, a state-of-the-art-facility featuring guided wine tours, a fully staffed modern tasting room, gift shop and catering facilities. Additionally, the winery houses the award-winning restaurant Tierra Sur, serving the finest, Mediterranean-inspired, contemporary Californian Cuisine.
Slàinte Mhath to a Successful In-Person 2021 Universal Whisky and Spirits Event
Slàinte Mhath, the traditional Scottish Gaelic toast to another fabulous, and yes In-Person, Nth Ultimate Whisky and Spirits Experience which just concluded April 25, 2021 at Wynn Las Vegas, NV. “It’s a re-start after a tough 2020 without an event, and there will be more Nth experiences to come,” a sentiment from and very much like the tenacious stature of Mahesh Patel the world’s top whisky connoisseur and founder of Universal Whisky Experience. Mr. Patel has been hosting the main Nth event annually in Las Vegas for over a decade as well as ancillary events around the world.
Similar to the hardy nature of the liquid itself, Universal Whisky Experience showed the hospitality world it is as resilient as the luxury whisky expressions served at the Nth 2021. Master Blenders and Ambassadors from House of Hardy, Dalmore, House of Dewar’s, Royal Salute, Gordon & MacPhail, Chivas Bros, William Grant & Sons, and Glenturret presented rare whiskies from around the globe. Representation of these famous brands were both in-person and live-stream. Although its typical at the Nth for physical appearances from these international brand celebrities, they were there in spirit, no pun intended. Many shared their passion in the wee hours of the morning from private residences overseas, still in shut down, demonstrating true loyalty to the spirit industry!
It was a different setup this year as State and local government protocols restricted planning the standard full event attendance. This year celebrated a more intimate luxury Masterclass format educating whisky and spirits enthusiasts on ingredients and crafting of premium rare whiskies, rums, cognac, ports, and the like. With the help of the world class staff at Wynn Las Vegas, the Nth team designed Masterclasses and luxury dinners with appropriate social distancing to ensure the comfort and safety of attendees and still encouraged meaningful interaction. Even while social distanced the flow of the conversation and ease of camaraderie were unmistakable. Due to COVID protocols a room which typically housed exhibit stands with a tasting crowd five times the current attendance, was now set classroom style with one person per 6-foot table. Nevertheless, the guests had an enjoyable experience in this format discussing their enthusiasm for whisky, sharing tasting thoughts, nosing a glass or two, and asking valuable questions of the whisky experts and representatives of the brands.
Mark Guyton, Starkville, Mississippi commented, “There is simply no comparison to any event I’ve attended around the U.S. or in Scotland. At the Nth, you are interacting with master blenders from the distilleries – these are the very folks who decide which casks of whisky are going to be bottled, and which ones should remain in the warehouses for a few more years. You get to taste whiskies that you would never be able to taste anywhere else. Over the decade of attending the Nth I’ve made lasting friendships with other whisky enthusiasts and master distillers from around the world.”
Gavin Linde, San Diego, CA, “The Nth is hands down the best whisky event in the United States, the whisky you get access to and educated on, is nothing but the best. The Master Classes are next level, getting to meet the blenders and talk through each whisky is an experience like no other.”
New attendee Stephen Meyer, “We attended The Nth because it was the only established luxury whisky event being held in the first half of 2021 and were delighted to discover how much participation there was from world renown experts. The quality of the experience overall was more than worth the time and ticket price. This event is now a repeat for me every year!”
About Universal Whisky Experience:
Universal Whisky Experience is a promoter of luxury, super-premium whisky experiences and concierge service to assist in attaining some of the most sought-after whiskies around the globe. For more information please visit: www.universalwhiskyexperience.com
Compass Box Whisky Tasting Line-up with Whiskymaker Jill Boyd
If you don’t know Compass Box scotch whisky you are really missing out. Let’s pretend that you do: Forget for a minute that they make several blends as well as single malts, forget that their creamiest (in my humble opinion) isn’t made from malted barley but from grain whisky, forget that their whisky makes a damn fine cocktail, and maybe even forget that their labels are incredibly colorful as well as informative and provide complete transparency. But even if you can forget the unforgettable of all of the above, there is no way you will be able to forget how damn fine, and very different from each other, that these whiskies are.
Hope I have served to whet your whistle! Now, moving on, this was the sold-out invitation that the members of the Southern California Whiskey Club received:
We are delighted to welcome Jill Boyd, Whiskymaker at Compass Box, for a virtual Masterclass. Since joining the team in January 2017, Jill has become a key whisky maker at Compass Box and will be joining us all the way from the UK for this special event. Jill hails from the North-East of Scotland, and her job includes working on the brand’s blends, purchasing new-make spirit to be filled into their own casks, as well as choosing and buying matured stocks. Apart from making whiskies, she is also a brand ambassador for Compass Box. She is the perfect person to be presenting the whiskies that we will be trying, as she has probably created and put them together with John Glaser.
When we got into the tasting Boyd, at 3am her time, was animated and charming. To the point that I made very few notes of my own, only to find myself wildly animated as well as I nodded, clapped, gave the thumbs up while finishing every single drop of the list below.
The notes I have added are mostly Boyd’s.
The line-up, in the order in which we tasted:
Hedonism: This was a whisky I had tasted at the Universal Whisky Experience, aka the Nth, a few years back. I loved it so much I gifted Eddie a bottle later that year. There is vanilla, caramel, cream, and it’s 100% grain whisky. Boyd said it’s the grain whisky that accounts for the creaminess. She also said it tastes like Spring to her. This brought up a discussion about how many distilleries in Scotland are working with grain and the collective answer was seven.
Great King Street Artist’s Blend: We found a creamy nose with no burn, and a more traditional malt whisky finish though it was only 55% malt and 45% grain. Boyd said that the use of a sherry cask acts like an amplifier to the blend and allowed for notes like waxy apple, greens, woodiness, blossoms…fruity and juicy. And a literal steal for $35.
Myths and Legends: This was my favorite whisky in the tasting, after Hedonism. A single malt and not a blend. Creamy, vanilla and benefitting from charred barrels. I think this one goes for $170.
The Spice Tree: A 100% blended malt whisky. Boyd noted ginger, clove, Christmas spice, cinnamon and star anise. She also suggested making it in an Old Fashioned. Now that I want to try.
Magic Cask Ltd. Edition: Reminded me of warm waffles with a lot of maple syrup, also noted some dried fruit. Boyd commented that the vanilla notes came from the use of bourbon barrels and that the whisky was “lush”, to which I agreed.
Story of the Spaniard: This is their newest whisky, I had the Spaniard (Not the Story of) at the Nth event as well and recalled liking it very much. Both are made with a Sherry cask. This newer version was sweeter to me, and I think it would be a nice gateway whisky for newbies, an easy sipper.
Great King Street Glasgow Blend: Always serve your peated whiskies at the end of a tasting, and that’s what we did here. This one with some Laphroaig whisky (a whisky known for its great peat) had green notes and was really nice with a little water.
Peat Monster: Made with 35% Laphroaig whisky, as well as some Caol Ila whisky, there was a nice lemon, smoky bacon and green apple according to Boyd. A little water with this one worked for me too.
About Compass Box [link]:
Founded by US entrepreneur John Glaser from his kitchen in 2000 as a blending house for the modern era, constantly innovating a range of innovative blended Scotch, blended malt and blended grain whiskies. John is also always pushing for more transparency with the blends, and happily gives you the recipe to all his blends (something that is actually not allowed according to Scotch Whisky Association rules).
About Southern California Whiskey Club [link]:
A group of friends to gather together to enjoy and talk about whiskey and other spirits:
- Try spirits that we would normally not be able to.
- Review the history of different brands and see where they are today.
- Promote education and awareness of the craft that is distillation.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
Cheers to a collection of new cocktails at CASBAR Lounge at SAHARA Las Vegas
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The House of Suntory Tasting with Brand Ambassador Jonathan Armstrong
The Southern California Whiskey Club had a special Friday night event with brand ambassador Jonathan Armstrong guiding us through the history and production of this famed Japanese company: The House of Suntory. “Founded in 1899 by Shinjiro Torii, the House of Suntory has pioneered the art of Japanese whisky. This event is for everyone interested in whisky, from veteran connoisseurs to beginners, and will include a short Japanese whisky 101 portion to provide an introduction to the category.”
I had read two books on Japanese drinks, one completely devoted to whisky, to delve deep this is a link to my review of the book Japanese Whisky by Brian Ashcraft. Some of the same points were made by Armstrong: including, among other things, the use of Japanese white oak Mizunara casks and plum wine casks, and learning about Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka Distillery, who started his career in Scotland learning all he could about making whisky. From there he became the first distiller in Japan – at Suntory’s Yamazaki Distillery.
Armstrong also explained that Torii founded Suntory in 1899. The name Suntory is a nod to the Land of the Rising Sun (Japan) and Tory (Torii himself). In the beginning whisky was used for medicinal purposes. The imported Scotch whisky, blended it and sold it to their customers – including Taketsuru.
In 1907 they invented a “port wine” that was a blend of sherries and became a success. With the money they were making they were able to start the distillery in 1923. It was then that Torii went to both Scotland and France to learn what he could about both whisky and wine making. Consumption hit a high point in 1972 and they built a new distillery to meet demand.
Now, onto the tasting!
Suntory Whisky Toki is a blended whisky, with a very light color, notes of cream, toast, apricot and apple. The Hibiki Harmony blend was made with five different types of casks, and exhibited aromas and flavors that included sweet caramel, roasted nuts and vanilla bean. Next we sampled the Hibiki 12 Year Old, a blended whisky that is no longer made! Another blend of whiskies and casks, this time three different ones, gave the whisky notes of smoke, almond, fruit, spice and mild salinity.
The Yamazaki 12 Year Old had a really different nose from its predecessors: dried plum, berries, pipe smoke, kernel and cream.
Finally, the dram a lot of us were waiting for, the Yamazaki 18 Year Old was next to try. Armstrong explained that the 18 YO has a different recipe each time it’s made. He said it isn’t just the 12 YO with another 6 years. Destined to be my husband’s overall favorite, while I was quite happy with the Hibiki Harmony, the Yamazaki 18 YO was rich and layered, slight notes of golden raisins and a very full mouthfeel.
Taking a breath, and with two more whiskies to go, we jumped to the Hakushu 12 Year Old. This tasted a little peaty to me! Eddie thought I was nuts but lo and behold Armstrong said that the “bonfire” smoke was definitely there. Also contributing to the whisky were spicy hickory notes, one taster said it reminded them of beef jerky. And, finally we were on to our last whisky, the Hakushu 18 Year old. This last dram was all caramel, mango and mint – quite interesting and a nice finish to the tasting.
Suntory website [link]
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 8
- Next Page »