To quote Tony, “Thank you Bill H. for hosting the Robbie Burns tasting on Wednesday, January 25th replete with well-prepared haggis and, considering the lack of practice, a reasonably presented address thereto!”
Only 6 of the group were able to join the festivities. With one snowed in at Pearson International, one basking in California sunshine and another slip/sliding down the slopes, there was a toast and thank you from those of us lucky enough to attend to those unable to join us as we enjoyed another two wonderful samples of Scotland’s finest.
Bill’s first choice for the evening was the Arran Port Cask finish. Described in some
reviews as “the ideal after-dinner whisky”, this Port Cask Finish is a delicious and complex single malt from the Lochranza-based distillery. “Initially aged in oak casks for a period of eight years, before enjoying a second maturation in artisan port casks, this bottling sees the richness of the fortified wine marry perfectly with Arran’s signature citrus and cereal style. The decision to bottle at 50% has added more depth, body and flavour.” So says, The House of Malt
Interestingly, The Arran distillery is a patron of the World Robert Burns Federation and they are the only whisky distillery to be able to use the image and signature of Robert Burns on their packaging. A perfect choice of Bill’s. Imagine drinking a fine dram to celebrate Robbie Burns from a distillery who uses his image and signature on their packaging. How appropriate!
- NOSE, expect cinnamon and baked apples. The group easily pointed to the cinnamon.
- PALATE – Vanilla spice, ripe citrus & dried fruits and nuttiness. With a splash of water more depth of mandarin citrus with fudge and honeyed notes.
- FINISH – Spice, Bitter orange, Chocolate, Cherries.
At roughly $117.00 this is a good deal!
Number two for the evening was the TAMDHU 12 year old. Master of Malt says this about the Tamdhu 12 year old, “A fabulous Tamdhu, matured exclusively in a combination of first-fill and refill Oloroso sherry casks for 12 years. Sherried Speyside whisky is always a winner, with oodles of fruit and spice. Check out that handsome retro bottle, too. Stunning stuff.
- Nose: Orange Starburst, cinnamon swirls and toasted oak, along with some mint chocolate.
- Palate: Lots of plum, juicy raisin, fried banana, raspberry jam doughnuts and oak spice.
- Finish: Chocolate fudge and just a whisper of smoke, with sweet cinnamon returning.
At $110.00 or so, this whisky is a steal!
Bill’s choice of appies – smoked oysters, baked brie, tampanade, candied salmon, pate and a selection of cheeses were great choices and well received. Of course, the dark chocolate topped things off perfectly.
We salute Bill’s noble effort as he presented the haggis with music ably supplied by an iPhone. Tony said it best … “The drams and appies were excellent and the company even better. Another splendid evening.
