Tasting #37 Recap: SMWS Tasting

Tasting #37 Recap: SMWS Tasting

by | Jul 30, 2019 | Tastings

Tasting #37 Recap: SMWS Tasting

On Wednesday, July 24th, the Saratoga Whiskey Club welcomed Tom Smith, the USA Director of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, to Saratoga Springs. He hosted a fantastic tasting of the July Outturn releases of the SMWS. Along with the whisky, we were entertained with history of the SMWS, a variety of toasts and some discounts on membership and bottles. 35 members were in attendance for this tasting!

Here is a list of the whiskies we tasted:

  • Cask 93.107 – Glen Scotia – 7 Year ‘Flexing the mussels’
  • Cask 1.209 – Glenfarclas – 7 Year ‘Waxing a hot woodsman’
  • Cask 5.70 – Auchentoshan – 18 Year ‘In the absence of convention’
  • Cask 35.224 – Glen Moray – 23 Year ‘Fata Morgana’
  • Cask 52.25 – Old Pulteney – 11 Year ‘A morning at the beach’
  • Cask 53.287 – Caol Ila – 12 Year ‘Ye olde medisin’

It was a fantastic evening with Tom and we look forward to another visit in the future. Everyone enjoyed this special treat. Cheers!

Tasting #36 Recap: Feis Ile 2019

Tasting #36 Recap: Feis Ile 2019

by | Jun 27, 2019 | Tastings

Tasting #36 Recap: Feis Ile 2019

On Wednesday, June 26th, the Saratoga Whiskey Club had a really special & unique tasting that focused on bottles recently brought back from the Feis Ile Music & Whisky Festival on Islay. This was a first for the club and probably one of our best tastings to date! It was a packed house and there were 20 members in attendance.

Here is a list of the whiskies we tasted:

  • Bunnahabhain 17 Year Sauternes Finish – Feis Ile 2019
  • Bowmore 15 Year Ex-Bourbon – Feis Ile 2019
  • Laphroaig Cairdeas Triple Wood Cask Strength – Feis Ile 2019
  • Lagavulin 19 Year – Feis Ile 2019
  • Caol Ila 22 Year – Feis Ile 2019
  • Octomore Event Horizon – Feis Ile 2019

For scores from the tasting, please go to Scores.

It was a fantastic evening recapping the Feis Ile and tasting some of the superb whiskies that we brought home to New York. Everyone enjoyed this special treat. Cheers!

Tasting #34 Recap: Drams For Fams 2019

Tasting #34 Recap: Drams For Fams 2019

by | May 7, 2019 | Tastings

Tasting #34 Recap: Drams For Fams 2019

On Thursday, May 2nd, the Saratoga Whiskey Club took part for the second year in the North American Drams For Fams charity benefit. Drams for Fams was started a few years ago by the Edmonton Scotch Club in Edmonton, Canada, as a way to use their love for whisky tasting to raise money for the local Edmonton Food Bank. Last year we joined them along with a number of other whiskey clubs throughout Canada and the United States. Over $50,000 was raised since the idea was started.

Our club benefit whiskey tasting was held at Henry Street Taproom in Saratoga Springs, NY. HST was kind enough to donate the space to hold the event as well as provide tasty appetizers. Whiskey was donated by members of the Saratoga Whiskey Club and by some brands. Money raised from ticket sales ($50 per ticket) is being donated to the Franklin Community Center, our local support center for families in need of food and supplies. The Saratoga Whiskey Club raised $1250 this year.

The goal for 2020 is to double this club initiative.

17 whiskies were donated and 25 members attended this wonderful evening of sampling and comraderie. It’s exciting to see the 13 clubs that are now involved in this charity and how much money is being raised this year. We are proud to be a part of this group.

Here are some photos from the evening.

Tasting #32 Recap: For Peat’s Sake

Tasting #32 Recap: For Peat’s Sake

by | Apr 26, 2019 | Tastings

Tasting #32 Recap: For Peat’s Sake

On Wednesday, April 10th, and Thursday, April 25th, the Saratoga Whiskey Club had its first tasting that just focused on peat. We have had plenty of peated whiskies before, but they were usually from one area (Islay), so this tasting was different in that we had Speyside, Highlands, Japan and of course Islay. We also paired each whisky with different smoked snacks. There were 28 members in attendance.

Here is a list of the whiskies we tasted:

  • Glenfiddich’s Fire & Cane – paired with Applewood smoked salame
  • Ancnoc Cutter – paired with smoked Gouda and aged Cheddar
  • Kaiyo The Peated – paired with Teriyaki beef jerky
  • Port Charlotte 10 Year – paired with smoked mussels
  • SMWS 10.118 ‘Enthralling pink and peat intensity’ – Bunnahabhain 10 Year – paired with smoked trout and smoked salmon

For scores from the tasting, please go to Scores.

Two fun evenings of education and great whisky. Cheers!

Tasting #31 Recap: Luxury SMWS Vertical Tasting

Tasting #31 Recap: Luxury SMWS Vertical Tasting

by | Apr 1, 2019 | Tastings

Tasting #31 Recap: Luxury SMWS Vertical Tasting

On Wednesday, March 27, the Saratoga Whiskey Club had its first Luxury tasting of 2019. The focus of the tasting was a SMWS Vertical Tasting of Glen Grant whiskies. It was an incredible evening and all of the whiskies were special in their own way. It was amazing to see how three of the bottles that were distilled on the same day in 1996 were so different from each other. There were 18 members in attendance.

Here is a list of the whiskies we tasted:

  • SMWS 9.147 ‘Cocktails in a coalmine’ – Glen Grant 21 Year
  • SMWS 9.148 ‘Mustard, custard and musk’ – Glen Grant 21 Year
  • SMWS 9.155 ‘Witches’ night’ – Glen Grant 22 Year
  • SMWS 9.152 ‘Mindful savouring’ – Glen Grant 25 Year
  • SMWS 9.150 ‘Thyme well spent’ – Glen Grant 30 Year

For scores from the tasting, please go to Scores.

An extraordinary evening of Scotch. Cheers!