Tasting #49: SMWS April Preview

by Saratoga Whiskey Club | Apr 3, 2020 | Tastings

Tasting #49: SMWS April Preview

On Wednesday, April 1st, the Saratoga Whiskey Club had its 49th tasting. This tasting’s focus was the new release of April whiskies from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We had 6 different releases to taste from. Ben Diedrich, Co-Director of the Society here in the USA, joined us for this first virtual tasting during the Coronavirus epidemic. It was a great tasting of whisky from so many different distilleries with individual tasting profiles.

Here is what we tasted:

SMWS 26.132 ‘Krupnik and amaretti’ Clynelish 9 Year
SMWS 93.120 ‘Cocoa and coal’ Glen Scotia 14 Year
SMWS 59.59 ‘Spock’s earwax’ Teaninich 10 Year
SMWS 1.215 ‘Formidable chocolate’ Glenfarclas 15 Year
SMWS 28.43 ‘Muscle-toned heft and punch’ Tullibardine 11 Year
SMWS 53.310 ‘Kippers and slippers’ Caol Ila 10 Year

30 members were online using Zoom for this tasting.

Tasting #48: SMWS March Preview

by Saratoga Whiskey Club | Mar 12, 2020 | Tastings

Tasting #48: SMWS March Preview

On Wednesday, March 4th, the Saratoga Whiskey Club had its 48th tasting. This tasting’s focus was the new release of March whiskies from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We had 8 different releases to taste from. It was a great tasting of whisky from so many different distilleries with individual tasting profiles.

Here is what we tasted:

SMWS 71.66 ‘Farmyard feedback loop’ Glenburgie 7 Year
SMWS 55.57 ‘Digging up ginger’ Royal Brackla 10 Year
SMWS 6.32 ‘Knickerbockers at a wedding’ Glen Deveron (Macduff) 12 Year
SMWS 72.79 ‘Chocolate Bourbons’ Miltonduff 11 Year
SMWS 44.116 ‘Pirate ship in a storm’ Craigellachie 8 Year
SMWS 46.84 ‘Sipping from a velvet Tardis’ Glenlossie 17 Year
SMWS 93.119 ‘Charcoal in a honeypot’ Glen Scotia 11 Year
SMWS 16.42 ‘Top note of covfefe’ Glenturret 9 Year

30 members were in attendance for this tasting.

Tasting #47: The Whisky Hoop

by Saratoga Whiskey Club | Mar 12, 2020 | Tastings

Tasting #47: The Whisky Hoop

On Wednesday, February 19th, the Saratoga Whiskey Club held its 47th tasting as a club. The theme for this tasting was The Whisky Hoop Independent Bottlings. These bottles were brought back from Japan. The Whisky Hoop is a members-only independent bottler that sells mostly to Japanese bars. It was an incredible tasting.

The whiskies that we tasted included:

Talisker 6 Year
Arran 16 Year
Clynelish 23 Year
Glendronach 22 Year
Tobermory 11 Year
Bunnahabhain 4 Year

23 members were in attendance for this tasting.

Tasting #46: Burns Night

by Saratoga Whiskey Club | Mar 12, 2020 | Tastings

Tasting #46: Burns Night

On Thursday, January 30th, the Saratoga Whiskey Club had its 46th tasting. It was incredibly special evening as it was our first Burns Night for the club! Holly Seidewand from Bacardi’s Single Malts Portfolio hosted our group and brought along some special whiskies. We also added a few to make for a perfect tasting. The food consisted of charcuterie boards, haggis balls and a beef stew.

Here are the whiskies that were tasted:

Aberfeldy 12 Year
Aberfeldy 16 Year
Aberfeldy 21 Year
Aberfeldy Exceptional Cask 20 Year
Aberfeldy Exceptional Cask 24 Year
Craigellachie 13 Year
Craigellachie 17 Year
Craigellachie Exceptional Cask 19 Year
Compass Box Affinity

36 members were in attendance for this first Burns Night!

Tasting #42: SMWS November Releases

by Saratoga Whiskey Club | Nov 15, 2019 | Tastings

Tasting #42: SMWS November Releases

On Wednesday, November 6th, the Saratoga Whiskey Club had its 42nd tasting as a club! The theme of this tasting was New November Releases from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We will be doing similar tastings once a quarter going forward as we really enjoy tasting some of the new expressions that are being released. 25 members were in attendance for this outing!

Here is a list of the whiskies we tasted:

SMWS 1.211 – Glenfarclas – 8 YR ‘Ironing a lemon’
SMWS 64.111 – Mannochmore – 8 YR ‘Pleasing sweetness, playful heat’
SMWS 44.114 – Craigellachie – 12 YR ‘Sweet peas and toffee trees’
SMWS 9.167 – Glen Grant – 23 YR ‘Part of the furniture’
SMWS 16.39 – Glenturret – 18 YR ‘Sweetness and spice laced with mystery’
SMWS 73.114 – Aultmore – 17 YR ‘Total eclipse of oloroso’
SMWS 10.176 – Bunnahabhain – 11 YR ‘Tea-smoked salmon’
SMWS 53.276 – Caol Ila – 6 YR ‘Ein kleiner deutscher samurai’

It was a fantastic night of tasting new expressions.

Check out the scores! Scores

Slainte!