This Blog’s NEAT
A blog for the whiskey-curious.
Blind Tasting No. 10 Recap
Aging or finishing whisky in sherry butts is common practice in the Scotch industry as it adds a layer of complexity to the final product. The flavors that the whisky picks up will depend on the sherry that was previous in the cask, meaning different sherry butts will have different impacts on the whisky. During Blind Tasting No. 10, we got to experience this first hand with Tomatin’s Cuatro Series. We tasted the same Highland single malt from Tomatin Distillery that was finished in four different first-fill sherry butts: fino, manzanilla, oloroso and pedro ximenez. The impact of the different sherries is very subtle, making this tasting the most challenging to date! Not to mention, there were four whiskies this time. Here’s a little bit about what we tried!
Blind Tasting No. 9 Recap
During this tasting we tried three different rye whiskeys that were all different styles. The members didn’t know which whiskeys they were trying, so based entirely on their senses they had to determine which whiskey was 100% rye mash, Monongahela style (no corn in the mash bill) and Kentucky style (51% rye in the mash bill). They also had to pick out which of the three was a Canadian rye and which included malted rye in the mash. To reiterate, this was challenging!
Blind Tasting No. 8 Recap
By popular demand, this weekend we tasted through whiskies from East Asia! Two of the whiskies were from Japan and the third was from Taiwan. Both Japanese and Taiwanese whiskies have been highly awarded recently causing them to gain popularity among US consumers. Check out what whiskies we tried and how the tasting went here!
Japanese Whisky
In recent years, Japanese whisky has picked up a lot of hype with consumers. So much so that the prices of some bottles have increased by five times their original market price. But why? What’s the big deal? What makes Japanese whisky so special?
Q: Distillation cuts?
“What are the different distillation cuts?” When distilling any spirit, there are parts of the distillate that you want to keep and others that you want to toss out. The distillation cuts are commonly referred to as the heads, hearts and tails and they condense off the still in that order. The hearts cut is what the distiller keeps, ages and bottles. Read about the composition of each distillation cut and more here!
“Whiskey is a man’s drink.”
It’s true, women are outnumbered in the whiskey industry, although our representative numbers have increased over time to almost a third. Get it ladies! Regardless of whether or not you believe whiskey is a man’s drink, science will prove this deep-rooted stereotype wrong. There are standardized tests used to quantify a person’s smelling abilities, namely olfactory threshold, identification and discrimination. The results of a meta-analysis conducted in 2019 indicated that women generally outperform men in every aspect of olfaction analyzed. Meaning, our senses are superior for nosing and tasting whiskey. Maybe this is why men try so hard to exclude us from “their club”.
Blind Tasting No. 7 Recap
This weekend we tasted three different triple distilled whiskeys. Traditionally, Irish whiskeys are triple distilled, but thats not all we tried. Triple distillation results in a refined, delicate whiskey that takes on a majority of its character from the cask(s) during aging. Each whiskey we tasted was aged differently, meaning they had very different flavor profiles. Check out the whiskeys that we tried in this recap!
Bourbon
The law states that bourbon must be made in the US from a majority corn mash bill and stored in new charred oak barrels. But why? How did corn and new charred barrels come to define bourbon? Many stories relate to the origins of bourbon, a lot of them stir up controversy. Most of them are probably folktales, emerging only because the truth is not actually known. So mysterious! I dive into some of those stories here.
Blind Tasting No. 6 Recap
Each bourbon has its own unique flavor profile and one reason for this stems from the mash bill. Bourbon can contain anywhere from 51-100% corn in the mash, meaning secondary grains can greatly influence the flavors. During this tasting, we tried three bourbons with the goal of identifying what kind of mash bill was used for each. This was very challenging! Some even claim that the most refined palates aren’t able to distinguish between the secondary grains when tasting bourbons blind. See how the Whiskey Club members did!
What is the pH of Whiskey?
“Do whiskeys have different pHs?” Yes! A whiskey’s pH is dependent on its age. I was so curious that I bought a pH meter and took measurements of my own. I discuss all of that data in this blog post!
Blind Tasting No. 5 Recap
This weekend we focussed on Islay single malt scotches, which are notorious for being peaty. But not all Islay whiskies are in-your-face smoky and some aren’t smoky at all. The aim of this tasting was to prove that by easing the club members into peaty whiskies. Islay tell you how the tasting went!
Q: Sourcing Whiskey?
“Is it common for distilleries that are just starting up to source whiskey from other distilleries?” Yes, sourcing is very common among new distilleries in the US, as well as established distilleries. We don’t realize that many of our favorite whiskey brands are sourced from other distilleries. This lack of transparency gives sourcing a stigma in the US. Read more about that here.
(Image of MGP by alcademics.com)
Whiskey Dilution
“When is it okay to add water to whiskey and how much do you add?” This question can spark a heated argument depending on who you ask. But since you asked me, I’ll tell you my guidelines for adding water. Do not add water during a tasting unless clearly instructed to do so by the host. All other times, you can add water as desired, be it in the frozen, still or sparkling form. Read my reasoning for these guidelines here. Hint: I take a scientific approach.
Q: Mouthfeel?
“What words are usually used to describe the mouthfeel of whiskey?” Mouthfeel is a big part in how we assess a whiskey and can vary from palate to palate. Describe how it feels in your mouth with whatever words feel appropriate to you. The words I use are hot, viscous, thin, creamy, silky, dry, tannic and astringent. Pro-tip: steer clear from using “smooth” as it’s not a precise descriptor. Read this to find out how I define these terms and to see what other terms are used by industry professionals.
Blind Tasting for Black Girls CODE Recap
This last NEAT tasting was really something special. We not only opened up the conversation about the need for diversity in the whiskey industry, but we also raised a little over $1200 that was donated to Black Girls CODE. I am so grateful for all of the NEAT Whiskey Club members contributions! And I’m increasingly impressed in the development of everyone’s palates. This tasting was challenging and here’s the recap.
Q: What about 7?
“Why can’t I use 7 to score the whiskey during NEAT tastings?” If you’ve done a tasting with me, you’ll know that I ask you to rate the whiskeys 1-10, but you can’t use 7. If you’re also curious, here’s my answer.
Q: Whiskey color?
“What words do I use to describe a whiskey’s color?” I will usually keep it simple and stick to words like straw, golden and caramel, tossing light or rich in front if I need to. Read this if you want even more descriptors and to know what the whiskey’s color is telling you.
My Story
Here’s a picture of me lifting a sandbag, which is not what this blog post is about. Read about how I got into whiskey and why I’m passionate about it. Hint: Whiskey is more than just a spirit you drink.
Blind Tasting No. 4 Recap
This Saturday we had a tasting dedicated to understanding the mash bill of a whiskey using a few of FEW Spirits’ whiskeys. Read about how it went here!
Blind Tasting No. 3 Recap
This weekend’s NEAT blind tasting was all about Scotch! Single malt scotch to be exact. Here’s a recap!
Curious about something?
Don’t hesitate to ask!
Let me know if there’s anything you’re wondering about in the world of whiskey. Whether it has to do with making, tasting or buying whiskey, I’ll give you my answer and post it in the blog. Odds are, if you’re curious about something, other people are wondering it too.