Whiskey Tasting
Words Sam Eldredge
Images Richard Seldomridge
When it comes to whiskey, I have to admit that I felt like we would fail in our review.
First off, a dear reader who has overcome addiction will look at this and go, “Not helpful, guys.” Then there is the snooty Scotch snob, who is going to be disappointed by whatever we choose. You know the type. And lastly, there is the drinker who doesn’t care for the price tag. He makes a point to drink from plastic bottles that slide neatly into a coat pocket.
If you are not one of those three, you may enjoy this And Sons whiskey review, which I felt was overdue. I did my best to create a tasting that delighted, surprised, and maybe disgusted my tasting crew. I’m happy to report that this was the case. I hope that what follows is of some use to you in your whiskey-tasting development.
1. Suntory Whisky Toki (Japan)
I began with this in our tasting because it was the lightest and therefore most likely to be enjoyed before our taste buds were destroyed by tougher flavors. At $35 in our local shop, this is one of the cleanest, highest rated, and affordable bottles of whisky any of us had ever tried. Plus, you get the added bonus of confirming that the Japanese actually do most things better.
Group tasting notes: cedar, smooth, clean, peach and vanilla notes, bright.
2. Monday Zero Alcohol Whiskey (California)
Surprise number one: an alcohol-free whiskey! A bottle runs around $45 before shipping, and the founders of Monday have clearly thought through their brand, their coloring, and the mouth feel of whiskey, even adding some spices to emulate the back of the mouth burn. When I drank this on its own, I found it to be an enjoyable alternative to traditional whiskey. However, when tasted side-by-side with the other alcohol-filled whiskeys, this bottle elicited disgust rather than curiosity. It’s a fine alternative to drinking; just don’t add it to your next whiskey flight.
Group tasting notes: caramel, vanilla, aspartame, maple, sour grape, cayenne.
3. Oban 14 Year Single Malt (Alba)
This Scotch is an Eldredge foundation. We love everything about Oban, the town, the food, the Scotch, heck we even named one of our dogs after it. With flavors of orange, salt, honey, and peat, this is a classic Scotch and the distillers know it, charging just under $100 a bottle. Probably not the best choice for a young man on a budget, but a great choice for a special occasion gift.
Group tasting notes: peat, oak, caramel, tequila-y, citrus, salt.
4. Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey (Eire)
Set your ideas of Irish whiskey aside (looking at you, Jameson), and give this a try. When doing a blind taste, some of our group had a tough time telling the difference between this, the Suntory, and the Oban. Of course, these members were all voted off the island.
Group tasting notes: butter, mild, old sweat, cardamom, orange.
5. Bulleit Bourbon (Kentucky)
What the–yep, it’s our second surprise. I threw this one into our blind test to see who could pick out the corn, and who didn’t mind sipping a whiskey that most of us wouldn’t think to sip next to a bottle of hundred-dollar Scotch. While none of the group said this was their favorite, Bulleit has been a staple of mixed drinks over the years. And the truth is, sipping even mid to low-tier whiskey does something to your brain … you like it more.
Group tasting notes: honey, Taco Bell leftovers, corn, butter.
6. Laphroaig 10-Year-Old Islay Single Malt (Islay)
Ah yes, Laphroaig. Some say this smells like gasoline, others like elk, others like the remains of a burnt-out cask.
It’s no joke: The peat in this Scotch will wind up and sucker punch you in the nose. Eldredges traditionally enjoy this Scotch while elk hunting and on particularly cold nights. Nearly every woman in our tasting group, and some of the men, couldn’t stand this one. So let’s say it’s an acquired taste, and you shouldn’t pretend to like it just because John Eldredge does.
Group tasting notes: peat moss, no … god … please no … mescal, Islay, salt, smoke.
Print isn’t dead.
If you enjoyed this article, you’d probably love more like it in the And Sons print issue. If you don’t have one of these on your coffee table right now, you should probably go explore our back issue catalog
