lagilman | The Tasting Notes from Burns Night Master Series

First, the Food Porn Photos, via our host, Keen's Steakhouse

My (relatively) ladylike KC Strip:

and the mid-point of my companions' Slab O Porterhouse:

None of these cows had more than been frightened by a flame. Nom.

After, there was the Masters Series Scotch tasting for Burns Night. I tried to get photos of the piping in of the haggis, but they don't seem to have come out, so you'll just have to live with my tasting notes

Aside: I taste Scotch with a wine vocabulary. I can't help it.

1. Glenmorange Original:
nose: wild roses
Taste: tangerine, faint vanilla, lingering suggestion of roses.
The 'foundation' Scotch for Glenmorangie -- aged 10 years in bourbon white oak barrels
[I already knew I liked this]

2. Glenmorangie Lasanta 12-year
Nose: almost but not quite musty, leather & straw
Taste: Cleaner than expected, with afternote of musk, raisins and brine, Spicy, but soft.
[ok, but didn't knock me sideways]

3. Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12-year
Nose: delicate black licorice and more wild roses
Taste: Cassis & black licorice and dark chocolate -- very suggestive of port
yep -- finished port wood barrels for 2 years.
[not bad a'tall]

4. Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or 12-year
Nose: Hard to pick anything specific up -- subtle and smooth
Taste: Creamy and woody, a hint of sea salt on the finish. Sophisticated.
Sauterne casks. Uh huh. Paris rather than Scotland
[lovely. you'd surprise a lot of non-Scotch drinkers with this one]

5. Glenmorangie 18-year
Nose: stewed pears and white peach -- ripe, but not as overwhelming as it sounds
Taste: A very sharp taste in the back of the throat -- reminded me of an excellent Polish vodka.

6. Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX
Nose: wow. just.. wow. Sharp and strong and demanding, and wow.
Taste: Ripe banana, hints of ginger and tropical sugar, with the sharp kick hidden under a rounded and smooth mouthfeel.
[did I say wow already? Just being introduced to the market -- $75 retail]

7. Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Nose: hints of tobacco and seaweed. You know this one's a peat monster.
Taste: Like drinking liquid smoke, but softened and sweetened. 114 proof
[hello. yes, so glad to meet you, peat. Do linger a while, please]

8. Ardbeg Uigadall
Nose: all I got from this was the sharp whiff of alcohol and smoke
Taste: After cutting it with a drop of water, it has a smooth intensity of woodsmoke and a throaty finish of peat. Pretty much exactly what I'd expect from a full-throttle Ardbeg.

Eight was just about the right number to taste -- after going to so many training session where I had to taste 20+ wines in a day, my taste buds staged a revolt. I much prefer to slow down and enjoy, rather than evaluate-spit-move on. That said, I did grab a glass of the Sonnalta to sip while we mingled afterward. :-)

There was also the awful Scots/Scotch-specific joke from our host of which the punchline was "because he prefers peat to heather." Scottish puns are really, really bad.