Help Alexsweden plan a tasting

Connemara peated

Glen Garioch 12

Port Charlotte Islay Barley

GlenDronach CS batch 4

Amrut peated CS

First, I will say that I have tried all of these whiskies – if not the exact same batches you will have. And I am going to disagree with the current order. I personally believe that peat will usually trump ABV as far a blasting out a nose and palate. So my strong suggestion would be:

1st - Glen Garioch 12 – this is a funky malt forward flavor that should go first.

2nd - GlenDronach CS batch 4 – this is a clean sherry and PX matured whisky. Granted, it is at cask strength, but the clean flavors will be dulled by the experience of peat (in my opinion). It is also very easy drinking especially with a drop of water. My guess is that this will be one of the favorites of the night (depending on the number of peat lovers in attendance).

Then you do the three peated whiskies in a row based on ABV.

3rd - Connemara peated – this is the least “peated” of the three.

4th - Port Charlotte Islay Barley – this is typically very smoky with sweet malt.

5th - Amrut peated CS – I don’t know the batch you have but the batches I have tried have been monsters both in terms of peat and ABV. There is nowhere else but last for this guy in my opinion.

That is what I would do.
Please let us know how it goes!

I completely agree with @Nock. Start with the lightest unpeated and work through to the heaviest peated. I look forward to your post event report. Cheers.

I also agree with @Nock on the order of the tasting.

I definitely see your point and I haven't tasted all of these whiskies. However I have tasted the connemara and I find it quite weak. Good on its own but too weak to hang with the big boys so I'm a bit afraid that it'll get overrun by the CS Glendronach.

@Alexsweden, just take a 15 minute interval to nibble on something between the Glendronach CS and the peaty stuff. The palates will adjust.

I would put the Amrut peated CS nearer the beginning of your peated whiskies if you want to be able t o taste the complexities, so before the PC for sure. And you must use a stemmed glass and perform the Ashok Manoeuvre!

@Alexsweden, definitely the two Glens at the front end. @Nock and @Victor both make valid points.

Wine is used to cleanse the pallet when dining; however, when drinking whisky, food is used to cleanse the pallet. Simple crackers, green tea, black coffee, and 90% dark chocolate are the minimum. Cheese, fruit, salumi or charcuterie would also be a nice touch.

Environment is important. During the holiday stretch I presented a tasting of seven 100% rye whiskies, all from Alberta Distillers Ltd. The venue was a vibrant bistro, the ambiance was excellent. We breezed through the pre-tasting of single grain examples, including some new make, which was brought by a distillery owner. The session was moving along nicely with only two expressions, or in this case, iterations remaining. when the scent of bleach filled the air. The tile floor near our table had been cleaned and quickly derailed our event. We eventually completed the tasting and the favourite of the night was the last whisky sampled.

I sincerely appreciate all of you for helping me plan this. I'm missing one person so to plan ahead I'm thinking that I'll put one of my own bottles in it's place instead.

Glen Garioch 12

Glenfarclas 15

GlenDronach CS batch 4

Connemara peated

Amrut peated CS

Port Charlotte Islay Barley

I'm still not sure about where to put the Connemara though. In the last tasting I had I put A'bunadh 47 before Kilkerran 7 sherry Wood thinking peat over ABV and it was no good at all. The Kilkerran was totally underpowered to follow the A'bunadh even though its peated.

@Alexsweden Well, I think you're going to miss out on a lot of the subtler notes of the Amrut if you gave a smacker like GlenDronach CS beforehand...

And the last one is in.

We're having

Glen Garioch 12

A single cask bordeaux matured Auchentoshan of undisclosed ABV

Connemara peated

GlenDronach CS batch 4

Amrut peated CS

Port Charlotte Islay Barley

I Think this is my prefered order. I Think that the Connemara will be overpowered and drowned out if taken after the CS stuff. And i do not believe that the smokiness will retract from the (in my mind) more powerful GlenDronach

I have even considered starting with the Connemara since it's the only one av 40% ABV

@Alexsweden

Let us know how it goes...

The Auchentoshan is pushing 60% so I'll switch it with the Connemara.

Final order is

Glen Garioch 12

Connemara peated

A single cask bordeaux matured Auchentoshan CS

GlenDronach CS batch 4

Amrut peated CS

Port Charlotte Islay Barley

Accompanied by some crackers with brie cheese and some dark chocolate and ofcourse water..

I want to thank you yet again for all your input, it has been most valuable I assure you! I'll come back with a report of how it Went.

So, here's the (a bit tardy) report from the tasting.

Everyone had a great time! Good friends and good whisky makes for a fine evening. One of my friends brought the single cask auchentoshan and that really was a Trickster! Very intense but rather odd flavors. Myself I liked it and also found a really unusual note of mushroom that felt very malplace.

The Glendronach was voted favorite of the night but I had the Amrut as winner! Also I printed out the distiller's own notes to compare. I must say that the folks at Bruichladdich have quite some artistry... Bluebells and bracken!?

Alex.. Sounds like a great night, may I ask which Auchentoshan cask it was ? That is if you have the information.. I have a few of the bottle your owns..

I'll see what I can do @sorren

@Alexsweden not surprised the Amrut did well.

I ha e a few favourite distilleries of single malt, Amrut is the only one in which I would say I have never tried an expression that wasn't good or great.

This weekend I'm going to a big whisky expo and I'll make sure to try more Amruts in your honor @Nozinan