A recent tasting by the River City Whisky Society was a Blind Tasting. There was no particular theme. We featured five whiskies and poured them from brown, paper bags.
What is really great about a tasting like this is that cost does not come into play when deciding what you like the best in this group. The 35 tasters did not know the cost, the alcohol content, the age, or even the country of origin. They were simply asked to rank them and offer a few notes about the experience.
And here are the results:
5th Place: Brenne 10 Year Old, 48% ALC, $92, French Single Malt Whisky
Not much on the nose, Starts sweet, Tastes of citrus, Very light, A little peppery, Short finish.
4th Place: Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky, 45% ALC, $70, Japanese Whisky
Fruity aroma, Very smooth, Tastes of banana, Lots of fruit and toffee, Medium finish.
3rd Place: Eagle Rare 10 Year Old, 45% ALC, $35, Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Sweet on the nose, Very earthy taste, Good rye taste, Definitely a good bourbon, Really good finish.
2nd Place: Angels Envy, 50% ALC, $85, Rye Whiskey
Powerful nutty/coffee taste, Tastes of caramel, Taste of butterscotch, Peppery, Balanced, Smooth finish.
1st Place: Redbreast 12 Year Old, 40% ALC, $54, Irish Whiskey
Excellent nose, Aroma of banana bread, Full flavor, Hint of maple syrup, Creamy texture, Great lingering finish. Easy drinking!
Blind tastings are a lot of fun as everyone tries to guess what they are drinking. Any many in our group were very close.
Also it is important to note that each of these expressions were ranked in 1st place by some of the tasters. Each are really good and should have a place on your bar.
Once again, thank you to all our tasters. Another great evening!
Doug #1