"We had cocktail parties and I'd stay up until 5 in the morning." -Dorothy Malone
Days after the whirlwind of a weekend which was The Boston Cocktail Summit, I was still reeling from over 72 hours of learning while imbibing!
These lucky mixologist/bartenders/distillers/distributors/etc are members of a profession most closely related to the dapper Mad Men and women we watch on AMC- where sipping is a requirement- than the kid making rum and coke or slinging a bottle of beer your way...not that there's anything wrong with that...
This is serious work and these professionals are passionate about their craft!
There were a number of familiar faces and many other spirits industry luminaries with whom I was excited to have the opportunity to chat and socialize.
The Annihilation of Whisk(e)y Intimidation!
Ladies:
Do not be afraid to drink this beautiful nectar!
I was introduced to scotch whisky almost a decade ago through a guy I was dating at the time. Since then I’ve stood by a few staples, but I have been on a mission to broaden my palate over the past 8 months or so and boy did I attend the perfect course on the topic:
The Women & Whiskey presentation at Citizen Public House was hosted by Hollis Bulleit (Bulleit Bourbon), Joy Richard (Bar Mgr @Citizen Public House & Other Franklin Group establishments), and Brandy Rand (National spirits marketing and PR professional).
A brief introduction to the women:
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| Hollis Bulleit and Joy Richard |
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| Brandy Rand |
A brief introduction to the women:
Joy Richard, who fell in love with the spirit back in 2007 and loves introducing whiskey to women, shared how, when opening Citizen, a number of distilleries were visited to create the whiskey list which has grown to nearly 200 options all with the help of Assistant Bar Manager Chad.
We started with a lovely punch served at the door. Joy created the elixir at a LUPEC meeting in her home. Made with bonded (100 Proof) whiskey, strawberry syrup, sparkling wine, lemon juice.
Hollis Bulleit, the great, great, great grand-daughter of Augustus Bulleit, is 6th generation Bulleit Bourbon.
She is also the only woman who travels and teaches in the company.
Hollis discussed the importance of taste and smell.
She is also the only woman who travels and teaches in the company.
Hollis discussed the importance of taste and smell.
Spirits tasting should involve sight, smell, and taste. We were reminded that women have a superior sense of smell, especially those of reproductive age.
We also learned not to be afraid of descriptive terms. A well-educated bartender, like you'd find at Citizens and other great bars around the city, will be able to offer a whiskey appropriate for your palate. Do you enjoy a smokey scotch, a malty bourbon perhaps? Ask and you shall receive.
We also learned not to be afraid of descriptive terms. A well-educated bartender, like you'd find at Citizens and other great bars around the city, will be able to offer a whiskey appropriate for your palate. Do you enjoy a smokey scotch, a malty bourbon perhaps? Ask and you shall receive.
Another superpower we women posses is the ability to creatively and emotionally express how we feel about products. We were encouraged by Brandy to evoke spice cabinet references. We should consider both cooking and baking spices when tasting spirits and you'd be surprised what you come up with in your tasting notes. "Whiskey is a symphony of compounds",says Rand.
Because taste buds are trainable, you can really train your palate in an effort to mature it. Brandy considered a tip she learned once- go to the market and smell fruits, spices, herbs, etc. as a palate preparatory regime.
I also feel that my palate is continuously trained through experiencing foods and being adventurous, open, and aware when doing so.
Because taste buds are trainable, you can really train your palate in an effort to mature it. Brandy considered a tip she learned once- go to the market and smell fruits, spices, herbs, etc. as a palate preparatory regime.
I also feel that my palate is continuously trained through experiencing foods and being adventurous, open, and aware when doing so.
Joy guided the group through nose notes. She recommends sniffing the whiskeys with an open mouth to avoid taking in only the alcohol content and to inhale the aromas, but do not treat it like you would a wine. Pulling lots of air over the palate after taking in a spirit can lead to choking and other untoward effects.
We were provided water not only to cleanse the palate, but to open up the spirit with a drop. You can also add ice cubes for the same effect. It's really the imbiber's choice.
"Water is to whiskey what air is to wine", says Hollis. Proofing down the whiskey, as it is called, really does open up the spirit to reveal more flavor than taking it in alone. It decreased the alcohol and increased the bouquet.
You want to coat the tongue (all taste buds), soft & hard palate, and gums. Hold the product in your mouth possibly using the following rule of thumb: For every year of age, hold it for 1 second. Most American whiskeys you'd hold for 5 seconds, Scotch for ~10, etc. Taking this literally can have the opposite effect. 10 seconds is likely good enough. Swallow and then inhale.
The Tastings:
Michael Collins
We began with Michael Collins, an 80 proof Irish whiskey aged 4-12 years. Michael Collins is double distilled vs. triple and was the darker of the 6 we tasted with a rich amber color. It was light but smoky on the nose with some custard supported by flavors such as French vanilla, caramel, and even grass.
Meghan of Booze Epoque even described alfalfa. Other attendees describe tarragon and leather. Joy and Chad also described orange Tic-Tac or chewable baby aspirin!
It's wise and more fun to elaborate on flavors you may pick up during a tasting.
If you pick up apple notes, describe them as granny smith, or Macintosh, or pink lady apples.
Should you pick up tropical fruit, describe it further as guava, pineapple, etc.
Taste spices? Are they cinnamon, cardamon, clove?
How about pepper? Is it white pepper? Black pepper?
Use your imagination! There are no wrong answers.
In general, blended Irish whiskeys are lighter when compared to Scotch, Bourbon, and Canadian whiskey. They are good for entry level partakers as it tends not to blow out the palate.
We were provided water not only to cleanse the palate, but to open up the spirit with a drop. You can also add ice cubes for the same effect. It's really the imbiber's choice.
"Water is to whiskey what air is to wine", says Hollis. Proofing down the whiskey, as it is called, really does open up the spirit to reveal more flavor than taking it in alone. It decreased the alcohol and increased the bouquet.
You want to coat the tongue (all taste buds), soft & hard palate, and gums. Hold the product in your mouth possibly using the following rule of thumb: For every year of age, hold it for 1 second. Most American whiskeys you'd hold for 5 seconds, Scotch for ~10, etc. Taking this literally can have the opposite effect. 10 seconds is likely good enough. Swallow and then inhale.
The Tastings:
Michael Collins
We began with Michael Collins, an 80 proof Irish whiskey aged 4-12 years. Michael Collins is double distilled vs. triple and was the darker of the 6 we tasted with a rich amber color. It was light but smoky on the nose with some custard supported by flavors such as French vanilla, caramel, and even grass.
Meghan of Booze Epoque even described alfalfa. Other attendees describe tarragon and leather. Joy and Chad also described orange Tic-Tac or chewable baby aspirin!
If you pick up apple notes, describe them as granny smith, or Macintosh, or pink lady apples.
Should you pick up tropical fruit, describe it further as guava, pineapple, etc.
Taste spices? Are they cinnamon, cardamon, clove?
How about pepper? Is it white pepper? Black pepper?
Use your imagination! There are no wrong answers.
In general, blended Irish whiskeys are lighter when compared to Scotch, Bourbon, and Canadian whiskey. They are good for entry level partakers as it tends not to blow out the palate.
An interesting marketing fact is that though Jameson is one of the most popular whiskeys, it's simply because of marketing scheme (earning a higher price point) more so than quality. Collins is generally thought to be better. Same goes for Jack Daniels.
What distinguishes Tennessee whiskeys (e.g. Jack Daniels and Dickel) from bourbon is the Lincoln County Process which requires charcoal filtering before barrel aging. Dickel also filters through virgin woolen blankets which can be purchased at their distillery!
Note: Most major Mash Bills (recipes) for Tennessee and other American whiskeys include 14% rye, high 70s corn, and the remainder barley malt.
Do not look at age or price for quality. 10 year olds age they at a slower rate which is not necessarily commensurate with quality.
Dickel No.12 presented on the nose as birthday cake batter and marshmallow. The high corn content and likely the maple charcoal filtering both impart sweetness. The mouth feel even provokes charred corn and s'mores on the palate with nice heat. The viscosity of Dickel is highlighted and apparent, especially after the low viscosity of the Collins Irish.
The ladies suggested that Dickel No. 12 and the Barrel Select are best for cocktails, though Joy discourages adding citrus to any high end whiskey (with the exception of oil from a twist- the zest), so no Old Fashions here ladies. Instead, vermouth or green chartreuse are both great options.
Dickel No.12 presented on the nose as birthday cake batter and marshmallow. The high corn content and likely the maple charcoal filtering both impart sweetness. The mouth feel even provokes charred corn and s'mores on the palate with nice heat. The viscosity of Dickel is highlighted and apparent, especially after the low viscosity of the Collins Irish.
The ladies suggested that Dickel No. 12 and the Barrel Select are best for cocktails, though Joy discourages adding citrus to any high end whiskey (with the exception of oil from a twist- the zest), so no Old Fashions here ladies. Instead, vermouth or green chartreuse are both great options.
Hollis decided to go with the bourbon before the rye. "The sweetness compliments the Dickel No. 12."
Bulleit bourbon expands the portforlio. It contains the highest rye content of bourbons, at 28%. Most rye bourbons are 14%. Because rye adds
spice, you can imagine this increase creates a significantly unique product. Bulleit is also about 60% corn, adding more sweet notes. They use a grade 4 out of 5 corn yielding a higher quality, cleaner bourbon. Grad 4 means no mold and as you can imagine, mold does affect the taste.
The Bourbon Laws:
It was very interesting to learn that being born and raised in Kentucky is not the end all for a product to be legally labeled "Bourbon".
By law, the Mash Bill must contain 51% corn for bourbons and 51% for ryes. Some distillers will not reveal their Mash Bill as they consider it proprietary. They must be distilled to < 160 proof (80% ABV), barreled at < 125 proof (62.5% ABV), and bottled at 80 proof (40 ABV)-as are other whiskeys.
The Bourbon Laws:
It was very interesting to learn that being born and raised in Kentucky is not the end all for a product to be legally labeled "Bourbon".
By law, the Mash Bill must contain 51% corn for bourbons and 51% for ryes. Some distillers will not reveal their Mash Bill as they consider it proprietary. They must be distilled to < 160 proof (80% ABV), barreled at < 125 proof (62.5% ABV), and bottled at 80 proof (40 ABV)-as are other whiskeys.
Bourbon must be matured in new charred white oak barrels (an Elijah Craig development) and can only be used once. They are then routinely sold to Scotch whiskey and other spirits produces for aging. Bourbon industry folks apparently love reminding other producers that they get
the “sloppy seconds”.
Johnny Walker actually purchases a lot of Bulleit’s barrels, re-charring them and calling it a toast. Maker's performs a 3 out of 5 toast on their barrels
which, when exposed to the whiskey, adds color and flavor. Whiskey produced in America, cannot be artificially colored. Artificial color can, however, be legally added to Irish Whiskey.
Bourbon is usually aged 2-4 years. Bourbons labeled as 'straight' (e.g. Jack Daniels) are aged under 4 years. The age must be printed on the bottle. Blended products must label the bottle with the age of the youngest product included in the final product.
Bourbon is usually aged 2-4 years. Bourbons labeled as 'straight' (e.g. Jack Daniels) are aged under 4 years. The age must be printed on the bottle. Blended products must label the bottle with the age of the youngest product included in the final product.
90% of bourbon is from
Kentucky because of climate- with hot summers and cold winters the expansion
and contraction of the barrels furnishes brilliant color and flavor.
Scotch whiskys are aged longer because of the temperate weather in Scotland (e.g. Speyside). It takes
longer for the whisky to mature. This is why one should not get caught up on age. Regional differences have a lot to do with spirits.
Consider a 5 year American whiskey to be equivalent to a 10 year Scotch whisky. Single malts tend to be expensive due to age, but Americans can be younger and of better quality.
Consider a 5 year American whiskey to be equivalent to a 10 year Scotch whisky. Single malts tend to be expensive due to age, but Americans can be younger and of better quality.
Bulleit nose notes: tobacco, clove, with smoky aroma. Vanilla, creme brulee flavors with a pepper and cardboard finish.
Bulleit Rye:
Spicy black cherry, currant and white pepper notes. It's a very fresh, rounded spirit. Bulleit rye has a lighter pepper finish than Knob Creek (my longtime favorite) that I really enjoyed.
Dewar's White Label:
A 80 proof blended Scotch of undisclosed age from the Highlands region which I've longed ignored. Smoky, bright, honey-laden notes drove the flavors which lingered with the viscosity. I was surprised at the seaweed nose note.
1991 Glencadam:
Aged 20 years at 86 proof, this single malt scotch from the Highlands presented black tea and dried rock fruits on the nose with a bit of dried grains with a blood orange finish.
Bulleit Rye:
Spicy black cherry, currant and white pepper notes. It's a very fresh, rounded spirit. Bulleit rye has a lighter pepper finish than Knob Creek (my longtime favorite) that I really enjoyed.
Dewar's White Label:
A 80 proof blended Scotch of undisclosed age from the Highlands region which I've longed ignored. Smoky, bright, honey-laden notes drove the flavors which lingered with the viscosity. I was surprised at the seaweed nose note.
1991 Glencadam:
Aged 20 years at 86 proof, this single malt scotch from the Highlands presented black tea and dried rock fruits on the nose with a bit of dried grains with a blood orange finish.
We also discussed Japanese and Indian whisky! I have tried Amrut (an Indian whisky) and I can't wait to learn more about Japanese whiskey!
Everyone in attendance certainly left more educated about whisk(e)y and less intimidated perhaps.
If you're excited about trying whisk(e)ys, please stop by Citizen Public House (regularly)! Join their Whiskey Club, where your tastings are tracked. If you purchase and try all of the whiskeys on your list (over time) you received a rocks glass with your name engraved!!! A Whiskey card is maintained to track your progress!
Thanks to Boston Cocktail Summit, Citizens Public House & Oyster Bar, and Bulleit Whiskey for creating such a marvelous day drinking and educational event!
More Boston Cocktail Summit event/seminar reviews posted soon!
Disclosure: I received Press Passes for this event.
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