When you want to learn more about whisky, you have to go to those who swirl and sniff for a living. I was lucky enough to sit down with some of today’s leading experts and find out was makes their world of whisky so very wonderful.
5 QUESTIONS with Oliver Klimeck from Dramming.com
1. How old were you when you had your first sip of Whisky?
I have to admit that I can’t remember when I had my first whisky and which one it was. I do remember though the first Scotch single malt I tasted. It was Lagavulin 16 and I was in my early twenties. It was a revelation that ultimately led me to start my blog, even though it took almost twenty years.
2. Best whisky you have ever had?
A 26 yo Glenesk bottled by Duncan Taylor. I don’t remember the exact bottling details because it was before I started to take tasting notes. It was a sherry monster, and I had an entire bottle of it.
3.Do you have a favorite whisky cocktail?
I like the trusty old Manhattan. But is has to be made with a high quality rye.
4. What is your favorite whisky and food pairing?
Blue Stilton cheese and Bowmore 16 yo 1991 Port Matured
5. Do you have a favorite post on your blog you’d like to share with our readers?
There are many articles I am proud of, one that is also quite useful is “6 Tips for a Successful Whisky Tasting”
5 QUESTIONS with David Solmonson from 12 Bottle Bar
1. How old were you when you had your first sip of Whisky?
Growing up, our home had a built-in wet bar and my father had a sizable liquor collection. My first sip would have been around age ten, no doubt secreted from Dad’s favorite, Crown Royal, while the folks were away. It burned like fire and certainly hasten the onset of manhood.
2. Best whisky you have ever had?
Midleton Very Rare. I bought a bottle for my father-in-law for what would be his last birthday, and I was privileged enough to share a bit of it with him one night at the kitchen table.
3. There are so many great smells in the whisky world, which is your favorite?
Peat. There’s nothing like it. When I was in Ireland, it’s a smell you just can’t escape – the air hangs heavy with this beautiful earthy perfume. Even the Aer Lingus planes smell of it. For me, one whiff of peat in a glass and I’m instantly transported.
4. What is your favorite whisky and food pairing?
A great Mint Julep or Buck alongside a mound of barbeque, shared with a group of friends. I try to fit as many of those days as possible into every Summer.
5. Do you have a favorite post on your blog you’d like to share with our readers?
The Scofflaw is a beautiful variation on the Whiskey Sour, and it has a nice Prohibition story behind it.
We try to change things up with every post, so I hope there’s always something for everybody.
5 QUESTIONS with Mike Fisher from Whisky Party
1. Best whisky you ever had?
This is just one of many great drams, but possibly my favourite is the SMWS Rosebank 18 year old (single barrel, cask strength, nonchillfiltered) that I had at their 2010 Chicago Extravaganza– it was all lush green fruits (kiwis), plus tobacco leaves, with mellow spices and vanilla bean; unique, complex, vibrant, and quite stunning. That or perhaps a Laphroaig 30 year old that we opened when all three of us got together at my apartment in Chicago to celebrate 30th birthdays; the right whisky on the right occaission can make all the difference.
2. There are so many great smells in the whisky world, which is your favorite?
Good question. Here’s an over-complicated answer: I could say brine or fresh oysters, but I think I’ve found, from trying to evaluate really good whiskies, that the real answer isn’t just a single thing– it’s what combinations are present that do it for me. For example, several different elements, which on their own are good or interesting to me, might combine to create the sense of boat fumes, which is usually slightly off-putting. But when an earthy, peaty sweetness combines with char notes and pungent forest berries, you might get a kind of smokey bbq-sauce tang (like in some Caol Ilas). So it’s the overall impressions that I tend to appreciate more, and I’d say that the maritime, beach, and grilled meat sensations are my favourite; or perhaps the lemony/sooty combo you find in many Laphroaigs.
3. Do you have a favorite whisky cocktail?
I often try to get cocktail mavens to whip up their own take on something like a smokey Rob Roy (a Manhattan with a peaty scotch instead of rye), and I developed this habit after trying the Blue Ridge Manhattan [sic] at The Passenger in DC– from what I gathered, it’s similar to a Rob Roy but made with Laphroaig Quatercask and Talisker 10 (both!). I find that the Isle of Skye blended scotch works perfectly, though, with no need for the pricier QC and/or Tali. I also love the quirky but refreshing Wide Awake (like a Corpse Reviver #2 but with an Islay scotch added to the gin base).
4. What is your favorite whisky and food pairing?
My go-to when I throw parties is to have smoked and cured pork cuts (for your big Islay malts; I prefer sopressatas and prosciuttos to spicer meats which tend to overwhelm the palate) but also creamy sheep’s milk cheeses (for your Speysiders). I must mention, though, that an espresso-painted rack of venison went unbelievably well with Glenlivet 18 year old at a Glenlivet/Saloon Steakhouse pairing dinner.
5. Do you have a favorite post on your blog you’d like to share with our readers?
Although our mission, in part, is to search out those cheap hidden gems (see our 40 whiskies under $40 feature), some of our favourite work is when we’re able to engage with the rest of the whisky blogosphere and online drinking community. Thusly, the post that I like the best is what became a rather heated debate but which brought all sides of an issue out into the open. Another mention would be our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide, as these bottles are great as gifts for any time of year (or to simply treat yourself).