A very special day has just slipped by on the calendar. No, gentle reader, it’s not my two-week anniversary with that young lady with Pinot-soluble morals that I met at the local watering hole.
The second annual International Whisky Day came and went on May 18, and your humble narrator spent the entire day in a celebration of all the joy that the unholy spirit brings us.
Lest you think this is an ancient and revered national holiday you were heretofore unaware of, fear not, gentle reader, as this is a new and worthy tradition.
The idea was dreamed up by a particularly booze-loving student at the University of Aberdeen last year, so this was only the 2nd annual IWD.
First celebrated in Scotland back in 2012, IWD has grown into a worldwide soirée, with events in countries around the world. It was certainly a boon that the Scottish tourism board saw an opportunity to latch on and run with this event, even convincing the Scottish Parliament to make an official proclamation of that date on the calendar.
While there are a few dedicated whisky bars in Calgary that had formal events planned, your humble narrator decided to stick a little closer to home, and spent the night at the Chestermere North Taphouse.
While better known for their large selection of craft beer, the North Taphouse also has a few dozen different whiskies waiting behind the bar, and your intrepid liquor reporter tried to get through the better part of the list.
The selection at the North Taphouse is split fairly evenly between whiskies from Scotland and North America, so whisky snob that I am, I went for the single malt Scotches first.
The Auchentoshan Three Wood is from the Scottish lowlands, and has long been a favourite of mine. With a rich copper colour, the flavour has hints of cinnamon, tobacco, and leather. As with most single malts, I enjoyed this one straight up, without ice or mixers to dilute the fine spirit.
Throwing caution to the wind, I soon decided to try a blended whisky. The oddly named Té Bheag is actually pronounced as chay-vek, and is Gaelic for wee dram or little lady.
Scotch snobs tend to avoid blended whiskies, but this one tempted me to stray off the beaten path. With gentle peat aftertaste from heating the barley over a peat fire, there were also undertones of burnt coffee, and even a bit of sherry from the long aging in a used sherry cask.
Apparently, Canada is the largest international market for this brand, so do your bit to maintain our standings by ordering a Té Bheag on your next visit to the North Taphouse.
Remembering the International part of International Whisky Day, I tried to get out of my Scotch rut by ordering a whisky from the exotic and far-off land of India, in the form of the Amrut Fusion.
The Fusion part of the name comes from the practice of using a traditional peated barley from Scotland, as well as natively grown barley from India.
The aroma of this whisky hit me before I had fully raised the glass to my lips, with volatile esters of brown sugar and spices on the nose. The flavour is full and oaky, with stewed fruits and dark chocolate hitting me on the finish.
Amrut is an interesting distillery in its own right, as it was the first to distill whisky in the traditional manner of 100% barley. Most Indian whiskies are made with a base of around 90% fermented molasses, and only 10% or so actual barley.
In most parts of the world, such a concoction would be considered a rum instead of a whisky, but the molasses-based spirits make up the vast majority of the Indian domestic market.
Finishing the evening with the fanciest whisky available was always my plan, and that night was no exception, as the bartender expertly poured out the Glenlivet 21 Year into my waiting glass.
I have enjoyed this whisky many times over the years, and International Whisky Day was no exception. Extremely mellow from the long aging, this whisky has an aroma of honeyed vanilla, and a flavour with hints of butterscotch, allspice, and citrus.
The Glenlivet 21 Year was my favourite of the evening, but make up your own mind by ordering from the whisky menu on your next trip to the North Taphouse!
