Whisky Tasting
Ohio Scottish Games & Celtic Festival will be hosting a whisky tasting event in Building 16, June 23-24, 2023. We
have had such a great response both from whisky enthusiasts as well as our supporting distilleries that we are
adding an additional entry, bringing the total number of single malt whiskies offered to six. This year the
tasting
will include:
The Belvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year
The Belvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is created by
maturing The Balvenie first in traditional oak whisky casks before transferring the whisky
to casks previously used to mature Caribbean rum. The
resulting liquid has rich, sweet and creamy toffee on the nose
combined with fresh fruit notes. The taste is rounded with
vanilla and sweet oak notes, with a fruity character that
develops with time, all encompassed in a soft and lingering
finish.
Best enjoyed neat, on the rocks or with a splash of water.
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Rich, sweet and creamy toffee on the nose combined with fresh notes.
- Taste: Rounded with vanilla and sweet oak notes, with a fruity character that develops with
time.
- Finish: Soft and lingering
Bushmills 12 Year
Now available for the first time in America, the Bushmills 12 Years Old Single Malt Whisky is a
full-bodied, deep amber whisky that is both complex and approachable. The whisky is
triple-distilled from 100% malted barley and matured for a minimum of 11 years in former sherry
casks and bourbon casks, before combining and finishing for 6-9 months in Marsala wine casks,
creating a whisky rich in dried fruit and nut flavors.
Tasting Notes
- Floral and fruity with a drop of pear and pineapple, and a distinct nutty malt character.
- An excellent complement to salty and savory charcuterie boards or in a decadent
Boulevardier.
Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera Reserve
Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera Reserve single malt Scotch whisky is created using a technique
pioneered by our Malt Master and its warm, spicy flavors are transformed with alchemy of the
Solera Vat. Solera Fifteen is aged in European oak sherry casks and new oak casks, the whisky is
mellowed in our unique Solera Vat, a large oak tun inspired by the sherry bodegas of Spain and
Portugal. Never emptied, and kept half full of whiskies since 1998.
Best enjoyed neat on the rocks with a splash of water, or with club soda to expand the flavor.
Skillfully crafted.
Tasting Notes
- Nose: An intriguingly complex aroma. Sweet heather honey and vanilla fudge combined with
rich dark fruits.
- Taste: smooth, revealing layers of sherry oak, marzipan, cinnamon and ginger. Full bodied
and bursting with flavor.
- Finish: Satisfying rich with lingering sweetness.
Lagavulin 16 Year
The Lagavulin Distillery is located close to the old Dunyveg Castle towards the south of the
Islay. Distilling activities already began in this site in 1742 and that has made it arguably
one of the longest-serving distilleries in the country. It was formed as a result of the merging
of two illicit distilleries in 1882.
Revered by connoisseurs and experts, Lagavulin is known as “The King of Islay”. It is an
'essential' Scotch Whisky that any connoisseur or enthusiast must have in their collection. Aged
in oak casks for at least 16 years, this much sought after Single Malt has massive peat smoke
flavor while also offering richness and dryness that turns into a truly interesting dram. Best
enjoyed from a traditional whisky class, neat or with a little still water. Room-temperature
water can bring out the hidden aromas and flavors of the whisky making it more mellow and easy
to drink.
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: Deep Amber Gold
- Body: Full, rich bodied
- Nose: Intensely Flavored, peat smoke with iodine and seaweed and a rich, deep sweetness.
- Palate: Dry peat smoke fills the palate with a gentle but strong sweetness, followed by sea
and salt with touches of wood.
- Finish: A long, elegant peat-filled finish with lots of salt and seaweed.
Talisker 10 Year
Produced by the oldest distillery on the Isle of Skye, Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky has
been made by the sea since 1830. Talisker 10 Yr Old is a powerful single malt whisky, with the
sea salty nose, spicy complexity, smoky sweet character and old signature peppery finish. This
single malt has a famously rich and powerful peat-smoked flavor, while the finish leaves you
with a warm peppery taste at the back of the mouth. It is double distilled to create a rich,
deep character embodying the maritime characteristics of a coastal whisky, and then aged for a
minimum of 10 years in American oak casks.
Serving Suggestions: The warm, subtle smokiness of Talisker 10 Year Old should be sampled neat.
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: Brilliant Gold
- Body: Full and rich
- Nose: Powerful peat-smoked with just a hint of the sea-water salt of fresh oysters, with a
citrus sweetness
- Palate: A rich dried-fruit sweetness, clouds of smoke, strong barley-malt flavors, warming
and intense. Peppery at the back of the mouth.
Tullamore D.E.W. 18 Year Old Single Malt
Tullamore D.E.W. 18 Year Old Single Malt is our triple-distilled single malt that imparts an
unparalleled smooth yet complex flavor with a delightful combination of caramelized fruit, rich
oak and baked apple notes.
Tullamore D.E.W. 18 Year Old Single Malt is finished in 4 different cask types. After 18 patient
years in ex-Bourbon barrels, old ex- Oloroso Sherry Butts, ex-Port Pipes and ex-Madeira Drums
work their magic for a minimum of 6 months.
The finish is rich and warming with a lingering malty sweetness intertwined with cinnamon, baked
apple and biscuit sweetness.
WHISK[E]Y TASTING
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED
- Whisk[e]y is meant to be enjoyed. Some people drink whisk[e]y with ice or cola. That
is okay for drinking, but not for tasting. You should taste the whisk[e]y neat and without
ice.
- It is okay to drink a beverage alongside whisk[e]y. Whatever you drink should have a
neutral flavor, like Guinness or a pilsner. It is advisable to avoid strong flavors like
IPAs.
- There are many benefits to tasting whisk[e]y out of a Glencairn glass, or small wine
glass.
- For tasting whisk[e]y, it’s common to pour a one-ounce dram. Most of the experience
will be nosing the whisk[e]y (hence the Glencairn glass). A nose can detect far more
aromas than a palate can taste. Thus, a one-ounce dram is more than enough to be
getting on with.
- You are not drinking a “shot” of whisk[e]y. A one-ounce dram of whisk[e]y should
provide about four or five good sips. Slow down and enjoy.
- Tasting a whisk[e]y consists of three distinct phases, i.e., the arrival, the development,
and the finish.
- During the arrival, keep the whisk[e]y in the front of your mouth (that is, on the tip of
the tongue) and taste it for a minimum of 10 second. Seriously, slowly count to at least
ten. This will acclimate the whisk[e]y to your taste buds so you can start tasting the
flavors as opposed to the burning sensation of the ethanol. Also, it is during the arrival
phase that you will taste most of the flavors in the whisk[e]y. Don’t waste them.
- After a slow arrival, move the whisk[e]y back slowly and finish it. You will notice
different flavors during each phase.
- Lastly, “Tasting Notes” are only a suggestion of some of the aromas and flavors you
might experience. There may be many more that you personally experience. Also,
one’s perception of different aromas and flavors varies based on numerous factors.
WHISK[E]Y BASICS
Whisk[e]y is an alcoholic beverage made from the distillation of fermented cereal grain mash
(i.e., grains soaked in hot water and left to ferment) and typically aged in wooden containers.
Whisk[e]y was originally called “aqua vitae” in Latin (i.e., water of life). In Irish Gaelic, “water
of life” is “uisce beatha” (pronounced “ish-kuh bah-hah”), and in Scottish Gaelic it is “uisge
beatha” (pronounced “oosh-kih bay-ha”). It is from “uisce” / “uisge” that the modern English
word “whisk[e]y” is derived.
In order to be considered a Scotch Whisky, it must:
- Be made of only water and malted barley, plus other optional cereal grains.
- Be mashed, fermented, distilled to no more than 94.8% ABV, and matured in oak casks not exceeding 700 liters
for a minimum of three years in Scotland.
- Not contain additives other than water and optional caramel coloring (e150a).
- Retain the characteristics of its raw materials and production, and maturation methods (i.e., it needs to
smell and taste like whisky).
- Be bottled at no less than 40% ABV.
In order to be considered an Irish Whiskey, it must:
- Be made from a mash of malted barley, plus other optional cereal grains.
- Be mashed, fermented, and distilled to no more than 94.8% ABV, and matured in wooden casks not exceeding 700
liters for a minimum of three years in Ireland (either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland).
- Not contain additives other than water and optional caramel coloring (e150a).
- Retain the characteristics of its raw materials (i.e., it needs to smell and taste like whiskey).
- Be bottled at no less than 40% ABV.
A single malt whisk[e]y is one produced in a single distillery using only malted barley (i.e.,
barley that has been allowed to germinate and then heated to stop the growth).
Up until the 19th century, whisk[e]y was spelled without an “e.” In the late 19th century,
however, an “e” was added by some distillers, particularly Irish distillers (perhaps to
differentiate their product from Scotch whisky). Today, all Scotch whisky is spelled without an
“e” by law. In Ireland, the predominant spelling today is with an “e,” although by law it can be
spelled either way (Paddy Irish Whiskey only added the “e” in the 1960's and Irish distilleries
like McConnell's Distillery and Waterford Distillery currently spell it without the “e”).
When you present your ticket, you will be given a punch card along with a complimentary Glencairn whisky glass.
Present the punch card at our pouring station to receive one, one ounce pours of each of our offered whiskies.
Unlike some festivals where you are herded in and out of the whisky tasting area, we encourage you to stay and
enjoy your whisky for as long as you like. Entertainment will be provided in the whisky tasting area over the
entire weekend. The area will include information about each whisky with the characteristics of each.
Tickets for the Whisky Tasting event are $45. You can receive a 10% discount when you purchase your ticket by May
15. Ticket sales will be limited.
Purchase Tickets
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you must be 21 years old to enter this area.
No. That must be purchased separately.
We will only be selling 160 tickets. That said, entry into the Whisky Tasting
area, "The Tavern" will not be restricted.
Yes. We realize that not everyone wants to drink six pours of whisky so, you are
welcome to share.