JAMESON WHISKY MEDIA TASTING & LAUNCH OF NEW IRISH PUB AT GALILEO

As I try to diversify my portfolio, I have been doing some posts on whisky here and there. I attended the Jameson Whiskey Media Tasting and launch of the New Irish Pub at Galileo.

 I got in a bit early so that I would familiarize myself with the concept of the event as well as take a few photos of the set up.

This was an exclusive event that had been put together by Pernod Ricard and SHK consulting. The event had about 50 guests. The Jameson Brand Ambassador for Kenya, George facilitated the tasting.

He began by giving people a bit of background information on the process of whisky making. I always enjoy listening to people sharing some facts on a drink in terms of the distillers, components and the process.

Tastings wine or whisky is a journey where an individual indulges the senses. This tasting was very unique for it did not disclose the drinks.

In the initial stage, people had to do a neutral and unbiased tasting. Sometimes, knowing the brand beforehand distorts our judgment and taste. The first drink was just labelled Bourbon. It tasted of vanilla and grass (yes grass).It had a balance of corn and oak and honey. It tasted of smoke and peat and cinnamon. It was definitely strong.

The next drink was labeled Scotch. It had a rich and smoky smell. It had a long dry and smoky finish and a very strong aftertaste. I had to take like three gulps of water to clear my palette for the next tasting.

The last drink was Jameson Irish Whisky. On the nose it was woody and floral. It tasted spicy and nutty and I could feel some hints of vanilla. It was funny to hear people’s opinions on the different tastes. It had a smooth finish. (I learnt yesterday that finish is that feeling that one gets after you take a potent drink and you feel a bit of fire from your throat to your stomach). It had a creamy finish. This quality sets apart fine drinks.

George later revealed that drink 1 was Jack Daniels which is the Number one selling whisky in the world while drink 2 was Johnny Walker Black which is the number one scotch whiskey in the world. The purpose of this exercise was to show people that Jamesons can compete with the rest. With the tagline 'Triple distilled, twice as smooth, one great taste' the message was home. You can enjoy this great drink at the new Irish Pub at Galileo, Waiyaki way, Westlands, Nairobi.

WHISKY TASTING WITH DIAGEO RESERVE BRANDS

I’m getting the crazy eye from some guys in suits because I said that my whisky was bitter. I better stick to my winetasting and all. I took two gulps of water as I deliberated…

Right, who am I kidding? I decided to forge unchartered waters in an attempt to keep things interesting. The scoop and the big story are out there. The Comfort zone is soooooooo, well, COMFORTABLE.comfortable is boring & mediocre. I decided to ditch conformity and do something out of the box. I’m always ranting about wine and cocktails but I think it is time that I diversify my portfolio a bit. I did write about my whisky experience on this post but I did not write about the actual brands that we sampled (The ones I said tasted bitter).

We Sampled 4 Johnnie Walkers

·         Black label

·         Double black

·         Gold label

·         Platinum Label

There are no wrong tasting-notes because we all have different palates and we have different tastes for things.
Black label was golden brown because it is aged in oak barrels. It had an intense taste and a great kick. Now I get why it is a luxurious drink because it was smooth on the tongue.

The double black. As if the black label was not potent enough, someone thought it was better to age it in even more, in oak barrels. In fact, the packs of the black and the double black are different. The black label is clear black while the double black pack looks like charcoal because of the charred barrels. It was darker. On the nose it was sweet with a peaty aroma. It was richer on the tongue.

Gold Label reserve is a multi-layered blend. I tasted some fruitiness and honey that changes to woody, smoky and more honey as it sat more in the tongue. Whisky tasting is just like wine tasting. One lets the whisky sit on the tongue to discern the taste.

Platinum label. Before I review this whisky, I have to say that the Walker family made a lot of whiskies for events, corporates, private gatherings and customers. These whiskies were for the select few. This is one of the private blends that has a rich and intense flavor. It tasted of nuts, fruits and it was smoky.

I don’t think my tongue has ever had all those potent flavors in one evening. I usually stick to lighter drinks and cocktails. All these brands are above 40% ABV. It is a requirement of all Scotch whisky as I said here. Well my desire to get out of my comfort zone paid off because I learnt so much from the Diageo Reserve Brands and Kariuki Mukii from EABL gave facilitated the tasting.