Last Saturday 29 in April we celebrated the second edition of the whiskey tasting. We repeated given the demand that had the first i, indeed, the tasting room was full. Guided by bartender Gina Pérez, we made a crossing for this distillate, while tasting nine references After a general introduction on the production process, tipologies d’alambics, grains and barrels that we won't shell out for you now, we moved on to the whiskeys in question.

The first was the Hatozaki Blend. The distillery that makes it had previously been dedicated to sake. This is pale Japanese whisky, obtained from malt and grain grown in Japan and with an aging of 4-5 years in bourbon and Mizunara oak barrels. This type of wood is not very porous, while giving it a closed-nosed touch, with a slight resonance to shitake mushrooms.

The second was the Glendalouch Double Barrel, a three-distillation single grain aged in Bourbon and Jerez barrels. Less expressive than the previous one, with a caramelized point and notes of dried fruits.

Next we moved on to Redemption Bourbon, of two distillations and a minimum of two years of aging. Remember that Bourbon barrels must always be new. Its composition is three quarters of corn and one quarter of rye. You can appreciate the toasted notes and a slightly pungent finish, as well as quite vanilla.

In these first three references, whiskeys were paired with popcorn and, strange as it may seem to you, it fits well enough.

We then entered Scotland, from the mà of the Bladnoch Vinaya. In Sanskrit language ( Indo-European language), "vinaya" means "thanks to the ancestors". This is a single malt from the Lowlands, more floral. The malt gives it a spicy kick, which goes well with the fact that it is an unfiltered whisky.

The fifth was the Loch Lomond Original. Any Tintinologist will know the reference, as it is what Captain Haddock was taking. The funny thing is that this didn't exist before Hergé's comic, and it was later that everything was created paying homage to him. This is a Highland whisky, distilled in three different stills. It's not smoky and it's smooth enough for this system. Aging is done in Bourbon barrels.

In the case of the latter two, the pairing was made with semi-cured cheese.

The sixth was the Glen Scotia Campbelton Harbour, a single malt aged for three years with salty and smoky notes. The pairing could not be more particular and appropriate: salmon.

The final stretch was made up of three very particular references. On the one hand, l’Islay Mist Deluxe, a smoked blend, composed into one 40% of the famous Laphroaig and a 60% from an unknown Speyside. Be that as it may, a nice whiskey that begged for time.

The eighth reference is the Caisteal Chamuis, an other Islay blend, from six different distilleries. It is found to be more cloudy in the mouth than in the nose, being persistent with an aromatic aftertaste.

The last of the Whiskeys was the Smokhead Singlemalt, a whiskey with a peat load of 42 PPM. indeed, intensive, smoky and with a spicy point. A fun game was set up to guess which distilleries the mix could be from.

In order to find a pairing that matches these three references, he opted for a dark chocolate al 70% of cocoa.

It goes without saying that a lot of details are lost in this short chronicle, but the grace of the tastings is precisely the presence, with the enjoyment and complicities that are established there. at the same time, we can do nothing but thank Gina Pérez for her driving, most didactic and grounded at the same time.