Whiskey Tasting

As it has been getting cold during the day, making it quite chilly in my flat when I attempt to work from home, I went into the office to work, although I don't really think I got that much done, if anything at all. (I know, then why am I so far behind on this blog, right?) I've been suffering huge motivational problems ever since the company informed me that despite having achieved one of the highest performance ratings in the company, I will be getting no salary increase this year. Nada. Zilch.

And so you might argue that it's worth working hard in a down economy because then that will prevent you from getting laid off, but as we've seen that didn't work out either! So with no chance of harder work translating into more money, a promotion, or a more secure position, it's kind of like, "What's the point?" Hence I just spend my days doing whatever the heck I feel like, although bizarrely this still seems to lead my new boss to say that I'm doing an amazing job. Weird, but I like this precedent.

Anyway, after work, I was due to attend a whiskey tasting at my club. Nobody I knew was going (the 25-Year Old's brother was in town), but that's always a great opportunity to meet new people, right?

I arrived right at 7 PM, which perhaps was a mistake, as I got stuck in a boring conversation with a few other early birds who struggled for conversation. I ended up with one guy quizzing me on whether I preferred single malts or blends, obviously looking to trip me up in my knowledge about whiskey. Let's be clear however, I was never claiming to be an expert, as I was there to learn!

Luckily however, more people arrived, and I found myself in conversation with a nice enough guy named Alasdair. Yet, we didn't really get a chance to talk too much, as before too long we were instructed to sit down for the tasting to begin.

Unfortunately, a number of people were late, so I ended up with an empty chair on my left, although the guy on my right seemed nice and cute enough. We ended up exchanging knowing smiles and random comments with each other throughout the tasting. Nice.

After the tasting had already started, a guy showed up late and sat on my left, although I was distinctly unimpressed by him. He was wearing a black dress shirt, a dark purple tie, and this ridiculous pattered sweater over the whole thing. He had the distinct look of a guy trying to look "artsy" or "edgy", but he just looked like he couldn't be bothered to properly dress himself. As well, his hair was uncombed and he was unshaven, and then as soon as he arrived, he took of his jacket (making himself the only person in the room not wearing a jacket, because obviously that sort of thing is just not done in the club). Needless to say, based on attire and his tardy arrival alone, I didn't think it worthwhile to even bother introducing myself. We never spoke.

The whiskey tasting itself was really good fun. We tasted six whiskeys:

1) Hazelburn 8 year old. Campbeltown
2) Glen Garioch 15 year old. Highland
3) Clynelish 14 year old. Coastal Highland
4) Highland Park 12 year old. Island (Orkney)
5) Caol Ila 12 year old. Islay
6) Glenfarclas 21 year old. Speyside

The Hazelburn was a triple distilled whiskey, although it definitely tasted a bit young and harsh, it definitely burned more than I tasted it. Although with every whiskey, we'd usually try it neat and then put in a bit of water to smooth out the flavours and take another taste. Hence a really great and complex way to taste whiskeys.

The gent leading the tastings mentioned that we should at some point try doing a whiskey tasting with chocolate, and after drinking the Highland Park, I could certainly see why. It was a sherry-casked whiskey, and you could really taste the sweetness and hint of chocolate flavours that I'm sure would be brought out brilliantly by some really nice dark chocolate.

The Glenfarclas was also a lovely sherry-casked whiskey, and while I liked it a lot, I'm not sure I liked it's £60 per bottle price! I think I'll stick to the cheaper ones, if you don't mind...

The last was the Caol Ila, which everyone who likes Laphroig recognized instantly, for it was like drinking a campfire, it was so smokey. I was definitely a fan, although I can see why one might prefer some of the other whiskeys on offer, it doesn't all have to be about the Laphroig, I guess..

I was one of only about 3 girls out of the 30-odd people in attendance, and I think I was the only girl to finish all of her drinks. But what can I say? I actually like whiskey!

Although we only tasted six whiskeys, the entire event went on for almost 2 hours, and people had even more questions at the end, the guy running the tasting had been so fascinating. As this wrapped up however, the chap sitting to my right and I started talking, and as soon as he opened his mouth I had this cringe moment: He might have been cute, but he had an incredible lisp!

Oh well, as we got more into discussion, it was revealed that he had a girlfriend in New York, and he was planning to transfer there with his company, to live and work in New York and be close to her. Good on him, and we talked for a while about New York and what I liked about it. He works for Alliance Bernstein, which owns the building where my company's Manhattan office is located, so I immediately gave him the lowdown on all of my favourite lunch places for when I'm in Manhattan.

Then, as it was time to leave the room for the tasting (as they were breaking down), I ended up walking out with the guy Alasdair I'd been talking to at the start, who seemed only too happy to be chatting with me. He wasn't a member of the club, although an Oxbridge grad, and was just attending the whiskey tasting with friends that evening. As I stood at the entrance to the dining room, trying to decide whether to go in for dinner, Alasdair's friends decided to take a tour of the club, but he declined to go along with them in favour of talking to me. How sweet!

Yet, when his friends came back from the club tour, they all said that they were tired and were going to head home. Without a member to dine with, Alasdair was really stuck, as you could tell he wanted to stay and dine with me and get to know me better, but he was really compelled to go home with his friends. Oh well, he was cute and nice, but it does seem that I meet cute, nice boys with a fair degree of frequency, so I wasn't too bothered.

After they departed, there were so many younger members dining at the club table, that I decided to join them. I ended up sitting next to Georgina, one of the younger member's committee chairs, who is nice enough but also seems half-mad. Oh well, always makes for unpredictably interesting conversation.

I had the lamb with mushrooms, although seeing other people's plates I realised that I should have gone for the scallops. Equally, when the dessert trolley came around, the server didn't really accurately explain what each thing was, so I ended up having black forest cake when I really should have gone for just the straight chocolate cake. Oh well, now I know for next time!

Seated to my other side, but slightly across the table to make for easy conversation, was a young couple who had not been at the whiskey tasting, but who apparently decided they wanted to dine at club table that evening. As the conversation went on, I gathered that although the man, Matt, was wearing a wedding ring, that was not his wife, as she (Jane) spoke about having a fiancee. Perhaps they were work colleagues or something? They were lovely company, and I enjoyed their conversation at dinner.

Nonetheless, I was still surprised as we finished dinner and I went to settle my bill, that they said they were retiring to the bar and asked what drink they should have waiting for me. I guess they'd enjoyed my company more than I thought if they were so forward about having me continue the evening with them! So I asked for a G&T, and shortly joined them at their table in the bar.

While we were in the bar, we spotted a large number of people wearing Cambridge Blues blazers and very odd bow-ties, one of which I recognized as being the Hawk's Club tie. Matt and Jane were tremendously curious about what the whole event was, so finally I just got up out of my chair and went over to strike up a conversation with the Blues people. (People forget that I am the super-extrovert who does not know shyness and will talk to anyone!)

As it turns out, they had all swum the English Channel or were somehow otherwise involved in swimming. Interesting stuff.

I then spent the rest of the evening talking with Matt and Jane, and at points our conversation veered humorously onto the topic of English men and how I don't understand them. Both of them (being an English man or engaged to one) had humorous insights to share, but basically concluded that I was entirely correct in seeing that English men had no concept of the whole "making a date" thing. And also that if the 25-Year Old was writing to me as frequently as he was, then he really likes me.

We stayed talking until well past midnight, we were enjoying the conversation so much, until finally it was about 1 AM, the bar was closed, and it was time to head home. I thought I could just grab a cab from out front, but as it was raining, no cabs were coming by. So the three of us all decided to to walk up to Trafalgar Square and see if we had any better luck there. Although when we arrived, I saw the N9 pulling up to its stop, which would take me directly home. Hence I told them of this fact, they urged me to go for it, and I quickly gave them each kisses on the cheek and then dashed for the bus.

How strange, as in the end after all of this time looking to be picked up by cute men, I had the distinct feeling I'd been "picked up" by this non-married couple. Who knows why, but it really was a lovely evening nonetheless! Maybe I'll see them again sometime!