At last, at long last — an ode to the Water of Life Society. Since arriving in Edinburgh I’ve not only seen the sights and fallen in love with rugby but I’ve also become a member of the Water of Life Society, otherwise known as the Whisky Society.
But it’s not what you think! I swear!
What occurs at our meetings every Thursday is indeed centered around whisky but it’s more like a wine tasting: surprisingly civilized and downright erudite at times. Notes are collected for each of the five whiskys and time is spent taking in the aroma of each before the tasting begins. We try our best to savor each one — although depending on how tasty the whisky is, it doesn’t last very long.
Over the course of my membership in the society, I’ve learned quite a lot! I now know the difference between a single malt whisky and a blended whisky. I also know to spell whisky without the -ey, as is customary in Scotland. Likewise, I’ve learned the pronunciation and meaning of Slàinte. Pronounced “sl-aancha,” it’s the Scottish equivalent of Salut or Cheers. And that’s just the beginning!
Guest speakers are brought in to discuss the distillation process. We were even paid a visit by a representative from Ardbeg, an Islay distillery famous for its single malt whisky. Though I must confess I was not a huge fan of the whisky that night — not quite my cup o’ tea, or dram of whisky in this case. It was a bit too smoky — much much too peaty. In fact, Ardbeg considers itself “the most peaty malt whisky in the world.”
Each week we typically sample Scotch whiskys, called “Scotch” back in the U S of A. But this past week we tried whiskys from around the world: Canada, Wales, USA, Japan and even India! Alas I’m still developing the vocabulary of a seasoned whisky taster, so I cannot provide a thorough review of each of them. But I can say that I preferred the Canadian whisky — it was quite sweet and very smooth. The finish almost reminded me of amaretto.
If I had to pick a Scotch whisky I’d say my favorite is one called Bunnahabhain (pronounced boona-haaven). It’s almost the antithesis of the Ardbeg. Described as a “virtually unpeated Islay whisky,” the Bunnahabhain is extremely light and refreshing, not very smoky at all. It may even be described as fruity and sweet.
The more I learn, the more I’d love to start a Water of Life Society in Boston. Launching one at Tufts would be problematic due to the higher drinking age in the US, but Boston certainly would have a market for the society. I just can’t imagine a better way to end a long day than to head downtown to enjoy the company of old friends and to learn more about something you love.
But, alas, in order for this venture to be viable some research may be in order — both of the market landscape and, of course, the product.
So many whiskys, so little time!
So cool! I’m so impressed, you may say you’re just learning but you really sound like a true whisky drinker to me! You need to bring this knowledge back to Tufts with you and educate all of us 🙂
I most definitely will! We’ll have to have our own little whisky tasting 🙂 Maybe even a series of whisky tastings! ;-P Cannot wait! XOXO