After a great day of sightseeing and whisky sampling at the "Experience", It was time for me to head back to St. Andrews to gather some things and change into my evening wear for the whisky society. After I've dressed in the restroom, I headed over to the Society (28 Queens street), which wasn't too far away from the bus station. I'll say I'd walked it in 10 minutes or less in high heels.As I entered the great Scotch Malt Whisky Society, I was warmly greeted at the front desk and checked in. The Society looks kinda like a mix of a old Victorian/ brownstone house. The ones I usually see in Brooklyn and on the upper east side of NYC. It is large, bright, and beautiful! It has about 4-5 floors and each one had rooms for different events, the bar/lounge, and etc.
I walked up the spiral stairway to the 4th floor for my first experience with the society. As I walked into the room it was a diverse age group of members and a young gentleman already conducting the tasting. If you know your Libation Girl, I just dived right in to catch up on the first bottle, which was the "A Girl Band's Latest Hits"-13 years-Cask No. 125.19-out turn:244 bottles(52 pounds). I give it 4 stars, because the nose was intense with toffee, chocolate, orange peel and a bit oaky. It tasted sweet like a pecan pie and hints of coconut. This whisky is worth every pound, because it's full of flavor and not complex. I would drink it with my brunch and/or dessert. Bravo!!!!
Second, is the"Burnt Sugar and Fried Eggs" -10 years-Cask No. 78.38-out turn: 793 bottles(39 pounds). I give this one 2 stars, because the nose on this whisky has an in your face, FUNKY, complex, and egg-y smell and taste! It wasn't appealing to my palate and I'm the type of maven that enjoys the unusual dimensions of whisky. Just think about the title of the bottle, It tastes exactly like that!
I think the nose of having a buttery custard,creme brulee, gun powder smoke, and matches is ok, but when you taste the sweet(burnt sugar) and fried egg-y taste (too much of sulphur )it is absolutely un-appealing to the Libation Girl!
Last, is the "Smoked Fish and Black Leather"-10 years-Cask No. 33.69-out turn: 267 bottles(52 pounds) I give this one 4 stars! I absolutely loved the ashy, heather, salt-water, and smoked fish aroma on the nose! Later on I even smelled lavender and a smoky ash tray. On the palate, it was sweet at first, then salty, and then came the smoke kicking in later on. Boy-o-boy did I enjoy this whisky! WELL DONE!
*Note: The whisky was graded on a scale from 1-4 stars- 4 being the best.
*Note: The footage of this tasting will be edited for the TV show, "Libation Diaries with Carmen" and broadcasted on one of the sneak peak half season shows on the YouTube channel.
After the tasting, I chatted it up with the members and then we finished all of the remaining whisky. I was famished after enjoying all of those drams! I headed downstairs to the members lounge/bar and had a delicious haggis dinner with my Laphroaig 16 +18 years. I sat across from two very sweet Scotsmen. We shared a great conversation and I listen to their stories they offered about general Scottish life. I was in heaven!
After my meal and conversation, I headed back to Perth to get some sort of sleep. I jumped back on the ScotRail and chatted it up with some nice people, took a brief nap, and then jumped into a cab and returned to Nick's house.
When I returned, he was there with a beautiful woman drinking some Macallan and talking. I joined in and spent the next hour or so enjoying the company, the stir fry Nick had made, and the whisky.
Night Cap: At this point in my trip, I felt like someone needed to pinch me, because I was the happiest I've been in a long time! This is like my Mecca that I've finally pilgrimage to and everything was going so beautiful. It was times that I had tears in my eyes of pure bliss and other times with my heart thumping so hard out of pure anxiousness.
Even though I don't have one drop of Scot in me (Irish that I have is close enough), I feel like I was in my homeland! I assimilated into the community easily and no one looked/stared at me differently, and everyone embraced me 100%!
I was feeling the same feeling when I was on the plane flying over Ireland. I said to myself, "I'm coming home, I'm coming home"! I LOVE SCOTLAND!
Slaandjivaa!
After the tasting, I chatted it up with the members and then we finished all of the remaining whisky. I was famished after enjoying all of those drams! I headed downstairs to the members lounge/bar and had a delicious haggis dinner with my Laphroaig 16 +18 years. I sat across from two very sweet Scotsmen. We shared a great conversation and I listen to their stories they offered about general Scottish life. I was in heaven!
After my meal and conversation, I headed back to Perth to get some sort of sleep. I jumped back on the ScotRail and chatted it up with some nice people, took a brief nap, and then jumped into a cab and returned to Nick's house.
When I returned, he was there with a beautiful woman drinking some Macallan and talking. I joined in and spent the next hour or so enjoying the company, the stir fry Nick had made, and the whisky.
Night Cap: At this point in my trip, I felt like someone needed to pinch me, because I was the happiest I've been in a long time! This is like my Mecca that I've finally pilgrimage to and everything was going so beautiful. It was times that I had tears in my eyes of pure bliss and other times with my heart thumping so hard out of pure anxiousness.
Even though I don't have one drop of Scot in me (Irish that I have is close enough), I feel like I was in my homeland! I assimilated into the community easily and no one looked/stared at me differently, and everyone embraced me 100%!
I was feeling the same feeling when I was on the plane flying over Ireland. I said to myself, "I'm coming home, I'm coming home"! I LOVE SCOTLAND!
Slaandjivaa!
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