It is during the beginning of the “ber” months when I wish I could do a Calvin (from the comic book series, of course), jump into a Duplicator, and create multiple versions of myself to keep up with the demands of my schedule.
Such was the case during Whisky Live 2017… It coincided with our planned “field trip”/vacation in the US.
Caught in a bind, I had to get one of my friends to bail me out… Thankfully, my “sister from another mister” heeded my cry for help and decided to attend on my behalf.
Anyone who knows Paulette well enough knows that she’s not a huge drinker, and she has an insatiable sweet tooth. What I looked forward to, however (apart from an extra tongue to fill in for me), was a refreshing perspective from an eloquent whisky novice.
This sounds like a justification, but hey… The blog is about education, and quite honestly, I was curious as to what she’s learned from the event.
Here’s what she has to say:
Me: How did you find your first Whisky Live experience?
Paulette: Honestly quite fun and eye-opening. I had an inkling that there was a varied array of whiskey out there, but I had no idea how vast the options were and how much Filipinos were into it. I bumped into a few friends and they were very much into the scent, the flavours. Since I’m such a newbie, I was just basically walking around with wide eyes and taking it all in. This entire event opened my eyes to the possibility of a whiskey drink that I could probably like.
Me: What were your favourite moments in the events?
P: Seeing how very, very involved the guests were. Some you could see were into it just for drinks, but a lot of the other participants were really choosy as to which brand they’d visit. And there were so many discussions I overheard about the kind of whiskey, the age, the distillery behind the drinks. Honestly it all went over my head, but I wad very much in awe as to how much people were invested in their drinks.
Me: What ideas about whisky did you have before attending the event that changed?
P: Prior to this the only whiskey I ever tried a sip of was my dad’s. It was this horrifically strong one, that I swear to this day clawed its way down my throat and burnt my tongue. I swore off trying whiskey since then. I was pleasantly surprised that there were sweet whiskies. And they weren’t all out to leave a scorching mess out of my throat.
Me: What class did you attend?
P: I attended the Balvenie “Art of the Craft”. I chose this one because I felt that it would talk more about how whiskey is made – again, total newbie, I came into the class knowing nothing. But I had so much fun because the speaker was very lively, very into his whiskey, and he engaged with the audience well. It was in this class that I learned about sweet whiskey. And honestly that was a fun surprise. What made the class better for me was that he’d throw some trivia in, such as what a monkey shoulder is, how the barley is prepped. It was a lovely time, he was a fantastic speaker.
Me: What ended up being your favourite whisky?
P: I thought I’d end up liking the Balvenie honey and vanilla, but I ended up preferring the Caribbean Cask (tropical fruit notes). Since I almost always fall towards the sweeter end of the drinks, this one had that just right mix of the sweet and strong. Also, being described as something Jack Sparrow would taste like as a drink made this particular one stand out.
Well, if it can make a whisky convert out of Paulette (who swears didn’t come out of the event becoming the next Dominic Roskrow but has learned to appreciate the existence of whisky nuances), Whisky Live does allow for a fun, informative platform for people to explore the art of whisky.
Until next year. Cheers!
Pictures courtesy of Chia Roxas
