Annually hundreds of thousands of people globally celebrate the ‘water of life,’ with World Whisky Day. This year will be the first time World Whisky Day is celebrated with events on all seven continents.
The day of global celebration takes place in more than 40 countries, 10,000 attendees and includes over 140 events at sea, in distilleries, bars. Even David Beckham will take to US TV’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! to answer questions for World Whisky Day.
South Africa is no exception! Celebrating World Whisky Day Checkers LiquorShop’s House of Fine Whisky unveiled their latest extremely rare, single cask selection to the Private Barrel Co. label, Glenburgie, which traces its origins back to 1810.
The celebration to launch this distinctive tipple included The Cape Town Highlanders paying tribute to Scotland with a sound familiar with whisky’s appellation – watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8aS_-CGhgM
The Checkers brand has also slashed prices at its House of Fine Whisky offering 20% off single malt whiskies in celebration of World Whisky Day (valid until 16 May).
Join the #WorldWhiskyDay conversation on Twitter, use #PrivateBarrelCo and tag @CheckersSA
For more information please visit:
https://www.checkers.co.za/news/Pages/World-Whisky-Day.aspx
Tasting Tips from The Private Barrel Co:
Enjoyed neat, with water, in a cocktail or however you like to drink it, whisky is a stylish spirit made for enjoyment.
Whisky is certainly an acquired taste so for the uninitiated, to fully appreciate it where do you begin? Here the experts from Private Barrel Co. offer these 5 tasting steps to get you started:
Step 1:
Pour yourself a small measure (usually not more than 20ml’s) into a glass that is narrower at the top than the bottom. Hold it by the stem so as not to warm the glass and have a bottle of un-chilled water on hand.
Step 2:
Hold the glass up to the light; the colour indicates how the whisky was matured. Darker-hued single malt is likely to have been matured in ex sherry casks while a pale whisky may indicate that bourbon casks have been used.
Step 3:
Check out ‘the legs’ – to do this, hold the glass at an angle and rotate it briskly, ‘washing’ the walls of the glass with the whisky. Now hold it upright and watch the liquid form the ‘legs’ as it runs down the sides of the glass. The slower the legs, the richer the liquid and the older the whisky may be.
Step 4:
Hold your glass at arm’s length then pass it smoothly under your nose, breathing in through the nose as you do. Think about what the aromas remind you of? Try to pick up on one signature aroma and remember it. Then pass it back under your nose and repeat.
Step 5:
Form your tongue into a small spoon shape. Sip from the glass; let the whisky nestle on your tongue. Try and articulate / explain the taste and flavours you experience – remember that these descriptors and flavours are constantly changing.
Now add a little water – just a few drops and swirl the glass. Don’t gulp it down, take a small mouthful and note all the different flavours.
