Pages

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Chance Encounters

Bumping into an old friend sometimes feels like making a new one. This happened recently, and it's always a funny feeling, no matter how close two people might have been previously. Anyhow - We got talking I learnt that he is now fully involved in his father's alcohol distribution business in India.

What's more, he wants to top it up by doing a 'higher education' and 'learn more' about alcohol and gain insights on the business side of things studying in the UK. This was a great input - I had never stopped to imagine or think there might be course's on alcohol.

On my recent trip to Scotland (wish it was more than just 3 short days) most of my learnings on whisky came through talking to people - be it at the Whiski Bar on Royal Mile where I was scorned at for ordering an Laphroaig on the rocks (if you ve never tried Laphroaig, I suggest ordering your first 10 year old single malt Laphroaig here) or through a chance encounter at the Dalwhinnie whisky distillery, seemingly the coldest village in all of Britain (it was 6 degrees celsius on an August morning at 12 noon).

However - I got to looking at some courses on whisky in London and found an interesting:

SCOTCH WHISKY TASTING: £180

This course is designed to appeal to those who appreciate the aromas and flavours of fine Scotch whisky and would like to enjoy a dram or two in the company of like-minded others.

COURSE CONTENT

The course will consist of five two-hour sessions. Tasting samples of six whiskies will be provided to illustrate the main points of each session. Session topics will be:-
  1. The Making Of Fine Whisky
  2. Blended Whiskies
  3. Speyside Malts
  4. Highland Malts
  5. Islay Malts
A copy of Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2010 (recommended retail price £10.99) will be provided.

WHAT SHOULD YOU GET OUT OF THE COURSES?

By the end of each course, you should have an in-depth knowledge of how the different styles of Scotch whisky are produced. You will also have developed your proficiency as a taster significantly.

WHAT IF YOU HAVE TO MISS A COURSE SESSION?

You may either send a substitute or pick up the session missed on a subsequent course. Just let us know and we will make arrangements.

COURSE FEES

£180 for five sessions

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

You will need to bring six wine glasses to each session. If you really want to sharpen your taste buds, a set of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) glasses used by professional whisky tasters is recommended (the tutor will have boxed sets of six crystal ISO tasting glasses on sale at £15).

TUTORS

WES whisky experts, Christos Ioannou and Sandy Leckie.

Check out course-dates, map and application form by clicking here. For more options pertaining to wine workshops and taster sessions, check the whole range of offerings at http://www.wine-education-service.co.uk

No comments:

Post a Comment