83 - The Architecture of Flavour: A Whisky Blending Experience

Whisky Blending Class
Astor Center
18 September 2008, 1830

"Anyone can bottle a single cask, the real skill in Scotch whisky is demonstrated by the blender." - Peat

Astor Center is a foodie haven. From cooking classes to wine tastings, green market tours to sake pairing classes, Astor Center has it all including the ultimate course for Highland and Speyside lovers alike, a scotch whisky blending class. The class was presented by John Glaser a former employee of Johnnie Walker. Glaser separated from Johnnie Walker after spending years honing his tasting and blending skills in Scotland and England. He took his knowledge from Johnnie Walker and founded his own whisky company, Compass Box.

The Architecture of Flavour: A Whisky Blending Experience was held in The Study at Astor Center. The Study was set up more like a laboratory for mad whisky-blending scientists than a classroom. Two rows of 'desks' were equipped with graduated cylinders, tasting glasses filled with various scotch whiskies, bread, cheese and a carafe of filtered water. We started by going through some misconceptions about whiskies such as the most common that a single malt whisky is made only from a single cask. Wrong! A single malt just means that it is a pure malt whisky from a single distillery, but comes from multiple casks within that distillery. Since every cask is different, each cask will flavor the whisky differently. In order for the distilleries to keep a consistent flavor for their single malts, they blend together several malt whiskies of various ages from different casks in the distillery. Another misconception is that the age on a bottle of single malt is the number of years that it has been sitting inside the cask. Wrong! The age on the bottle is the age of the youngest scotch whisky that was involved in making the blend. Enough with the definitions though...on to the blending!

The eager students were instructed on how to smell and dissect the flavours in the whisky. After tasting several scotches with different base notes and top notes, we were given a lesson in how to blend. And blend we did! Each student left with a flask of his/her own scotch whisky, a bit of a buzz, and a better appreciation for scotch. I love you, scotch whisky. I love you.

100 in 6 budget: $1119