Women & Whiskey

Last week I attended a Women & Whiskey event  at the beautiful Fairmont Copley Hotel in Boston. Held by Where to Eat Boston and led by Brandy Rand, a cocktail and wine marketing expert, the whiskey tasting was fun, informative, and delicious.

We kicked it off with a Basil Hayden bourbon drink, a tea julep that was a nod to the Kentucky Derby coming up that weekend. The drink was lightly sweet with a lovely tea flavor and a kick of bourbon, really delicious.

The Fairmont Copley put out a nice spread of grilled breads, cheese, and charcuterie, and I filled my plate a couple of times, enjoying each bite with sips of my cocktail. The perfect meal?

Brandy shared information on how whiskey is made, the history of whiskey in various places in the world, and information about whiskey through the decades. It was interesting to learn how vodka, flavorless and difficult to smell, nudged whiskey out as a top choice, but how whiskey (especially bourbon) is making a comeback.

We wafted various whiskeys and learned to properly taste, holding tastes in our mouth, making sure to cover all the tastebuds, and appreciating the finish of each whiskey.

I had tried some of the whiskeys before, including the Scotch whisky, Auchentoshan while we were in Scotland. However, this was my first time trying Japanese whiskey, a Yamazaki 12! I really loved it!

We also tasted three bourbons side-by-side, Maker’s Mark, Basil Hayden, and Knob Creek rye. I’ve become a rye fan in the past few years and enjoyed the vanilla and oak notes in the Knob Creek. It was my favorite of the American whiskeys.

The winner for the night for me, however, was the Tyrconnell Irish whiskey. I can’t help it; it was smooth with notes of honey and a little bit of smoke, evoking moments of sitting by a turf fire on past trips to Ireland. It smelled and tasted like a bit of home.

Brandy did a really awesome job keeping us interested and making whiskey fun and approachable, especially for women, who are often steered toward girly (vodka) and fruity drinks. Brandy wanted us to be able to identify a whiskey that we liked, and from the chatter in the crowd, it seemed that everyone did.

Are you a whiskey fan? If you have an opportunity to attend a Women & Whiskey event, I would definitely recommend it!