This may come off as boastful, and you may think I am a snotty asshole bragging about how much fun my job is (believe me, it’s not!). But between events and tastings and serendipity, I had a week of tasting that was so chock-full of amazing spirits poured at Wingtip that I can’t not write about it.

MONDAY

I had a Tanqueray 10 Martini with my wife before dinner. It was sublime.

TUESDAY

Jon Trainer the Brand Ambassador for Glenmorangie came to the club and lead a tasting of some truly amazing whiskies, starting with the Glenmorangie Signet, an amazing single malt that, pound-for-pound, is one of best premium single malts around. Coming in at $200 bottle, it is not cheap, but it is one of the most unique and well crafted malts anywhere. And that was the opener.

Trainer followed up the Signet with two malts that are never going to see the light the of day outside of select tastings. They were simply labeled A and B. Their counterpart, C, will be released later this year, as Taghta. Whisky A was a Glenmorangie finished in a Burgundy Cask. It had a high sulfur note, not the best, but certainly not the worst thing I had this week. Whisky B was finished in a Grand Cru Bordeaux Cask and was a delicious experience. I kept coming back to that throughout the night. Whisky C was finished in a Manzanilla Sherry Cask. It was a light and aromatic malt, indeed.

To finish it all off, we enjoyed the Glenmorangie 25! It was a rich, caramel-y, yet lean easy-drinking malt that retails for $550. This is a solid collector’s piece for anyone looking to add a new bottle to their top shelf.

WEDNESDAY A.M.

Maurice Hennessy of House Hennessy came by to share some of the older, higher end marks of Hennessy cognac. He started us out on the XO which is a smooth drinking spirit. Then he jumped us right up to the Paradis Imperial, a blend of Cognacs up to 100 years old, with rich notes of prunes and raisins, and a finish of elegance. Following that he poured the Richard;  the oldest spirt in that bottle was over 130 years old, and his great grandfather had a hand in producing it. It was like taking a journey through time and flavor. I am not sure I have ever had such a line up of amazing cognac in one sitting.

WEDNESDAY P.M.

Mitch Bechard, the west coast Brand Ambassador from Glenfiddich came by and led our members on a tasting of the their 15, 18, 21, and Cask of Dreams. Mitch also brought a virtual tour of the distillery. Not only was Mitch a fantastic presenter, but he was able to show us around the distillery with live actions shots of the master cooper making a barrel and their master of malt going through his daily tastings. It was a treat to hear Mitch talk about the process and then actually see how it was done.

The Glenfiddich 15 is a must have at any home bar. It is solera-aged whisky, from three types of cask (american oak, virgin american oak, and sherry cask), and at $70 a bottle, not a huge hit to the budget. The real star of the night was the 21 year old, finished in a “Carribbean” rum cask. This elegant malt had notes of fresh figs and apricots. When this bottle can be found I highly recommend picking it up and saving it for special occasions.

THURSDAY

I drank a Guinness, and it was delicious.

FRIDAY

I am spoiled to say the least, as is obvious with what I enjoyed that week. As if things couldn’t get any better, we held a tasting of Highland Park 50, the most expensive bottle in our collection of Single Malt Whiskies. Martin Daraz, who may be the funniest looking man I know, came to the Club and walked us through a tasting of a few Highland Park expressions, leading up to the epic 50. We started with new make spirit, an un-aged whisky sampled just as it comes off the still. This was a rare chance to see what the whisky tastes like before it ever sees the inside of the barrel — the barebones version of the whisky, if you will. We moved into the Highland Park 12 and 18 next (the whiskies that made me fall in love with whisky many many years ago). Then came the 50.

After the week of tasting I had, between the Glenfiddich 21, the Glenmorangie Signet, the Hennessys, I didn’t think these could be topped. But I was wrong. This was an out-of-this-world experience. The people who were at the table were serious whisky drinkers, yet we never stopped laughing. I blame Martin completely. He kept the mood joyous for everyone while maintaining the integrity of what it means to drink a whisky of such age.

The Highland Park 50 is hands-down the most expensive spirit I have tried. It’s literally –and I mean that in the literal sense of the word literally– worth its weight in gold. It was a transcendent experience. It was nimble for being so old. I find most whiskies this age to have way too much oak, but this had a depth of flavor I have never experienced, accompanied by a playfulness on the palate you expect from a much younger whisky.

IN SUMMATION

I had a hell of week. I am spoiled. But don’t hate me. Next time you see me we can knock back a round of Fernet and canned Olympia–because there’s a time and place for that, too!

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