Saturday the 9th of September 2005 was set to become a very interesting day, if a little tiring on the liver. 'Whisky Live' is back on George Square, bang in the middle of Glasgow. It was also the last night of the proms, with Proms in the Park on Glasgow Green providing the evening's entertainment. But more on that later.

It's not very often you get the chance to taste such a vast selection of Scottish (and some foreign) Whiskies. What a great afternoon. I'm not exactly an experienced Whisky taster and although it differs slightly from tasting wine in its approach I managed to get a lot out of it. Having a few knowledgeable souls present also helps. Notably there was Richard Paterson, who is the 'master blender' at White and Mackay, and he certainly knows how to keep a crowd interested. He did one of the lectures when I did my WSET course last year and I am surprised he's not on TV yet with his own Whisky show.

The trouble with these great shows is that you're never quite sure where to start, so it was done without much rhyme or reason. If it sounds interesting we'll try it. And try it we did. See below for my observations. To use one of Richard Paterson's lines;

"Love makes the world go 'round? No, Whisky makes the world go 'round, just twice as fast"

Isle of Jura 1984.

Bottled to commemorate the centenary of George Orwell's birth. When he wrote 1984, his view of a nightmarish future, back in 1948 George Orwell lived on the isle of Jura, no doubt with a glass of whisky by his side. Something had to keep his spirits up.

The taste is somewhat nutty, probably due to the use of Oloroso Sherry casks for the maturing process. A great, warming palate with soft citrus fruit. Very nice. If you can still get it, it is a limited edition after all, it should set you back around £60.

I also tried the 'Superstition' from the same distillery which is like a bonfire night, very smoky, strong, manly and warming.

Benromach Traditional

Very pale colour, like a very young white wine. Very light on the nose, a bit of heather and pine. The palate is quite smoky which is a bit strange initially, but it develops nicely with a hint of earthiness. Mellow and smooth.

Highland Park 1986

The gentleman who poured me this attended to the fact this is 55%. Not too strong then. It did need a splash of water to cut through the alcohol, and it really softens it. The nose is sweet honey and heather. There is a caramel and iodine touch to it. Tasting this with the water made me realise again that this significantly affects how the whisky is perceived. Certainly in this case I prefer it.

Millburn 1983

This distillery, north of Inverness, no longer produces whisky. The nose is smoky, malty with a sweet palate.

Clynelish 14 yr old

Maple syrup on the nose. Velvety sweet palate with a hint of smoke.

Te Bheag

Pronounced 'chey vek', the full name is actually Te Bheag nan Eilean, which means 'Little Lady of the Isles', or a wee dram.

This is a wonderfully soft whisky blend. Smoky, some caramel and peat. Leafy and tobacco aromas. Soft and smooth and great value. Oddbins are doing this at £16.99.

Tomintoul

Tomintoul (Glenlivet) comes as a 10, 16, or 27 yr old. The 10 yr old has a slight sweetness and is smooth and simple. The 16 yr old is becoming a bit more serious and full bodied and the 27 yr old is like vanilla custard. Very warming and comforting. They did well at the International Wines and Spirits Challenge, picking up gold for the 27 yr old.

Also made by the same group, Angus Dundee, is Glencaddam 15 yr old. This distillery is based in Brechin, in between Dundee and Aberdeen. Still the characteristic sweetness, but this is somewhat fresher, like orange peel, with a nice woody note.

Benriach Curiositas 10 yr old peated malt

The peaty nose reminds me of a week spent in North Uist in a cold September. Salty, tangy and strong. Very smoky and peaty and slightly medicinal. The character is more like an Islay malt than a Speyside, but it is very comforting.

Glengoyne 15 yr old - Aged in Scottish Oak

Unusual, in fact unique. New Scottish oak is only found in any great quantity in the Scottish parliament building. The Glengoyne distillery managed to get their hands on some and made this limited edition 15 yr old, which after the initial ageing process in Sherry casks, is further matured in new Scottish oak for all of thirteen and a half weeks.

Sweet honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Some citrus notes. If you like the toasty oak character this is for you. Strong and powerful.