They say that the best things are worth waiting for... and so it proved at our delayed Burns Night Supper, when we were superbly hosted by Bob, Laird o' the Harris Tweed in February...
Transport Manager Peter had pulled out all the stops and organised a minibus to collect seven WACWACs each in turn and deliver them to the top of Bob's drive (by the Port Cullis) - following which, the expectant imbibers poured into Castle Robert...
We were treated to an excellent 'amous bouche' of sloe gin with baby kiwi fruits... not just any old sloe gin - but a very special one distilled by the late and much-missed Val around 30 years ago. It was a special moment as we raised a glass in memory of Val...
The night was off to a wonderful start...
Our first whisky was a classic Speyside from a distllery that's been distilling great whisky for over 120 years - a Glen Moray 7 year old 'Elgin Classic'.. a perfect introduction, a light, slightly floral and very drinkable whisky... Perfect, we all thought, for drinking on a warm Spring or Summer Day.. It was actually a freebie, being the prize that Peter had won for winning the (9 hole) golf competition at the recent 41 Club National Social & Sporting Weekend... (he's such a generous chap).
Our second tipple was an Island whisky and the most expensive of the evening - The Arran 18 year old - from Scotland's newest distillery. Aged in ex-Sherry and ex-Bourbon casks, it had a nose of butter and vanilla and a taste of spicy sweetness...
The third whisky was the Whisky Exchange's Whisky of the Year 2018 from Islay's first legal distillery- a Bowmore 15 year old. Aged for 12 years in sherry and bourbon casks and finished off for 3 years in oloroso casks, it was a superb mouth-watering and rich treacle toffee of a whisky, and whilst it proved to be the favourite tipple of the evening, it just failed to get into the 'Bronze Medal' position of our overall favourite whiskies.
The last whisky (or so we thought) was an unusual one and from far away from Scotland - Taiwan! The Kavalan Port Finish whisky (no age statement) whilst not to Anne's 'cup of tea', was a whisky with a natural sweetness and complexity, aged as it had been in American Oak casks and finished off in three different Port casks...
In-between the above, traditional Burns poetry was recited and our host Bob provided us with some superb and first class fayre... haggis, neeps & tatties vol-eu-vents (preceded of course by the traditional 'Address to the Haggis' poem) and finished off with some excellent traditional cranachan as dessert..
Just as we thought we'd tasted all the whisky we had, Bob produced a bottle of Monkey Shoulder whisky - a blend of small batched of William Grant’s three Speyside distilleries: Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Kininvie which are matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks. The term 'Monkey Shoulder' came from a historic malt-man's ailment. The long process of turning barley by hand inevitably took its toll on Scotland’s malt men. After long shifts of constant manual flipping they were susceptible to a condition which caused one arm to hang down just a little; they called this 'monkey shoulder'.
Sadly, all good things must come to the end and the evening had to draw to a close... As the merry guests pin-balled back up the blackness of Bob's drive and poured themselves back into the minibus, all reflected at just what a bloody good idea it was to form our little society and how fortunate they were to be members of the WACWAC!