We started celebrations for el día festivo de San Isidro, the Patron Saint of Madrid a day early with a full house of BritishSpanish Society members and friends at our Whisky Tasting on Tuesday 14th May.

We came together for this punto de encuentro in the wonderful Edificio Palacete, courtesy of our event partner the British Council. The evening started with a short introduction to the BritishSpanish Society from Trustee Brian Douglas, with a wonderful mix in attendance of regular members and a number of people discovering the charity’s events for the first time.

We soon dived straight into understanding more about whisky, this wonderful golden spirit, known as “the water of life”. We were fortunate to have two experts, Abel Luna, a distributor for Basque Moonshiners, and Michael Thompson, from Gravitas Drinks, who gave us a description about their processes as we launched into sampling 4 different whiskies from each of their distilleries. We were privileged to have Glencairn crystal snifter glasses, allowing for the fullest appreciation of the whisky’s colour and aroma. Useful tips for tasting Whisky included: as suggested by Michael, briefly blowing into the glass before sniffing & drinking, and as suggested by Abel, drinking a sip of ice chilled water between sips, in both cases to manage the impact of the alcohol.

From Basque Moonshiners we tasted two peaty versions of Bikkun Vatted Malt, both blends of their own single malt whisky Agot (using Navarran Pils & Munich malted barley varieties) with a Highland malt with sherry characteristics, and while both benefitted from the use of ex-Rioja Alavesa barriques, the New Path Edition includes a 6 month period in stout beer barriques to smoothen the finish. We also had the Bikkun American Edition a malt blend including the use of ex-Bourbon Barriques, as well as their Agot whisky; and finally their Agot New Path malt whisky which unusually passed through barrels that previously held Palo Cortado (a complex sherry combining the delicate bouquet of an Amontillado with the body and palate of an Oloroso) and which as could be expected went rather well with the Jamón Ibérico. On the Scotch whisky side we tasted the oily and citrusy Northland (matured in 50L American oak quarter casks), Aurora (sherried whisky matured in American oak and Spanish Oloroso casks), Morven (with a delicate touch of peat – matured in ex-bourbon barrels) and ending with the 10 year old whisky, (their first permanent age-statement with 100% sherry cask matured). 

The food on the evening consisted of one of the best tortillas in Madrid, Jamón Ibérico de bellota, English cheddar cheese, picos, cashews and peanuts, and organic 70% cocoa dark chocolate which accompanied the last whiskies.

Thanks to our artisan whisky distillery sponsors of the evening, Basque Moonshiners and Gravitas Drinks, Glencairn Crystal, and of course the British Council for allowing us to use their splendid venue.