Whiskybosh

24/09/2024

A little knowledge can make a big difference!

Having a basic understanding of how we interpret flavour can make a big difference to tasting whisky.

Flavour is a system that employs smell (olfaction), taste (gustation), and mouthfeel (somatosensation plus others). While we commonly refer to the process as nosing and tasting, the majority of what we describe in a whisky is in fact a combination of orthonasal olfaction and retronsasal olfaction - or to put it simply, aroma.

Knowing that we detect aromas initially through the nostrils and secondarily from the mouth helps to break down the process. This understanding that flavour is a process rather than a single event helps us to better identify and differentiate the different components within a dram. It also helps us to have a closer relationship with one of the most meaningful facets of life.

12/09/2024

We never planned to host wedding whisky tastings.

It's 10 years since we created Whiskybosh.

The impetus was to create adventures for the senses that moved away from the antiquated approaches to tasting whisky. Creating wonderlands of colours, textures, sounds, and of course flavours to make whisky more accessible, understandable, and most importantly - fun.

In this time we've hosted whisky events all over the world, including sharing drams with The Walt Disney Company Limited, Hugo Boss, Bucknell University, The Langham, and the most wonderful brides, grooms, and associated wedding guests.

It just so happened that when we raised our sails, the winds of fortune blew us towards weddings. And listening to a recent interview about how Amazon only ever planned to sell books, it made me think about how an open and inquisitive mind is an important component of success.

But the more I think about hosting whisky tastings at weddings, the more it makes sense. As it turns out, whisky tastings complement weddings perfectly. Our tastings fit immaculately amongst other events by complementing cocktails, nibbles, and dancing. Adding a little extra sparkle that promotes conversations, socialising, and delight.

But being too fixed on an idea at the start had shrouded our ability to see how superb whisky tastings could be at weddings.

Sometimes it takes a little push, pure chance, or luck to see such things.

Which is why it's always important to keep an open mind and never cease to appreciate inspiration and opportunity when it comes your way.

Here are the 10 reasons why your Scottish wedding is incomplete without a proper whisky tasting.

22/08/2024

What a wonderful wedding for Hannah & Raf last Monday at Achnagairn Estate, superb venue, amazing guests, and a wonderful couple.

It was a super atmosphere with awesome musicians too!

Many thanks to the team at Achnagairn Castle for being so helpful and friendly, it couldn't have gone any more smoothly from our perspective.

Here's a wee video of our set-up with Hannah & Raf's bespoke whisky casks which went down an absolute treat. The casks are always a great way for people to explore scotch whisky, and for many, these whiskies are the first scotch's they've ever truly enjoyed. It's a light bulb moment for some and a pleasure to share the only 2 litres of these whiskies in the world... ever!

15/08/2024

Here's the process of having our casks laser engraved.

Each design is bespoke created. This particular one for a forthcoming wedding.

It's pretty cool, totally unique, and serving drams straight from these makes it the most extraordinary whisky tasting to have at a wedding.

14/08/2024

It's an exciting day at Whiskybosh!

For the last 8 weeks these two casks have been quietly maturing single malt whisky.

The cask on the left was first seasoned with incredibly sweet Pedro Ximenez sherry, before being filled with Lagavulin 16 year old.

The cask on the right was first seasoned with Chase Marmalade Vodka, before being filled with Balvenie Doublewood.

Exciting I know, but that's not the really exciting part.

With the wedding at Achnagairn Estate coming up this Monday, the time has finally come to have these casks engraved with the bride and grooms' personal message and design.

It marks an important milestone in the journey of transforming these casks from new virgin American oak casks into the most wonderful, unique, and delightfully Scottish treat for the wedding guests.

The guests will be served drams directly from the casks as part of our wedding whisky tasting. And after the celebrations, the bride and groom will have the most extraordinary mementos of the big day. They can even fill them with more whisky if they wish!

How many weddings have you been to where you've been served whisky straight from oak casks?

08/08/2024

FLAVOUR FOCUSFrom science to sensory delightAs an SMWS Tasting Panel chair, Kami Newton understands the need to assess each whisky as objectively as possible, while also embracing the flights of imagination and wonder that they can provoke. As he explains, it’s a fine line between sensory science ...

23/07/2024

We are now able to offer a range of fabulous engraving options for our Wedding Casks and private tasting casks. These are available in 1 litre, 2 litre, and 3 litre capacities.

We can engrave the design of your choice onto bronze, brass, brushed steel, or wood plaques for your casks.

This takes our bespoke offering to the next level and creates further ways to match your casks to your overall theme and decor.

The casks themselves will be seasoned with flavours of your choice before being filled with your favourite whisky for maturation prior to your event.

Take a look at a full range of offerings at

www.whiskybosh.com

23/07/2024

Whether it's honey, toffee, or fudge, sweetness in whisky is an illusion. Discover how the brain tricks us into thinking things are sweet, when they are not.

03/07/2024

How we smell whisky is not as straightforward as you may think. In fact, it involves two different olfactory processes. Understanding them will revolutionise how you taste whisky.

02/07/2024

Do you know we each have two ways of smelling whisky? But each one can produce its own unique interpretation of the same aromas.

Aromas travelling through the nose from the outside world are processed differently to those entering the nasal cavity from food or drink inside the mouth. Each one even activates different brain regions.

Aromas from the outside world (orthonasal olfaction) are neurologically associated with ‘wanting’ food or drink. Aromas originating from something inside the mouth (retronasal olfaction) are associated with ‘liking’ a food or drink. The same aroma can appear different for each because the brain looks at each in a different way.

Therefore it’s easy to confuse taste with retronasal olfaction. Because the aromas in the mouth can seem different to when we sniffed the whisky, orthonasal olfaction. However, as Dana. M. Small et al 2005 suggest with their study, the difference between the two appears to be strongest with food related aromas. In the case of their study – chocolate.

It's important to know when tasting whisky because it helps us to differentiate between smell, taste, mouthfeel, and finish. Breaking them down in a systematic way creates less sensory overwhelm and better flavour identification.

19/06/2024

The strange world of adding water to whisky revealed...

When you add water to your whisky, truly peculiar things happen in your glass. Understanding the turbid science behind such things will change how you taste whisky forever.

18/06/2024

Does chill-filtering whisky impact its aroma?

While long-chain fatty acids are commonly associated with mouthfeel, some interesting research from outside the whisky world may surprise you.

A pair of Chinese studies, one looking at headspace ester concentrations of Baijiu, suggested that long-chain fatty acids can impact spirit aroma.

Two esters, ethyl acetate (pear drops) and ethyl hexanoate (apple skin) were suppressed in the presence of long-chain fatty acids. However, ethyl butyrate concentrations were in fact increased.

The implications are that rather than contributing to whisky aroma directly, long-chain fatty acids can inhibit the release of many volatile molecules, but facilitate the release of others.

13/06/2024

Some people like Big Butts...

However, at WhiskyBosh we're fans of little butts.

It's always an exciting time when we take delivery of new virgin oak 1 litre, 2 litre, and 3 litre casks.

The next step is to start filling some of these ready for an exciting wedding tasting in August.

More details to follow...

Find out more about what we do in the comments...

12/06/2024

Anyone for Irn Bru cask finished whisky?

To create a truly bespoke whisky experiences for wedding guests, we season 1, 2, or 3 litre virgin oak casks with flavours hand-picked by the bride and groom as a personal expression of their marriage.

The whisky to be filled into and further matured in the casks afterwards is always carefully selected to match these flavours.

It's a wonderful way to share something utterly unique with those you know and love. And the flavours within each cask will never be repeated.

This has meant some off-the-wall casks over the years that veer far from tradition. It's also meant that we have had to get extremely creative when concocting natural flavourings for the casks.

Here are a few of the more memorable casks we've created:

Bounty Bar
Earl Grey Tea
Cherry Cola
Irn Bru
Antica Formula
Marmalade
Applewood smoke
Milk Chocolate
Stout
Lemongrass

As an interesting side note - Cherry Coke goes mouldy in a cask quite quickly (we had to think our way around that one). However, Irn Bru seems to go on forever without any issues!

07/06/2024

Calling all whisky fans!

Understanding whisky mouthfeel will revolutionise how you taste whisky. It's big subject with a few surprises. So get ready for an adventure.

Mouth-coating, chewy, viscous and silky. We love to talk about the mouthfeel of whiskies. But what exactly is mouthfeel? Furthermore, how do we experience it?

05/06/2024

Have you ever been to a wedding where whisky is served directly from the cask?

We create small casks for wedding couples, seasoned with a flavour of choice, and complete with the bride and grooms’ favourite whisky, matured in the cask beforehand.

The personalised and engraved casks make the perfect memento of the big day, and our whisky tasting delights the guests in the most wonderful way.