The recently revamped Bellevue Hotel was the perfect backdrop for this month’s cocktail experiment on ‘whiskies’. We had a good line-up that included Jameson Gold Reserve, Dewar’s White Label, Bowmore Legend, AnCnoc and the Dalmore. Leading the experiment was Dan Woolley (Group Beverage Manager, Riversdale Group) and he was joined by a few of the Riversdale Group’s crew – Paige Aubort (LoFi), Kevin Peters (LoFi & the Standard) and Dean Sykes (bar manager of LoFi).
The consummate whisk(e)y educator, Woolley led the team through a tasting session that uncovered many of the wonderful characteristics, and potential cocktail styles, that each product was showing. The Jameson displayed delicate cereal notes and a light to medium body that was thought a good match to a spiced whisky sour, perhaps some agave or fig and cinnamon jam. The crew noted that the Dewar’s had a soft, creamy texture which would benefit from some orange zest or bitters – and ultimately it would end up served as a refreshing punch that incorporated tea and lemon curd.