Pollacchi will often bring in a barber for shaves, a shoe shiner and a luxury cigar rolleror have guests get measured for custom ties and shirts during the tasting.6. The AccoutermentsHosting a tasting doesnt have to stop at whiskey. Its a very palpable, different experience visually, physically and chemically.5. Everyone says once you experience our ice you cant go back. It means the whiskey maintains a core temperature and gives you the maximum amount of chill with the least amount of dilution, Okamoto explains. For whiskey tastings, Okamoto hand-carves ice spheres rather than cubes, because they have less surface area for the same volume. Okamoto explains that the size and shape of ice used in whiskeyand all drinks for that matterhas a dramatic effect on the taste. For parties in the New York area, Pollacchi recommends Shintaro Okamoto, whose company Okamoto Studio supplies custom-carved ice to some of the most well-respected cocktail bars in Manhattan. The IceWhile its not an absolute necessity, Pollacchi loves bringing an ice carver in for tastings. Some bottled waters still carry plastic flavors to me, he says.4. For the purest experience, Pollacchi suggests Smart Water. The WaterIts important for there to be still water on hand during the tasting. Ive been with companies that do seven or eight whiskies, and after that many youre not really tasting anymore, and youve probably consumed too much.3. Its the perfect number that enables people to appreciate the four different flavors. Most times Ill do four whiskies during the tasting and then a fifth for people to hang around and drink afterward, says Pollacchi. The Number of BottlesUsually my recommendation is no more than four or five whiskies, regardless of the size of the group.
Thats what any good whiskey glass should do.2. Its a small tulip-shaped glass that allows all of the aromas to be concentrated to one point at the top of the glass. If Glencairn glasses arent available, my go-to glass is actually 5oz cognac snifter, he says. I like to use Glencairn crystal glasses which are the proper whiskey glasses, but they can be difficult to find. Typically, Pollacchi handles sourcing the glassware for clients unless they choose to do it themselves. The GlasswareHaving the appropriate glassware is a critical aspect of tastings. My job is to get people excited and engaged.Below, Pollacchi provides some insight on the crucial elements to hosting a whiskey tasting.1. Were not super geekywere not there to bore you about whiskey. I tell stories about what it feels like to live and work at a distillery in Scotland, how the single malts are made and how the whiskeys are blended, he says. Pollacchis events run the gamuttastings can take place anywhere from a high-end steakhouse to a CEOs office.
#Snifter whiskey glass free#
It gives me the freedom to say, I dont work for these brands, so feel free to tell me your honest opinion.Now, Pollacchi uses his years of knowledge to host tastings all over the world for private and corporate clients. I decided to start my own company The Whisky Dog, because there wasnt a luxury whiskey tasting company that could host a tasting in a bipartisan way. The brand tastings are great, but I always felt that I came off like a salesman. They consume a large variety of different whiskey brands at the same time, Pollacchi explains. He would often host tasting events for corporate clients and whiskey enthusiasts, but he found that while the tastings were fun, they didnt accurately reflect consumers drinking habits.Brands position themselves to only drink their own brand, but thats not how whiskey drinkers drink.
Scottish-born whiskey expert Nicholas Pollacchi spent years as a brand ambassador for big name companies like Macallan and Highland Park.
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