BAMS: the Bay Area Malt Society

On Saturday, January 26 BAMS held its first tasting in a long time. There were a lot of fresh names on the RSVP list, so the elders decided to offer a horizontal tasting to edify the newcomers to the startling variety of single malt flavors across the sweet-peat spectrum.

We chose the Macallan 12-year: a sweet, caramely expression from the Speyside region of Scotland, and the Laphroaig 10-year: the venerable Islay malt infamous for its pungently smoky flavor.

[Note: the following tasting notes are not necessarily the opinions of the BAMS elders or the owners of this website.]

Macallan 12-year tasting notes:

Smells of sweet amaretto/almond and anise, slight undertones of lemon custard and vanilla. -Sasha B
Caramel, amber like in Jurassic Park w/o the mosquito. Calm, then tingly, then the tongue goes numb. Then it recovers with a kick of a swallow. -Nora D
Chocolate nose, sharp like a dark chocolate. Very sweet with no bite until the swallow. -Alden C
Amber, caramel color. Sweet accents and smooth finish. -JG
Syrupy, caramel nose; thick, fiery on the tongue; dry, bitter finish. Goes good with grapes. -Jeff D
Vanilla! Very spicy as well. Yummy! -Kem
Makes your breath smell like burnt marshmallows. -Syki D
Good up front, nice texture, like simple syrup. Weak, bitter finish.
The nose of a chocolate lab with the tail that stings like a bee…
Smooth operatin!
Caramel smell that drips down your throat.
Fiery and spicy.
Fiery! [drawing of a flaming jar of whisky]
Very smooth, clean, how Scotch should taste. A hint of clove-like spiceness. Tasty.

Laphroaig 10-year tasting notes:

That first one tasted like vanilla extract mixed with fire and the second one tasted like my grandma Irene Blanc McCain. -LH
Leathery, pungent nose; overpowering smoky flavor. Absolutely delicious. Vibrant humming finish stays with you a long time. -JD
If I was 12, this Scotch would make my balls drop! -JH
Very restorative to those with weak constitution. I think it’s the smokiness.