The 11th annual WhiskyFest New York will be hitting the Marriott Marquis in Times Square on Tuesday, Nov. 11, with more than 200 of the world's finest, rarest and most expensive whiskeys on hand. Since most people don’t know their Glenfiddich from their Glenfarclas (us included), or that you can spell the word with or without an "e" (traditionally produced in Ireland versus traditionally produced in Scotland, respectively), we tapped Kevin Erskine for guidance.
Born in New York, Erskine was the first American to sit on the Scotch Whiskey judging panel at the International Wine & Spirits Competition. He's also the author of "The Instant Expert’s Guide to Single Malt Scotch," and runs The Scotch Blog. In other words, he knows his whiskey (and his whisky).
Let's start simple: What is whiskey?
It's a broad category including Scotch, Irish whiskey, single malt whiskey, Canadian whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, bourbon and more. They're distinguished by the way in which they're made, what they're made from and where they're made. The key is that whiskey is put in an oak barrel; vodka is made from very similar ingredients, so if you put vodka in an oak barrel it would come out a lot like whiskey.
I will venture to guess Scotch is from Scotland?
Yes, it gets its name because it’s distilled in a Scottish distillery. Bourbon can only be called bourbon if it's made in the United States, and Japanese Whiskey and Irish Whiskey speak for themselves. There are so many kinds that your best bet is to just try them and see which you like.
How would you recommend going about that?
If you're going to be sampling various whiskies, drink them at room temperature with a side of room-temperature water. If you’re just drinking it, have it on ice or make a cocktail out of it. Remember, ice deludes the alcohol but makes it easier to take.
So WhiskyFest would be a great introduction.
Oh yeah. It's an entertaining show—crowded and full of interesting people. Last year I saw a very large man hit the ground like a sack of bricks, so you should pace yourself, or consider spitting some out after tasting. Whiskey is 40 percent alcohol, after all.
When in New York, what are your whiskey haunts?
D.B.A. has a great selection of Scotch and hundreds of different whiskies. Flatiron Lounge has been doing some interesting things, and St. Andrews off Times Square also has a good selection. My favorite, though, is Brandy Library. My friend Ethan Kelley is the spirits sommelier there and knows his stuff.
We took Kevin’s advice and headed down to Brandy Library in Tribeca to meet up with Ethan Kelley (pictured) after one of his private tastings.
How does one become a spirits sommelier?
You read a lot, travel a lot and taste a lot. You can’t go to college for it or anything—you have to just gather knowledge and learn from others. I teach for the industry as well as in private classes here.
The walls here are lined with bottles—how many types of whiskey do you have?
A lot. Single malt alone we have more than 300 types. When we get a new selection, another usually goes out of circulation, so we don’t run out of space. Plus we have rum, tequila, wine and brandy as well. Hopefully we'll never have a fire.
Yes, the neighborhood would burn down. How do you decide what to carry?
I find out what’s available, then I sample them to see how their quality compares to their price.
Like the Glenlivet 1964 Cellar Collection, on the Brandy Library menu for $450 a glass?
Well, that is very rare bottle, although our average price for a glass is in the $25 to $30 range. Our clientele is professionals in their mid-30s, including a lot of finance people because of our location, as well as artists and musicians because of the neighborhood.
So if someone asked you to recommend a whiskey, is that even an answerable question?
Not really, because there is such a variety. People ask me that question all the time, and for me the answer depends on the situation, what I'm doing at the time, how many glasses I intend to have, what I'm eating. There is a whiskey for any situation, so you just have to sample and learn.
Funny, Kevin said the same thing.
I was standing next to him at the time.
Any last words of advice?
Don’t be sucked in by age. People assume that older is better, but that's not always the case. Most 25- to 30-year-old Scotches are good, but you pay five times the price of, say, a 12-year Scotch that could be just as good or even better. And Johnny Walker Blue is overrated for its price.
Photo by Felipe Coronado
