Single Malt Scotch Whisky Dinner

Just casually holding a bottle of Old Pulteney 17.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of co-hosting the first-ever Ivy+ Single Malt Scotch Whisky Dinner at Om Restaurant in Harvard Square. (Ivy+ is all the Ivy League schools plus MIT, Stanford, and a few others, depending on who you talk to.) We had a great night, with two Scotch whisky cocktails prepared by Om's mixologist Noon, four single malt tastings, and a great three-course meal.

The single malt samplings for the night.

My partner in crime for the night was Brian Johnson, the Northeast District Manager for International Beverage Holdings Ltd., the company that distributes the fine malts we tasted...which were the AnCnoc 12, AnCnoc 16, Balblair 1997 (vintage, not age!), and Old Pulteney 17.

Brian showing off his ability to lift an Old Pulteney 17 display box.

While most attendees were students or alumni of MIT, we also had a good showing from Yale and Harvard (and they played nice together). I'm hoping to be able to put on larger events so we can include alumni from even more universities.

Attendees enjoying their food, drinks, and my picture-taking.

Holy crap

I think some people out there are missing the point of whisky. I read several months ago that Diageo, the world's largest spirits company, had released The John Walker, an ultra-super-mega-ridiculous-premium brand of blended Scotch whisky. It was apparently introduced in order to give rich stiffs a chance to blow their money faster than before. I guess cocaine is out of style. The John Walker retails for $3000 a bottle (yes, U.S. dollars) and comes in a hand-made Baccarat crystal decanter, complete with a 24-karat gold neck collar.

This is nuts. This is the Lamborghini of the whisky world, except most people don't even know what it is, so you won't actually be able to impress anyone.

I remember seeing the Johnnie Walker Blue Label King George V in a duty free shop, retailing for about $400, and thinking THAT was expensive. Then again, I believe it only came in a non-hand-made crystal decanter, and just a silk-lined box or some crap like that. So pedestrian.

Well, I'm now going to go back to drinking my Old Pulteney 12, which I just bought for $34.99. Hey, I saved $2965.01!