Scotch Tasting Elite Event @ Kells Irish Pub

I was so happy to get into this Unilocal EE! I learned lots about whisky, and had such a great time getting to taste the different types. The Balvenie rep was not only knowledgeable, but entertaining. The appetizers were delicious — who doesn’t love smoked salmon and exotic-​looking cheeses with their free cocktails? And Katy did a great job of checking us in and making me feel welcome. I’ve been to a few Unilocal events, and so far this one was my favorite. Definitely looking forward to other whisky tasting events where I can learn fun facts about (and drink) boozes.

Every event I’ve attended this year seems to just set the bar higher and higher. What an amazing evening. Upon walking in we were greeted with free cocktails — either a Rob Roy or a Blood and Sand. I went with the Blood and Sand and think I’ve found my new favorite whiskey drink.
The tasters were already set up at the tables and the trays had a little bit of information about each of the scotches on them, which was great for someone like me who really knew nothing about scotch save that I like it! There was also a small glass of water and water droppers to share for adding water to the whiskey during the tasting. The only thing missing from the tables was water for drinking.
There was a small selection of light fare to nosh on while we waited for everyone to arrive. Mainly a variety of cheeses and breads. I was able to snag a mini sausage roll from the fresh batch of replacements that was brought up just before we started. They were great. The other items had been fairly picked over before I got to the food table, so I didn’t get much. This was a little dangerous as I had not had a chance to eat beforehand, so I didn’t finish my whiskey samples or I would have been afraid of driving (always drink responsibly kids!).
The highlight of the evening, of course, was the guided tasting led by Lorne Cousin from Balvenie. Lorne’s personality, wit, and knowledge lended themselves to a highly informative, yet fun presentation of the Balvenie line of scotches. It was fascinating to hear the step by step process Balvenie uses to make it’s scotch, which all still done by hand! And, we learned a few tricks and tips for identifying the flavors of, tasting, and enjoying scotch in the future. Plus, now I’ve got my own little Balvenie scotch glass and water dropper!

This was an awesome event. From the beautiful ambiance, to the delicious buffet, to, of course, the fantastic scotch, this was perfect. I learned so much about scotch. Now whenever I’m with my friends, I’m going to do the «rub it on your wrist» trick to pick up the scents. Thanks to Katy for putting this together!

Had a great time and a great experience.
The event was well structured including specialty scotch-​based drinks, exclusive tasting trays, free tasting glasses, and other give-​aways all supported by a Balvenie ambassador.
The evening played out well and was insightful as well as enjoyable.

I’ve yet to attend a Katy-​sponsored event that wasn’t 5 stars but this was head and shoulders above all the others to date.
Not only was the setting stunning (upstairs at Kell’s in a private dining room) but the subject matter was very near and dear to my heart, scotch. I loves the stuff, everything about it. We tasted 5 different kinds, and were given a complementary cocktail and a little nosh to tide us over until dinner.
The presentation was great, thanks to the friendly Scottish gent who had us hanging on every word.
Afterward we headed downstairs to buy a bit more Balvenie and dinner, and couldn’t have had a lovelier night.

When the notification for this EE came up, I knew I had to be there. I was one of the lucky few to score a seat (for those who are curious, there may have been 2 empty seats last night; we take our scotch and RSVPs seriously).
It’s been a while since I attended an event this special and intimate. The upstairs space in Kells was nice and quiet. In fact, when we arrived on the main floor, it did not look set up for an event at all, but we were kindly guided to the upstairs level which has its own bar and restrooms, plus room for about a dozen round tables.
And though it’s been about a year, Katy H was the first person to greet me and by name! She’s got a crazy good memory.
After signing in, we selected seats and chatted with our tablemates before the snacks were brought out. While waiting, the bar provided two complimentary drinks – a ‘blood and sand’ and ‘rob roy.’ Don’t ask me what was in the drinks, but they were tasty and STRONG. The snackage compised of cheeses, bread, fruit, and puffed sausage pastries.
Katy introduced the speaker, the Balvenie Ambassador Lorne Cousin who told us many things about Scotch — the history, some technical stuff, methods for tasting properly, funny anecdotes, and a bunch of other things. He was an engaging and interesting speaker and that hour (?) flew by. My favorite take-​away was a method of smelling the scotch (dip your pinky in the scotch and then rub it on the back of your hand until it dries and smell. it’s very cool). The five tastes (12, 14, 15, 17, and 21yr) were distinct and you could really tell that this is a carefully and finely-​tuned, hand-​crafted beverage. It’s been owned by the same family for 125yrs! My favorites were the 21yr, 17yr and 14yr, but they were all lovely.
We all left a little warmer, with rosy cheeks and a Balvenie «nosing and tasting» glass.
Thanks to Katy, the staff at Kells, Lorne, and Megan for a fun and educational evening!

The Scotch Tasting Unilocal Event was incredibly well done.
A definite Thank You is in order for Katy (our super nice Community Manager), Kells Irish Pub — with their warm and cozy private room, Megan Beard, and last but certainly not least, Lorne Cousin and The Balvenie.
It was a wonderful night filled with tasty snacks, two signature cocktails — a Rob Roy and the Blood and Sand, 5 aged Scotches (12, 14, 15, 17 –my favorite, and 21) and an entirely entertaining retelling of the Scotch and Balvenie history by Lorne.
I honestly did not know what to expect from this event, and my husband and I were both pleasantly surprised. We were able to meet and mingle with a few other friendly Unilocalers, learn the proper way to taste and smell Scotch as well as a fun little take-​away of our very own (very adorable) scotch tasting/​nosing glass.
We know of a few friends that would love to come here for another few rounds of Scotch, so we will definitely be back.
We’ll be the people rubbing the scotch on our hands/​arms, hoping that a cop doesn’t stop us on our way out.
And now I’m off to friend Dennis McBain on Facebook…

Who knew all that stuff about scotch?
I thought we would taste a little scotch, eat a little food and be on our way. No way! We were taken on a tour of Scotland and the various scotch producing regions, then found out how Balvenie is «hand crafted» and then was taught how to enjoy a quality single malt scotch. All this was provided to us in a wonderful Scottish accent by our Balvenie host.
Oh yea, the scotch was wonderful. Tasted 5 different single malts produced by Balvenie and each were so unique but so good. My favorite was the 14 yr Caribbean Cask which is finished in a rum barrel. Amazing!!!
Thanks to Kells Irish Pub that made us feel at home and to Katie for setting up another 1^st rate Elite event.

Good scotch :)
Great event put on by Katy once again!
If it happens again, you’ll want to get the Rob Roy. It’s definitely a cherry and not an olive when you get to it. You’ll know what mean!
Kell’s is an awesome spot too. Great area upstairs for private events!
Oh, and first!