Top Shelf Whiskey Taste at Samba Brazilian Grill
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There was some primo stuff up for grabs, like the 15-year-old Macallan.
Monday’s first Top Shelf Whiskey Taste was sold-out, with all 300 tickets going to liquor industry professionals, chefs, socialites, lawyers, politicians, hangers-on, and well-heeled booze hounds who gathered to sample more than 50 bottles at Samba Brazilian Grill (240 West Gilman St. #2, 608-257-1111). The A.V. Club couldn’t resist joining them to taste a selection of single malt scotch, bourbon, and spiced whiskeys.
Anyone would get completely annihilated attempting to drink through something like this, so the handlers sensibly took the wine-tasting approach of providing spittoons. The “swirl, sample, and rinse” method preserves the delicate sensibilities of each whiskey as well as the delicate human body.
First, the classics: 15-year-old Macallan proved to be golden in color with a powerful aroma and a full, round tone. The lingering taste burst in-belly like fire for full minutes after a single sip. Wedges of Pleasant Ridge smoked Gouda and a crusty slice of baguette paired well with the 12-year-old Glenfiddich, a single malt scotch with notes of sherry, aged in casks of new oak. The tip of the tongue gets a little spice before the Glenfiddich slowly spreads, and then the room goes a little blurry.
The relatively inexpensive Revelstoke Canadian Whiskey, spiced with Madagascar vanilla beans, had a nose reminiscent of Dr. Brown’s Cream Soda, and the Basil Hayden’s is a medium-bodied bourbon that snuck in a hint of pepper and a mild, smooth finish.
Yahara Bay whiskey, a 2-year-old with a floral, sinus-clearing honeyed perfume is a highly drinkable nectar brewed right here in Madison. One feels the warmth glowing not in the belly, but rather blooming through out the entire skull after a drink. Madison’s newer distillery, Old Sugar, showed off its playful honey liquor. This is not a manly whiskey that tears your head off, but rather it’s a friendly, light, sweet drink that’s, as one guest exclaimed, “perfect for a hot toddy!”
Despite the spittoons, lots of attendees seemed smashed anyway (“Are you kidding? I’m going to drink this, not toss it!” said one woman), and soon red-faced patrons with glittering eyes and a sheen of sweat began rushing from whiskey to whiskey in a fevered pitch. Samba began to resemble the Overlook Hotel’s creepy shrine to alcohol, the Gold Room. Fortunately, Madison Magazine saw fit to provide tubs of cold bottled water and tables piled high with all manner of food: salmon, slices of beef sheared from swords of meat, curried chicken potato salad, pita bread, and olive tapenade. When dealing with this much high-octane alcohol, it’s critical to pound water and pause for solid food.
The A.V. Club left with a complimentary sampling glass and a reasonable ability to walk.
