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• Tasting #1: Blairmhor, Poit Dhubh, Longmorn, Loch Dhu, Glenmorangie

• Tasting #2: Tamnavulin, Finlaggan, Poit Dhubh, Inverarity, Glanfarclas, Loch Dhu

• Tasting #3: Royal Brackla, Caol Ila, Longmorn, Dalwhinnie, Sheep Dip

• Tasting #4: Macallan (variety)

• Tasting #5: Tamnavulin, Glendronach, Glengoynes, Ardbeg

• Tasting #6: Glenkinchie, Deanston, Highland Park, Century of Malts

• Tasting #7: Glenrothes, Loch Morar, Deanston, Glenmorangie

• Tasting #8: Johnny Walker, Aberlour, Balvenie Doublewood, Glengoyne, Longmorn, Springbang

Tasting #1: Blairmhor, Poit Dhubh, Longmorn, Loch Dhu, Glenmorangie

The six samples included an eight-year-old Blairmhor, a twelve-year Poit Dhubh, a fifteen-year Longmorn, a ten-year Loch Dhu, and two from the Glenmorangie: a ten-year and a twelve-year port wood finish. The most popular whisky was the Longmorn which has a gold color, a slightly flowery nose, a smooth body, and a slighty fruity palate.

A very close second was the twelve-year Glenmorangie port wood finish. The color is bronze, the nose is fruity and (not surprisingly) winey, the body is soft and smooth, the palate is slightly sweet and spicey, and the finish is very soothing.

Another favorite was the 12-year Poit Dhubh, which is Gaelic for "black pot." The nose is barely detectable, whereas the body is light, the palate surprisingly full, and the finish is light.

The best-selling single malt whisky in Scotland is Glenmorangie -- and the ten-year-old demonstrated the reason. It's a fine, serviceable whiskey with a pale gold color, spicy nose, medium body, malty-sweet palate, and a long finish.

The "youngest" scotch of the tasting was the 8-year-old Blairmhor with a light amber color, light body, and pleasant finish.

Without a doubt the most interesting -- and controversial -- offering was the ten-year-old "black whisky," Loch Dhu. Gaelic for "black lake," the Loch Dhu has a distinctive black color, a licorice nose, a slightly oily body, a palate that was reminiscent of anisette, and a long finish. The one taster who ranked it as her favorite admitted to a long-standing addiction to "Good and Plenty" licorice candy. However, the majority opinion was summed up by an An Comunn Uisge Beatha member who declared: "I have never met a Scotch that I didn't like -- until today!"

The whiskies definitely encouarged discussion and debate among the members of the group! The 10-year-old Tamnavulin had very pale color, with a light nose -- reminiscent to some of musty wood. The body was also light and smooth. The palate tasted slightly of currants and lemon. Many found it a bit too light. On the opposite end of the scale, the Finlaggan (no age noted) had a strong iodine and smoky palate. This was a favorite for many.

The 12-year-old Poit Dhubh ("potch ghoo") had a light amber color. The palate was peppery with a dash of salt and a hint of iodine. Amongth favorites of the group. Most found the 10-year-old Inverarity to be another lightweight, with its thin, slightly sweet palate and strong caramel finish. "Immature" was one term used.

The generaly acclaimed best of the lot was the Glenfarclas 104 cask strength. The amber color and slightly caramel nose was a prelude to a fruity palate and a strong finish. Making its return engagement was the notorious 10-year-old Loch Dhu. The whisky had a distinctive dark brown color, the nose had strong overtones of licorice and, as one taster noted, "overripe banana peels." The body was slightly oily, the palate was redolent of anise, and the finish was slightly bitter. Although a favorite for a couple of tasters, this was generally not included on many members' "must buy" list.

Tasting #3: Royal Brackla, Caol Ila, Longmorn, Dalwhinnie, Sheep Dip

The 1979 Royal Brackla had a delicate smoky yet sweet nose. The palate was full and a bit dry. The finish was sweetish, almost sherry-like. The 15-year-old Caol Ila was a lightly peaty cousin to the usually pungent whiskies of the Islay distilleries. The nose was complex and aromatic -- and the body surisingly light. The palate had a touch of peat and a a dash of the sea. Nicely balanced -- and one of the favorites of the day.

The Whyte & Whyte 1980 Longmorn was another popular choice with its fragrant bouquet and nutty, sherry-like palate. The finish was long and warming. A great apertif! A perennial favorite, the 15-year-old Dalwhinnie continued to please the discerning crowd. The aromatic nose was prelude to a complex palate of tastes: honey, malt, and a touch of peat. A long finish added to the full enjoyment of a classic whisky.

An interesting addition was the 8-year-old Sheep Dip. The odd name is said to have come from the time Scottish farmers escaped paying excise fees by hiding their home-made whisky in barrels labeled as "sheep dip." Some of the tasters suggested that these farmers were probably illiterate and mixed up the barrels. An unremarkable but serviceable single malt.

Russ Shumway was in Orlando on business -- and proved "it's a malt world after all.".

Mark Izatt, from the Macallan Distillery, hosted a tasting session at EPCOT Center of Walt Disney World, which included a 35 minute presentation on the production of whisky. Macallan has the smallest stills in the Speyside Region. When it is time to retire one, it is taken apart and duplicated exactly (even down to the dents) because they're afraid to alter anything which might alter the taste. Sherry casks currently run about $600 apiece. In order to control both cost and quality, Macallan now goes to Spain and buys the casks when they're made. Their "noser" then works with the Sherry manufacturers to approve what grapes go in the casks. Macallan owns the casks, the sherry manufacturers own the wine in them. When the wine is done aging, the casks are shipped back to Scotland. The distillery loses about 3.5 million bottles of whisky a year to the "angel's share," or cask evaporation. That works out to 1 bottle every 10 seconds!

We tasted 4 whiskys:

Macallan 12 year-old: Light nose, fruity taste (primarily due to the sherry casks). Tastes of butterscotch, light finish.

Macallan 18 year-old: Still light nose, but more nose than the 12. Lighter fruit character (not as sweet). Very light finish.

Macallan 25 year-old: Stronger nose, stronger on the tongue. Smooth finish.

Macallan 18 year-old Gran Reserva: This is a special run. It's a single-barrel whisky. The cask is used only once (Macallan may reuse casks if they're still in good condition). It's all based on the noser finding casks that he feels have a special character. Much fruitier than the others, more pronounced sherry flavor and nose. Much more complex than the others as well. Very light finish.

Izatt had tasted the 52 year-old and described it as extremely good, with a much stronger peat taste than any of the other Macallans. More peat and less coal was used in 1946 in the malting process due to wartime shortages of coal.

The grouptasted a Tamnavulin 10-year-old, a Glendronach 15-year-old, a pair of Glengoynes and two Ardbegs. Most were keepers. We began with the Tamnavulin which unexpectedly assaulted us. Pale in color with a very light nose, the body was unexpectedly powerful to the point of burning, followed by a long spicy finish. No one was willing to rank Tamnavulin as their favorite of the day.

The Glendronach, aged in sherry casks, had a rich red-gold color and a sherry and citron nose. It was sweet with a warm, long finish. Those partial to sherry aging considered it among the favorites of the day. All agreed that Glendronach would make lovely after-dinner drink, and at about $41 a bottle, it's quite affordable.

Our first Glengoyne was a 10-year-old of medium amber color with a spicy nose. The body and finish were medium. While not nearly as aggressive as the Tamnavulin, its palate struck us as rather peppery, and it was not among the most liked. We approached the second Glengoyne, a 17-year-old, a bit warily, but it was clearly the better of the pair. Also a medium amber color, it at first appeared to have no nose. On a second try, a light, perhaps faintly sherry nose presented itself. The body was wonderfully creamy, and the palate was sweet, with lots of depth and a faint hint of fruit and honey. Its finish suggested citron and was long and mouth-warming. It was well enough liked to generate an inquiry as to price, and at about $45 a bottle, even the most Scottish among us might have to consider a purchase.

We finished with the Ardbegs which were the favorites for those of us who like island malts, but they did not appeal to all members. The first was a 19-year-old with the powerful, peaty, salty nose typical of most Islay whiskies. The palate blossomed from gentle and mild to ... wow! Smoky iodine radiated from the first sniff through the medium finish. This whisky was probably the best of the day. However, its 28-year-old cast- strength cousin was also well received.

The rich amber color reflected its sherry cast aging. As seems to be characteristic of the older Ardbegs, the iodine punch diminishes and more fruitiness and sweetness builds. The nose called to mind caramel and vanilla and the palate, orange and cherry. The finish was very long with more of a bite than the 19-year-old. Although among the favorites, this single malt, at about $110 per bottle, is not inexpensive.

The intrepid tasters started off with Glenkinchie siblings: the ten-year-old and the "Spirit of Scotland 1974." The younger whisky started off with a light and fruity nose, scored with a strong peppery palate, and finished up warm and strong. The big sister was fruitier but had a palate that was more mellow -- warm but not fiery. The finish imparted a tang of iodine.

A 17-year-old Deanston offered a musty fruity nose, a honey yet peppery palate, and a medium finish. A perennial favorite, the 12-year-old Highland Park is produced at Scotland's most northerly distillery on the island of Orkney. Not surprisingly for an island malt, the nose had a tang of salt, iodine, and smoke. The palate was rich and peaty, with a satisfying finish.

Tasters were in for a truly special treat: a 24-year-old, 110 proof Highland Park "Special Edition." The fine nose was diffused with vanilla, the palate was warm and aromatic, and the strong finish was the hallmark of a truly classic malt!

While the group usually only tastes single malts, we appreciated the donation of a bottle of "Century of Malts," a vatted malt first produced by the Chivas & Glenlivet Group in 1996. This blend of 100 single malt whiskies fared poorly in the tasting, coming on the heels of the Highland Park "Special Edition." Members could barely discern a nose, with a hint of apple. The palate was light and watery - and had no appreciable finish. One member called it a "scam whisky that hits you and leaves you" while another more charitable soul pronounced it good "breakfast whisky."

The first to be offered was a Speyside malt, Glenrothes 16 year old, 1982. The nose had a hint of caramel and citrus. The palate had a bite in the front of the mouth but then smoothed out, with a light orange finish.

The Highland-distilled Loch Morar 12 year old had a light flowery nose, with a little honey and vanilla palate. As one member noted, the finish "had a warmth that hangs in back of your throat." Another member suggested that it would be a breakfast whisky because "no one could smell it on your breathe at the office…!"

Another Highlander was the Deanston 12 year old with a delicate sweet nose, a taste of apple in the palate, and a "nice peppery finish."

The older brother Deanston 17 year old had a light nose but was not quite as sweet. The stronger palate had touches of sherry and caramel. The finish vanished quicker than expected - as one member noted a "slam-bam-thank-you-ma'm" whisky.

Rounding out the tasting were two more Highland malts. The Glenmorangie 18 year old had a light caramel and citrus nose, similar to the Glenrothes. The palate was "nice and warm" - and as one member suggested, "it feels like you're drinking something!" The Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish 12 year old, not unexpectedly, had a nose redolent of port. However, the palate was far more peppery.

The tasting was started off with a "mystery malt." The mild nose was slightly floral and malty. Members agreed that the mild palate had "no smoke, no iodine, and not much fire - a luncheon malt."

No one guessed that the whisky was a Johnny Walker Green Label single malt! Rebecca pointed out that the whisky was vatted but contained no grain alcohol. A good introductory single malt for folks who liked Johnny Walker!

The Speyside single malt Aberlour 10 year old had a light nose. The peppery palate had a nice bite that mellowed out for a long finish. Members felt that it was "smoother" that the Johnny Walker, had "a nice fire without bite - it smolders," and that it "holds up over time." Rebecca noted that Aberlour was very consistent and relatively inexpensive.

Next on the bill of fare was the Dufftown-based Balvenie 12 year old DoubleWood. The whisky had a very light sweet, floral nose. Both the palate and finish were mild. The western Highlands Glengoyne 17 year old was a gift to the society at the 1998 Virginia Scottish Games - and was appreciated by all. The single malt had a very light nose with touches of coconut and caramel. The palate was very peppery and sweet without being fruity.

The Speyside Longmorn 15 year old had a light nose with a hint of citrus. The palate was refreshingly fruity and the finish was mild. As a member noted, "the whisky to give some one who says they don't like Scotch!"

Members were in for a real treat with the Campbelltown-based Springbank 12 year cask strength! The nose was light with an air of musk. The palate uncovered a lot of caramel without much iodine. Although some felt that it was "too much caramel," many felt that the whisky had a delightful flavor.

After a straw poll, the Springbank came out ahead with about eight votes as being the favorite of the tasting, while all the others received two to four votes each. All, that is, except for the Johnny Walker Green Label - which came out dead last with no votes at all!