It Takes Forty for Whiskey
In an intimate setting inside the Pinnacle building of downtown Nashville, a lucky few got the privilege to sit in on the Holy Grail of whiskey tastings. I was one of those lucky few.
Midtown Corkdorks brought Buffalo Trace’s Master Distiller, Harlen Wheatley, to entertain and guide the 40 or so whiskeyphiles on hand through two flights of made-in-America heaven: the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and the Pappy Van Winkle Collection. Wheatley began with an engaging history of Buffalo Trace Distillery and the over 200 years of whiskey making that has gone on at that site.
After the introduction, he led us through each whiskey, noting what went into each individual aging process and why the flavor profiles are what they are. As Wheatley said, “you know a whiskey tasting is going well when the room gets so loud it’s hard to hear me.” By the end, the room’s populace had transformed from quiet, inquisitive observers to a loud, fervid group having one hell of a night out. It was likely the greatest tasting I will experience in my lifetime.
For more entertaining and memorable experiences from Corkdorks, check out their 6th Annual Nashville Whiskey Festival on Saturday October, 14 at the Omni Hotel Grand Ballroom.
