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The taste is strong and complex and yet somewhere underneath you sense fruity notes tingling on the tongue. And what’s best: the taste derives from the age only, without additives.
Bristol Caroni Trinidad 1974 rum is definitely a cousin of some of the finest whiskies we tasted at the UISGE 2015 whisky festival, which opened  at Vanha Ylioppilastalo (the Old Student’s House) in Helsinki centre on Friday. The 34-year-old rum carries an exuberant price tag of somewhere between 200-300 euros for a bottle (700ml) online and the internet might or might not be the only place to get it because it’s a rum from the past that will never come back, as the sugar cane on the island of Trinidad is extinct and the distillery has stopped operating.
But let’s get into whiskies now.
Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

Kavalan is a delicous Taiwanese whisky. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

One of the finest whiskies we tasted was the Taiwanese Kavalan.
The bottle carries a price tag of about 60 euros and is a tasty single malt whisky delivering a surprising amount of spices, hitting you with high and low notes.
Nikka is a pearl from Japan. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

Nikka is a pearl from Japan. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

At the same stand, we also tried the Nikka From The Barrel, a Japanese titbit with big-boned and bursting character, a blend of grain and malt, carrying a price of about 50 euros.

Nikka would definitely compliment most meals, from vegetarian to meaty dishes.

 

 

 

 

 

It was time to search for the smoky one.

One of the smokiest we found was Bunnahabhain Ceobanach, the single malt Scotch from the Islay, one of the most precious whisky areas in Scotland. There is no surprise to find that the word ‘Ceobanach’ means ‘smoky mist’ in Scots Gaelic. The Bunnahabhain comes with a price of about 80 euros.
Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

Bunnahabhain Ceobanach Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a smoky limited release launched in October 2014. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

 

After Scotland, we tried Ireland. The Irish Yellow Spot 12 Year Old, costing about 85 euros, was an interesting find and we weren’t the only one’s thinking so as it won the number one place in the category of Irish whiskies during Friday.

Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

The Irish Yellos Spot 12 Years Old Whiskey received the first prize in the best Irish whiskies category at UISGE 2015. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

It’s a single pot still whisky, matured in three types of cask: American Bourbon cask, Spanish Sherry butts and Spanish Malaga casks for a sweeter flavour.

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We found the taste unique and even, without any of the flavours distinctively jumping out. It has a firm body and would complement, for example, a plate of sushi.

According to whisky expert Ian Buxton, whisky has the widest scale of tastes in the variety of alcoholic beverages. "If people say they don't like whisky, I ask them, have you tried them all? From Irish to Islay?" Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

According to whisky expert Ian Buxton, whisky has the widest scale of tastes in the variety of alcoholic beverages. “If people say they don’t like whisky, I ask them, have you tried them all? From Irish to Islay?” Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

While tasting whiskies, it’s hard to single out one absolute favourite. And maybe one shouldn’t either, if you ask the British whisky expert Ian Buxton, the author of the book ‘101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die’, and the celebrity guest at UISGE 2015.

“I don’t think there’s any one best whisky in the world. The problem with that is that that is too simplistic, too reductionist in notion. There are many, many fine whiskies. To say that there is just one, is too easy,” Buxton said in an interview for Finland Today.

Buxton laid out some of his likes. Within the Scottish palate he prefers notes of sherry – in the US, he might have a rye whisky and in Finland he might sip the Finnish one from Lahti: Teerenpeli Single Malt 8 Years Old.

“Pretty soon they’ll have a 10-year-old whisky as well. Teerenpeli is different. It’s not Scottish whisky, its Finnish whisky. I don’t try to judge it in the standards of Scottish whisky but it’s good.”

Buxton said that in the world of whiskies each single day is a chance to find a new favourite.

“With vodka there is a very narrow taste, gin is a bit bigger taste, brandy a bit bigger taste …”

“But whisky has the biggest taste of all.”

 

Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

UISGE 2015 whisky festival is arranged at Vanha Ylioppilastalo in Helsinki. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today

 

This article is not for promotional purposes. Finland Today is not affiliated with any of the mentioned brands. It is always advisable to drink responsibly.

[divider]More info[/divider]

UISGE Whisky Festival from Friday February 6 to Saturday 7 2015. Open from 15-24. Venue: Vanha Ylioppilastalo, Mannerheimintie 5, Helsinki. Entrance at the door: 15 euros. The portions of whiskies are paid with tickets which are bought at the venue. The price range of the whisky portions (1 centilitre) varies from 1 euro to 60 euros. There are about 200 different whiskies available from around the world.

 UISGE is an annual festival, founded in 2010 by whisky enthusiasts Mika Jansson and Ilkka Ruponen.

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