“We’re normalizing Whisky as something that’s a matter of taste more than a matter of gender…” This phrase from the Women Who Whisky website calls attention to the disapproving perception that women who enjoy a glass of whisky usually receive. Even with the archaic times of patriarchy seemingly behind us, whisky is still considered a “man’s drink”. Society once again fails to recognize that women too love to indulge in the finer things, and in this case, the stronger things. Thankfully, Women Who Whisky is here to change that by giving women a space to enjoy their Whisky in all its glorified flavors.
Women Who Whisky is a social club founded by Julia Ritz Toffoli in New York in 2011. Since its opening, the club has amassed 10,000 members with chapters in other international regions. This includes one in Nairobi led by dedicated Whisky lover, Mary Anne Mumbi. The women’s only club gives members with a liking for strong drinks an opportunity to learn about and taste varieties of whiskys and explore cocktail culture. This time, the club hosted a virtual tasting for its Nairobi members with Scotch whisky, Glenfiddich. We had the pleasure of joining in on the exclusive session and discover this strange love of whisky for ourselves.
“We are having the long awaited Glenfiddich tasting with a special guest, Kirsten Grant who is the great great granddaughter of the founder of Glenfiddich, William Grant. Kirsten is the fifth pioneering generation of the family to run the William Grant and Sons business since 1887. She believes in the mantra, “We don’t sell whisky; we sell dreams” and it would be amazing to hear what she has in store for us. ” This was the announcement on the club’s Instagram page, portending a stimulating experience to come.
Glenfiddich translates to “Valley of the Deer”in Scottish Gaelic, where the renowned whisky draws its roots. It is the most awarded single malt Scotch whisky with a history spanning more than 100 years. William Grant, the founder, built the first ever distillery in 1887 with the help of his children and the business is still a family run to date. It therefore made it more special having his great great granddaughter Kirsten Grant as the event’s special guest, with Kenya’s Brand Ambassador, Mulunda Kombo as the host.
See More: A Virtual Trip to the Valley of the Deer: Glenfiddich Reveals New Bottle Design
On Wednesday the 18th, we eagerly logged into our Zoom account around 6:00 pm for the 2-hour session. We prepared our care package, courtesy of Women Who Whisky with Glenfiddich goodies (five glasses, a revolver and samples of the 12, 15, 18 and 21 Glenfiddich years) and tuned it for the Glenfiddich tasting. In this one of a kind event, we got to taste FOUR of Glenfiddich’s most renowned brands and learn more about their maturing processes.
The first was the 12 Year Old, rebranded as “Our Original Twelve”. It is matured in American oak and European oak sherry casks for 12 years, and then mellowed in oak to create a sweet and subtle oak flavor. It has a creamy, long, smooth and mellow finish. The second sample was the 15 Year Old rebranded as “Our Solera Fifteen”, an exotic but fitting name for my favorite drink from all the samples. It is aged in European sherry casks and new oaks, then mellowed in a unique Solera Vat. The Solera Fifteen has warm and spicy flavors with a lingering sweetness and rich finish.
For our third sample, we got a feel of the 18 Year Old, matured in Spanish Oloroso wood and American oak. It is rich and fruity with a robust oak expression, giving a warm and distinguished finish. The last sample was the 21 Year Old, which is raised in Scotland and roused by the Caribbean. This brand is patiently matured for 21 years and later finished in Caribbean rum casks. This rouses the extra exotic notes, giving the drink a very long, warming, dry and spicy finish.
Among other fun bits was learning about food pairing with Glenfiddich whisky, such as cheese and chocolate. Food and alcohol do make a perfect combination for those who truly know how to enjoy the finer things. It was a fun and educative session for whisky amateurs like ourselves and we learned quite fast. We were a little disappointed with the minute samples but managed to make the most of it by answering one of the two Trivia questions asked. The question was “Which day and year did William Grant package the first Glenfiddich bottle?” We correctly answered December 25, 1887, enabling us to win a bottle of Our Solera Fifteen! True to their word, the bottle arrived the next day and we were able to enjoy the whisky to our fullest.
A rare expedition, this was an inspiring and enlightening glimpse into the sophisticated world of whisky with its fervent connoisseurs. If you are one to enjoy your Whisky neat, on the rocks, in a cocktail or any other form, then Women Who Whisky is the social crowd you should be rolling with.
— Written By Mary Njehia
