Zoom Whiskey and Tequila Tastings Online

Bourbon, Ireland, Rare Whiskies, Scotland, Tequila, Whiskey, Whisky

If you live in Boston, especially around Arlington or Newton, then Arlington Community Education and Newton Community Education offer online whiskey and tequila tastings over Zoom.

A collection of Scottish whisky bottles — Taste a Range of Scottish Whiskies on Zoom

You need to live locally as once you’ve booked a course then you have to collect your whiskey or tequila tasting samples in person at one of the Arlington or Newton Education Centers.

Springbank 15-Year-Old Scottish Whisky from Campbeltown — Springbank 15-Year-Old

Tasting Samples

A typical session costs $59, which is more than other classes but the fee includes $25 towards the cost of the whiskies being sampled. It’s well worth paying, as I discovered recently when I signed up for the Scottish Whisky Regions class. My eight samples contained whiskies that would have cost over $600 if I’d bought a bottle of each of them. They included a Springbank 15-Year-Old, typical of the Campbeltown style of Scottish whiskies, which retails at about $150 a bottle. It’s a great way to taste whiskies that might otherwise be out of your price range, or too much of a splurge.

Zoom Whiskey Tastings Online

Classes are limited to 14 people and are very much interactive, not one-way. My class on Scottish Whisky Regions (Speyside, Lowland, Highland, Islay, Islands, and Campbeltown) included people of all ages, people who already knew a little or a lot about whisky, and people who merely enjoyed an occasional wee dram and decided they wanted to learn more about what they were drinking.

Instructor

Tutor Robert Lublin is professor of theater arts at UMass Boston. In addition to publishing books and articles on Shakespeare, theater history, and dramatic literature, he reviews whisky, wine and beer for Drinkhacker.com.

Robert proved to be an affable teacher, who clearly knew his whiskies thoroughly. He was able to pick out the finer nuances of what we were tasting, and to explain how best to nose and taste whisky, for the benefit of those who were inexperienced in tasting. People were asked to say a little about themselves, interspersed between the whiskies being tasted.

Robert was excellent at getting everyone involved, stressing that there were no right or wrong answers when it comes to tasting whisky. Although there are common tastes and smells that everyone can identify, both smell and taste are also intensely personal. What’s pleasant to one person can be unpleasant to someone else, and different aromas and tastes bring back different memories and associations.

The whole session lasted almost two hours (it’s officially meant to be 1.5 hours), and Robert emails beforehand with information on how the tasting will be conducted and what you need to have ready by way of water and something to eat between tastings. In our case there was also a whisky map of Scotland, a list of the whiskies being tasted, and other supporting material.

Course Description

There are courses in various aspects of whisk(e)y, and tequila, but here’s a typical course description, this one for the session on American Whiskey: Bourbon and Rye.

‘American bourbon and rye whiskies are bold, distinctive, and delicious. Join us for a fun, relaxed introduction to some of the best whiskies produced in the United States. We will sample high-end varieties that demonstrate a broad range of flavors from mellow to spicy and from smooth to robust. Special offerings include several whiskies that were Whiskey-of-the-Year winners (or runners up) for the last few years including George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond (2019 winner), Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (2017 winner) and Knob Creek Barrel Proof Rye (2018 runner up). We’ll also try the rare Weller 107 Bourbon, amazing WhistlePig Rye, and more. If you like Scotch but haven’t tried American bourbons and ryes, prepare to be amazed! A selection of whiskey samples will be available for safe pickup in Arlington. Pickup directions will be sent out to registered students starting one week prior to the class date. Then we will taste and discuss them together in a Zoom session online. Tuition includes a $25 beverage fee. For students 21+’

Upcoming Whiskey and Tequila Tastings via Zoom

The classes on offer obviously change regularly, and what’s available when you check out the courses will be different from what’s available at the time of writing. By way of example, though, Robert will be offering Zoom tequila tastings through Arlington on May 5th and May 25th, and a Zoom Irish Whiskey Tasting through Newton on May 18th and June 9th, 2021.