The Mira Monte Whisky Tasting Society

About Our Society

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The Mira Monte Whisk(e)y Tasting Society was founded in 2009 by six neighbors in Newbury Park, California, all of whom became interested in discovering the infinite joys of whisky (and whiskey) tasting at about the same time. We found that whisky tasting together was much more fun than tasting alone (of course!) but we also found that it was more educational. By sharing our impressions (and our whisky), we have been able to broaden our palates and be more directed in our tastings. By forming a group we have been able to attract experts and ambassadors from other societies and distilleries who have immeasurably deepened our knowledge and love of whisky.

Since our humble beginnings we have opened up our membership to other interested whiskey connoisseurs (although out of necessity this is by invitation only.) We have regular tastings (meetings) every 4-6 weeks, often choosing a theme for our tastings to better direct our experience and growth. This may all sound like we take ourselves very seriously, but, dear reader, it's whisky! Our main purpose is to enjoy great friends, great whisk(e)y, and great gatherings! (Responsibly, of course.)

(The Mira Monte Whisk(e)y Tasting Society is not in any way a for-profit organization. We pay for all of our events and materials ourselves, and never advertise.)

Reading Material

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Nothing compliments a glass of fine whisky as much as a good book (well, unless it's good company). As with just about anything, books and other literature can enhance your appreciation of whisky and tasting. We recommend the following books or magazines for beginning taster or for the expert connoisseur. We know that a person's taste in books can be as eclectic as their taste in single malts, so we'll try to keep adding to our recommendations over time.

(The MMWTS cannot be held responsible for sticky chapters, spilled whisky, or ring stained pages.)

Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch
Revised frequently, this is an excellent guide to single malts. It contains a timeless guide to malts and tastings as well as an informative "What's New" section. Information about origins and history, regional variations, the effects of various woods and more make it a perfect companion for a beginning taster. An A-Z guide to single malts, in addition to a well-designed index and bibliography will make even the most experienced taster happy as well. Highly recommended!

Malt Whisky by Charles MacLean
Although not as thorough as Jackson's, this book is a great way to dip your feet into the world of whisky tasting. MacLean includes 42 page directory of malt whisky distilleries to help readers and tasters identify and compare various producers. The book also includes beautiful photos and maps of the various regions. With a nice section about the basics of nosing and tasting to inspire you, and just enough content about the history, regions and creation process of malt whisky to inform without overwhelming, this book is an excellent gift for a curious beginner.

Our Favorites

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Still in the still. We appreciate your patience while this page matures.

Irish, Japanese, Bourbon & Other

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Still in the still. We appreciate your patience while this page matures.

Scotch Whiskys

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"There are no bad whiskeys, some are just better than others." -K.A. MMWTS founding member.

Having only been established in 2009, our society doesn't yet have the extensive tasting notes you will find on other pages. We take these notes because it's fun to do so; it helps us learn about and appreciate the whiskeys we taste, and to remember our thoughts the next morning when the 6 whiskeys we had the night before run together in our memories. Our intention is for this section to grow and grow over time. We hope you will enjoy these notes (they are by no means intended to be the last word on anything), and that they will inspire you to taste some of these fabulous spirits for yourself!

(If you are interested in more extensive tasting notes by more experienced tasters than ourselves, you may want to cruise on over to our recommended links.)

Scotch Whiskies Alphabetical by Distillery

Aberlour 16 year, double cask matured (oak then sherry), 43% alc/vol

Color: Jeweled amber (dark), very rich and thick
Nose: Heavy and lingering, gradually working its way up the nose. A slight sharpness at the end. It has a distinct floral scent, with honey in there as well.
* With water: the scent gets sharper and more floral.
Flavor: Thin and creamy mouthfeel, slightly vaporous. This whisky has a sweet beginning, getting salty as it moves over the tongue, with a slightly bitter finish that lingers and gradually fades out.
* With water: water only makes this one smoother and creamier, with even more of a floral flavor.
Finish: Lingers delightfully!
Notes:    “A lip and tongue-tingling sensation!”
     BA: This Speyside gets a solid B.
     AS: B+
     RS: B, I like the smell better than the taste.
     JB: B, I just want to keep smelling it!

Dalwhinnie 15 year, 43% alc/vol

Color: Light honey.
Nose: Light aroma, although sharp at the tail end. Scent of vanilla, sweet mown hay.
* With water: scent is sharper, fragrance is even more vanilla-ey.
Flavor: Thin and vaporous mouthfeel; sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
* With water: this gets a more vaporous mouthfeel and a richer fruit and cut-grass flavor.
Finish: Lingers only slightly.
Notes: Not a bad whisky, but not all that memorable.
JB: B-

Oban 14 year

Color: Dark honey amber
Nose: A light scent, which threatens heaviness without being overbearing. Woody and floral fragrance.
Flavor: Very creamy and buttery. Sweet flavor. Needs another tasting for more detail.
Finish: A refreshingly sharp finish with a softly lingering aftertaste. Fabulous!
Notes: This is a delightful whisky, appropriate for just about any occasion, which would do well in any collection.
     JB: A-
     BA: A-
     RS: B

"3 Whiskys In..."

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Whisky tasting is serious business (obviously), but after sampling 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) whiskys, our tasting notes may become a little--how shall we say?--less refined.

Let this page serve as a warning to you: what happens in the tasting room stays in the tasting room! (Except when your webmistress puts it up on your website, that is.)

Things overheard at the end of a good tasting:

"This tastes good with salty nuts."

"May I sniff your Ben Nevis?"

"Kids, your babysitter's name is Jameson."

"It's the whisky that keeps on giving!"

Member Profiles

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Membership and Tasting

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Membership

The primary benefit of membership is the tasting! We enjoy sharing our favorite whiskies with like-minded individuals, as well as offering unique and privileged access to distillers, bottlers, and other whisky-related activities.

Our frequent tastings are held in private tasting rooms (members’ homes) and space is extremely limited. Members get first right of refusal to these events.

In addition, members have access to the society reserves at members-only Reserves Meetings held throughout the year.

Tastings

The MMWTS holds tasting events every 4-8 weeks. Tasting themes include:

Blind tastings
Pairings
Tastings by region/distillery
Expert guest speakers
Other...

The requested contribution for each tasting event is based on the tasting theme and the event host. Sometimes we'll ask attendees to bring a bottle to share, sometimes we'll ask for a monetary contribution (anywhere between $20-$100 depending on the whisky and food to be purchased.) The MMWTS is not a for-profit organization; all contributions will go toward the finest whiskies and provisions, we promise!

Becoming a Member

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Membership into the MMWTS is based exclusively on attendance and enthusiasm! We want to get to know you, and we want to know that you're eager to share and learn about whisky. Unfortunately, because the MMWTS is a small and private group, attendance to events is by invitation only.

We're sorry, we know there are a lot of wonderfully nice and enthusiastic people out there, but we just can't invite all of you into our homes. If there is room at an upcoming tasting a current member may invite an “Alternate,” so if you want to get into the society we recommend cozying up to an existing member (bribes may be accepted, whisky recommended.) Once you have attended 3 tastings as an “Alternate”, we probably know you pretty well and an invitation for full membership may be extended.

Keep in mind--If you have attended 3 or more events and membership has not been extended it doesn’t mean we don’t like you! It likely means our membership is full. We will continue to invite you as an alternate when possible until a membership spot opens up.

Upcoming Events

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To learn about past events and see photos please visit our Facebook page.

Coming Up...

February: Whisky and Chocolate--This event was so successful last year we've decided to do it again!

March: Irish Whiskies (blended and single malt)--In honor of St. Patrick's Day, of course.

April: Barrel Comparison--To study the effects of different barrels (Bourbon, Sherry, Madeira, etc.) on a finished product.

May: Around the World--Believe it or not, there's more to whiskey than just whisky. At this tasting we'll try American, Canadian, Japanese, Irish and whatever other whiskeys we can find. (We tried to do this last year and were thwarted, here's hoping this one comes through!)

*Due to limited space, all events are by invitation only.