From the tasting table
Past tastings
Good bottles. Better company. A look back at the flavours, stories, and discoveries we’ve shared.
2026
September 19, 2026
Cocktail COWS
Six spirits, six stories
A spirit-forward evening pairing cocktail history with a taste of each base spirit on its own. From the aquavit welcome drink to Arsenic and Old Lace, Widow’s Kiss, Blackthorn #3, Corn ’n’ Oil, and Mezcal & Montenegro, we explored how a thoughtful mix can let a distinctive spirit shine.
More info — what we tasted
- Gothenburg — Spirit of York Aquavit (welcome drink)
- Arsenic and Old Lace — The Botanist gin
- Widow’s Kiss — Camut Privilège 18 Year Old Calvados
- Blackthorn #3 — Redbreast Lustau Irish whiskey
- Corn ’n’ Oil — Bedford Park 19 Year Old Fiji rum
- Mezcal & Montenegro — Derrumbes Guerrero mezcal
June 19, 2026
The World of Benromach
A Speyside distillery deep dive
A return to whisky with a close look at Benromach’s gently smoky Speyside style. The lineup compared the 10, 15, and 21 Year Old whiskies with the Contrasts range—High Enzyme, Triple Distilled, and Peat Smoke—to explore how age, barley, distillation, and peat change a dram.
More info — what we tasted
- Benromach 10 Year Old
- Benromach 15 Year Old
- Benromach 21 Year Old
- Benromach Contrasts High Enzyme
- Benromach Contrasts Triple Distilled
- Benromach Contrasts Peat Smoke
March 27, 2026
MezCOWS
The world of agave spirits
Our first agave-focused COWS explored the plants, producers, and production methods behind mezcal and other agave spirits. Espadín, Cenizo, and pechuga bottlings opened conversations about roasting, stills, maturation, and the surprising range of flavours beyond smoke.
More info — what we tasted
- Sueño de Alden Espadín Joven
- Lágrimas de Dolores Añejo
- Los Danzantes Pechuga
- El Jolgorio Coyote
- Cinco Sentidos Pizorra
- Gota Gorda Ensemble 5 (alternative to the pechuga)
2025
November 28, 2025
Port COWS
A fancy holiday adventure
An evening devoted to the world of Port, from the Douro’s vineyards to the different paths of bottle and wood ageing. The tasting ranged through Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny and 2019 LBV, Quevedo’s 30 Year Old White, Taylor’s 50 Year Old Golden Age Tawny, and Taylor’s 2003 Vintage.
More info — what we tasted
- Kopke Fine Ruby Port (opening pour)
- Ferreira Dona Antónia Tawny Reserve (opening pour)
- Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny
- Quevedo 30 Year Old White Port
- Taylor Fladgate 50 Year Old Golden Age Tawny
- Graham’s 2019 Late Bottled Vintage
- Taylor Fladgate 2003 Vintage Port
August 8, 2025
Highlands & Islands
A Scottish whisky journey
A tour through Dalwhinnie, Tullibardine, Scapa, Old Pulteney, and Highland Park, with distillery stories and images from Scotland. The evening explored the variety of Highland and island whisky—from wine-cask influence and maritime character to the softer smoke of Orkney peat.
More info — what we tasted
- Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old
- Tullibardine The Murray 2008 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Scapa 11 Year Old Distillery Exclusive
- Old Pulteney 18 Year Old Ex-Bourbon Cask Strength Distillery Exclusive
- Highland Park Cask Strength Release No. 4
May 2025
Scotch Whisky Regions
A tour of Scotland in the glass
We used Scotland’s whisky regions as a starting point for comparing flavour and distillery character. Macallan Triple Cask, Dalmore Port Wood Reserve, Arran Sherry Cask, Johnnie Walker Green, and Laphroaig 10 provided a journey through fruit, sherry, oak, blending, and peat.
More info — what we tasted
- The Macallan 12 Year Old Triple Cask
- The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve
- Arran Sherry Cask The Bodega
- Johnnie Walker Green Label
- Laphroaig 10 Year Old
April 25, 2025
Islay COWS
Dram of smoke and peat
A tasting that explored Islay’s range, rather than treating it as one smoky flavour. Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Port Charlotte, Laphroaig, and Ardbeg sparked a closer look at peat, phenols, dilution, and the balance between smoke, sweetness, and coastal character.
More info — what we tasted
- Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old
- Moonbroch Spaceman Caol Ila 2007, 14 Year Old
- Port Charlotte 10 Year Old
- Laphroaig Quarter Cask
- Ardbeg Corryvreckan
2024
November 15, 2024
Autumnal COWS
An Irish adventure
An Irish whiskey evening exploring grain, single pot still, and single malt styles. Green Spot, J.J. Corry’s The Hanson, Dunville’s Palo Cortado, and Bushmills Acacia Wood showed how different grains and unusual woods shape flavour. We also introduced the newly filled OG COWS cask with a Year 0 sample.
More info — what we tasted
- Green Spot
- J.J. Corry The Hanson
- Dunville’s 10 Year Old Palo Cortado Single Malt
- Bushmills Acacia Wood Single Malt Distillery Exclusive
June 14, 2024
Summer COWS
A deep dive into Arran
Our return to in-person COWS centred on Arran and the many ways a single distillery can express itself. The lineup explored the 25 Year Old, Quarter Cask “The Bothy,” Sauternes Cask Finish, and Sherry Cask “The Bodega,” with a look at Scotch regions, tasting order, and cask influence.
More info — what we tasted
- Arran 25 Year Old
- Arran Quarter Cask The Bothy
- Arran Sauternes Cask Finish
- Arran Sherry Cask The Bodega
- Arran Machrie Moor
2021
December 18, 2021
VirtuCOWS — Christmas Scotch
A festive tour of Scotch
A festive virtual tour of Scotch through Johnnie Walker Green, Dalmore Port Wood Reserve, Springbank 10, Signatory’s Strathmill 2006, and Ardbeg 10. Regional clues and flavour maps helped us compare blended malt, sherry and Port influence, cask strength, and peat.
More info — what we tasted
- Johnnie Walker Green Label
- The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve
- Springbank 10 Year Old
- Signatory Strathmill 2006, 14 Year Old
- Ardbeg 10 Year Old
- Merry NOG-mas eggnog (after-party)
2021
VirtuCOWS — Rum
Five countries, five rum styles
A virtual journey through rum history, production, and regional styles. Diplomatico, Ron Zacapa, Kirk & Sweeney, Worthy Park, and Foursquare took us from Venezuela and Guatemala to the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Barbados, comparing molasses, distillation, ageing, and Jamaican funk.
More info — what we tasted
- Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva
- Ron Zacapa 23 Solera
- Kirk and Sweeney 23 Year Old
- Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve
- Foursquare 12 Year Old Single Blended Rum, Private Cask Selection
February 27, 2021
VirtuCOWS VI — A Cocktail of COWS
Cocktail history and home bartending
An interactive virtual evening of cocktail history and mixing at home. The Jabberwocky, Smoke & Apples, One Last Midnight, Vieux Carré, and Sazerac brought together gin, mezcal, rum, whisky, and brandy, with a practical look at stirring, dilution, garnishes, and how the ingredients work together.
More info — what we tasted
- Jabberwocky
- Smoke & Apples
- One Last Midnight
- Vieux Carré
- Sazerac
- Bonus mezcal (bottle not identified in the slides)
2020
December 2020
VirtuCOWS V — ChristmaCOWS
Bourbon time
A holiday bourbon tasting comparing Basil Hayden’s, Maker’s Mark 46, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Michter’s 10 Year Old, and Booker’s. Alongside flavour wheels and a bourbon quiz, we explored how grain recipes, oak treatment, age, and bottling strength shape the glass.
More info — what we tasted
- Basil Hayden’s
- Maker’s Mark 46
- Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
- Michter’s 10 Year Old Bourbon
- Booker’s Granny’s Batch, 2020-01E
- Merry NOG-mas bourbon and eggnog (after-party)
November 7, 2020
VirtuCOWS IV — Gin COWS
Shaken, stirred, and botanical
A virtual gin adventure tracing juniper’s history and the botanical flavours that distinguish one gin from another. We compared styles using the “hexagon of flavour,” tasted Canadian gins including Tide and Valley of Mother of God, and put the theory to work with gin-and-tonic and martini making.
More info — what we tasted
- Tide Gin
- Valley of Mother of God
- Mermaid Gin
- Nikka Coffey Gin
- Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin
- Gin & tonic (cocktail session)
- Gin martini (cocktail session)
2020
VirtuCOWS III — Whiskies of the World
A virtual global whisky tour
A blind tasting with a geographical twist: smell, taste, and guess the country before the reveal. France, Sweden, Taiwan, China, and Japan supplied the evening’s stops, with distillery stories, flavour discussions, and audience word clouds along the way.
More info — what we tasted
- Armorik Sherry Cask Finish — France
- Mackmyra Scorpions Cherry Cask Finish — Sweden
- Yushan Signature Sherry Cask Single Malt — Taiwan
- Chu Yeh Ching bamboo-leaf spirit — China
- Togouchi 15 Year Old Blended Whisky — Japan
July 11, 2020
VirtuCOWS II — Irish Whiskey
The rise, fall, and rise of Irish whiskey
A virtual Irish whiskey tasting that paired mystery pours with the industry’s long history. Redbreast Lustau, Yellow Spot, Glendalough Mizunara, Tyrconnell’s Oloroso and Moscatel finish, and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy showed the breadth of pot still, single malt, and cask-finished whiskey.
More info — what we tasted
- Redbreast Lustau Edition
- Yellow Spot
- Glendalough 13 Year Old Mizunara Finish
- The Tyrconnell 16 Year Old Oloroso & Moscatel Cask Finish
- Midleton Very Rare Barry Crockett Legacy
2020
VirtuCOWS — Canadian Whisky
The best of Canadian whisky
A virtual look at Canadian whisky, from its history and grain-by-grain blending approach to the range of styles in the glass. Masterson’s 10 Year Old Rye, Glen Breton Rare 19, and J.P. Wiser’s 23 Year Old Cask Strength helped explore rye spice, single malt, and the art of blending.
More info — what we tasted
- Crown Royal Limited Edition
- Masterson’s 10 Year Old Straight Rye
- Glen Breton Rare 19 Year Old
- J.P. Wiser’s 23 Year Old Cask Strength Blend
There’s always another pour