Falkenstein (kb) – Late January was yet another holiday for whisky lovers in Königstein: the Königstein/Faringdon twinning association hosted another whisky tasting. The lovingly decorated clubhouse of the Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft (TSG) 1882/1910 Falkenstein e.V. (the gymnastics and sports association) was packed when Christoph Scharr, the first chairman of the partnership association, warmly welcomed the guests to a varied and informative evening.
In addition to a culinary whisky trip through Scotland, the program also included a humorous photo report on the past year‘s activities around Faringdon. „The whisky tasting is a great opportunity for us to publicize the new partnership with Faringdon and our association activities in Königstein, as well as having a lot of fun. Luckily, many people from Königstein stopped the ‚Dry January‘ early to turn to the ‚water of life‘,“ says Scharr with a twinkle in his eye.
The „water of life“ (the meaning of the word „whisky“) was once again provided by Gabriela Terhorst, deputy chairwoman of the partnership association, dressed in a traditional Scottish kilt. Over the course of the evening, five different single malt whiskies, each from one of the five typical Scottish whisky regions, were presented with great expertise.
After a brief introduction to whisky varieties and the tasting procedure, the appearance, color, texture, smell and taste with finish were commented on and the whiskies were explained in connection with the respective region of origin. The tasting then took place for each whisky. Each guest was provided with a pre-printed tasting sheet to bring some structure to the tasting.
„We don‘t just want our guests to feel comfortable and spend an entertaining evening with us. We also want to provide interesting facts about whisky and promote the taste experience,“ says Terhorst, who was excellently prepared and was able to offer the whisky lovers, from beginners to advanced drinkers, one or two new insights. Various English cheeses were served to go with the whiskies: a Top Hat Cheddar from south-west England, a young and fruity Wensleydale made by hand with cranberries and the king of cheeses, an aromatic Blue Stilton.
The order in which the individual whiskies were tasted ranged from fruity and mild to strongly spicy and smoky:
1. Auchentoshan American Oak, 40%, matured in bourbon casks (from the Lowlands)
2. Glenrothes Discover, 43%, matured in sherry casks, 11 years (from Speyside)
3. Edradour Ten Years, 40%, matured in sherry casks, 10 years (from the Highlands)
4. Bowmore Twelve Years, 40%, matured in bourbon and sherry casks, 12 years (from Islay)
5. Macharie Moor Cask Strength, 56%, matured in sherry casks, 10 years (from the Island of Arran)
After the second whisky, there was a short breather, which Jörg Pöschl, also deputy chairman of the association, used for a photo report on Faringdon and the association‘s activities over the past year. „One of the highlights was certainly the official sisterhood celebration. During our visit to Faringdon, the German flag was raised on the Folly Tower for the first time in history to mark the twinning ceremonyWhat would otherwise have led to diplomatic disagreements was this time simply a beautiful sign of German-English friendship that moved us very much,“ said Pöschl in one of the more reflective parts of his otherwise very amusing report. Finally, in addition to further activities in 2024, reciprocal visits to Faringdon and Königstein were announced again.
After the whisky tasting, a big thank you was expressed to the many volunteers, who were essential for the town twinning to come to life and for an event like the whisky tasting to run so professionally. It was also Helga Gutzeit and Andrea Schmidt, together with other members of the association‘s advisory board, who worked behind the scenes to ensure that the evening ran smoothly and that the participants felt so comfortable that they continued to sit together in the clubhouse long after the actual tasting.
Further information on the town twinning Königstein / Faringdon and the twinning association can be found at www.koenigstein-faringdon.eu.
The board and advisory board of the town twinning association spent an enjoyable evening with their guests.Photos: Städtepartnerschaftsverein Königstein – Faringdon
