Day 6 – North Atlantic Ocean

Day 6 was another day at sea in the North Atlantic in transit to Paamuit, Greenland. It was a quiet day with a Whiskey tasting in the afternoon.

So far the seas have been calm, which has made the sea days a little less exciting.

Whiskey Legacy Tasting

The Whiskey Legacy Tasting was another premium tasting, this one cost USD50 per person. It is a Whiskey not a Whisky tasting as it was American Whiskey not a Scotch in sight (unfortunately, more on that shortly).

All of the Whiskeys were from the US, two Whiskeys and two Bourbons.

Gentleman Jack

Appearance:	Light amber
Nose:	Vanilla and honey aromas
Palate:	Smooth palate, with a bit of heat on the tail
Finish:	Medium to long length
Oz’s Rating:	3 out 5 A good quaffer

Woodford Reserve

Appearance:	Medium amber
Nose:	Subtle vanilla aroma
Palate:	Smooth and balanced, with some residual heat
Finish:	Medium-long
Oz’s Rating:	3.5 out of 5 My go to bourbon, great in a Boulvadier

Woodford Reserve Double Oak

Appearance:	Medium-deep amber
Nose:	Smokey vanilla and honey aromas
Palate:	Balanced, smooth, with a residual sweetness and a bit of heat
Finish:	Medium-long
Oz’s Rating:	4 out 5 A very good tipple This is a premium spirit onboard and cost USD15 a nip. (A lot better value than the Sinatra

Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select

This was created especially for Frank Sinatra and he did apparently drink the stuff.. I am a fan of Frank, not Jack Sinatra

Appearance:	Medium-deep amber
Nose:	Pleasant mix of vanilla and honey aromas
Palate:	Something seems to be missing from the palate, seems very manufactured, it is balanced, but…. Had a slightly sour after taste
Finish:	Medium to long
Oz’s Travels:	3 out of 5 (2.5 out of 5 when you take into account the price) USD35 a nip, not worth it in my opinion

During the tasting the Head Barman asked if anyone would be interested in a Cognac tasting, we (well one of my new friends Laura and I) said YES! Hopefully that will happen latter in the cruise.

We also learnt why there was no Whisky (Scotch) tasting on the cruise, it was the lack of specialised glassware. The bar crew would love to put on a tasting of their collection of the Macallan Whiskies onboard, but they don’t have the glassware needed. Sounds like a call to the Macallan distributor is needed. Hopefully this will be resolved before my next cruise.

The Verdict

My pick of the tasting were the two Woodford Reserves, with the Double Oak edging the reserve. The Woodford Reserve is one of the house pours, so something to revisit.

Sette Mari

Tonight, I headed back to Sette Mari for dinner, bringing along a bottle of wine that I had bought with me. The reason for heading back there again was the Lamb Shoulder Osso Bucco that was on the menu.

The Wine

2007 Brancai Ilatraia, Tuscany, Italy
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese, 10% Petit Verdot

Bakery Hill Cask Strength Single Malt, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Appearance:	Vibrant, rich amber
Nose:	An attractive mixture of vanilla, almond, sweet and dark chocolate aromas
Palate:	Bold rich and sweet but not cloyingly. Nice combination of sensations,
Finish:	Looooong and enjoyable
Oz’s Rating:	4 out of 5 My only negative is that it was a bit too peaty for me, otherwise would have rated it higher. This was a 50th present from one of my Godfathers, so extra special! Thanks Vaughan.

The Food

Lasagne

Hard to pass this up. Had an appetiser size as I needed room for the next course. Very good as always, especially with the chili… Yes I know that this is an alien concept, verging on sacrilege from an Italian perspective

Lamb Shoulder Osso Bucco

Looks awesome tastes even better. The lamb just falls off of the bone. Definitely worked well with the Ilatraia, and no I did not add chili, not that much of a heathen.

Day 6 – North Atlantic

Another relaxing, peaceful day at sea. The Whisky tasting is probably not one I would do again, the bar crew do a great job talking you through the various drops, the problem is the Whiskeys themselves, just not that interesting

Next up another day at sea… With a little more excitement I hope

Oz’s Wine Ratings Explained

Icon	wdt_ID	Rating	Description
	1	1 out of 5	Bug spray, good for cleaning or powering vehicles
	2	2 out of 5	Acceptable at a pinch (must be extremely desperate)
	3	3 out of 5	A good wine, may improve with time, a quaffer
	4	4 out of 5	A great wine! Recommended by Oz
	5	5 out of 5	Amazing, WoW. Highly recommended by Oz