Hubby and I have been married for a long time and sometimes it seems longer than what it has been. lol We have never been the kind to go crazy for Valentines Day. We keep it simple with a nice dinner and flowers or a gift. One year I did get a big, fat anniversary band for my wedding ring and that rocked! I do like to look for interesting and unique items that I think hubby would enjoy instead of the same old run of the mill STUFF. Hubs like a sip of top shelf Vodka or good Whiskey now and then so I was able to do a review on this cool concept for Valentines Day, Birthday’s or any special occasion really.

Whisky Explorers Club “Scout” Valentines Package combines  handpicked whiskey samples from the #1 online whiskey retailer in the U.S., ForWhiskyLovers, exquisitely paired with hand-selected artisanal chocolates from Mast Brothers of Brooklyn, New York. All come beautifully packaged up with the best-selling book “101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die” and a crystal tasting glass. This concept intrigued me because not only is this gift for guys, it is interactive and you can enjoy it with your significant other too.

I received the Scout Valentines Package that includes:
* One (1) tasting flight of five (5) 30mL bottles containing a broad range of great whiskies from around the world. These whiskies will arrive packaged with no brand or age identity, along with instructions on how to unmask each whiskey’s true identity on our website by contributing your own whiskey ratings and reviews.

* Two (2) bars of exquisite artisanal chocolate, hand crafted by the Mast Brothers of Brooklyn NY, personally selected to pair beautifully with the whiskies included in the sample flight by ForScotchLovers Managing Editor Ian Buxton

* A copy of the best-selling book “101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die” signed by author/ ForScotchLovers Managing Editor Ian Buxton

* A complimentary Glencairn Nosing & Tasting Crystal Glass

In order to find out what brands you are sampling, there is a code that is shipped with your purchase to log in and add your tasting notes if you want to and see what brands you were sent.

This is going to be fun! So hubby and I cracked open the clear one that happened to be a vodka. I love vodka and it is my alcohol of choice when drinking hard liquor. This is the best tasting vodka I have ever had. Honestly! Smooth and a bit sweet even. There was no aftertaste at all and no burn. Delicious!

We then went one by one through the whiskies, sipping and tasting each one. Some we added a bite of chocolate to, which I did not care for at all. It is very dark chocolate and very pure with only cane sugar blended with it. Not a favorite of mine, but I am sure chocolate purists will love it. Very smooth.

The whiskey actually surprised me. I never drink anything but clear alcohol and hubs will drink a whiskey off and on. But as we tasted these different whiskeys, there was 2 that we actually liked and enjoyed a lot. The first one was a blended malt whiskey from Scotland. I was shocked. It was incredibly smooth and smelled a bit like brandy to me. It was very mild with no bite at all. Hubby loved it too!

There was another one that was fabulous too. It was a Single Malt Whiskey from Scotland. It had a nice scent and a nice flavor with no bad after taste. We enjoyed that one too.

The other 2 whiskeys we tasted where horrible.. in my novice and non whiskey drinking opinion! To everyone else, you may love them! We had fun trying the out though. My dad was on the phone with us as we were sampling and was cracking up at our lack of knowledge and ignorance. But it was funny!

Now remember we do not know what we are tasting; it is labeled with a number and you go to the website and put in your codes to find out what you are tasting. This was fun because the ForWhiskeyLovers site is created to introduce members to a variety of great whiskies they may never have experienced before, free of any pre-conceived notion of a “brand”, price as an indicator of quality or a prior experience with a type of whisky. And it is about sharing those experiences with others, via an online taste testing. There is a whole community over there with forums and tons of information on whiskey and other topics too.

So, if you are looking for something fun and different that you can share with your love, check out this great gift idea. Whiskey is not just for men. It is growing in popularity in women and the huge increase in whiskey consumption in the US this past year is mainly from females. Robert Haynes-Peterson reported in 2010, women made up 29.4% of Irish whiskey drinkers and 30.4% of bourbon drinkers. Alan Shayne, president of the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society says, “There are so many different styles now and a wide range of flavors and aromas — there really is something for everyone. That variety has made more whisky drinkers out of women.” Mariena Mercer, bar manager and mixologist for The Cosmopolitan, goes on to credits the resurgence of the classic cocktail along with increased exposure (via shows like Mad Men) with drawing women into the fold.

While whiskey is exceptional as a stand-alone beverage, it is paired best with chocolate. Whiskey writes, “dark chocolate pairs well with many whiskeys.” This unique gift package is even perfect for the non-whiskey drinker to see what kind they like. Check it out and surprise your honey with a gift you can share together!

Disclaimer: Chris Carroll has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.