Brooke F. is a DFB Staffer and food guru! Check out her thoughts on this fun flight at Rose & Crown in Epcot’s UK pavilion!
One of my favorite places to kick back and relax is Rose & Crown Pub in Epcot’s UK Pavilion.
Just recently, AJ reviewed Rose and Crown once more and found it still holds so much charm — and delicious food!
We’ve enjoyed our share of drinks, appetizers, and awesome pub food here (not to mention the fact that the place has Carl the Bartender!).
But today we’re taking a closer look at something I’ve never tried before — the Scotch Flight!
Rose and Crown Pub Drink Menu -- Click to Enlarge
Recently, I headed to Epcot with a friend who was visiting from out of town, and we decided it was just the occasion to do some interesting Drinking Around the World.
Since he loves Single Malt Scotch, and I’ve been wanting to learn a thing or two, we decided to try the Single Malt Flight. He was pretty impressed with the offerings, and thought that it represented good value and a good opportunity to try some vastly different styles side by side.
Single Malt Flight Menu Description -- Click to Enlarge
Now, I am no Scotch aficionado, but I’ll try to pass on my impressions.
Our bartender placed three snifters before us and poured a bit of Scotch in each glass. She also poured us a glass of ice water. My friend would have preferred room temperature water to add to the Scotch, so we used the water as a palate cleanser between sips instead.
Single Malt Scotch Flight, Left to Right: Glenkinchie, Oban, and Lagavulin
We had a blast tasting all three! Here are my novice impressions:
Glenkinchie: A Scotch from the Lowland region of Scotland. Fresh and light in character, with none of the smoky aroma or flavor that we would encounter in the upcoming varieties.
Oban: This one was supposed to represent the Highlands region, but is a bit atypical (so I’m told) because it’s slightly smoky rather than being light and sweet. Oban was my favorite, as it had a little more substance than the Glenkinchie.
Lagavulin: Represents the smoky Scotch that’s characteristic of Islay malts, where the whiskey is produced. The smoky flavor derives from the peat fires used to dry the malted barley that’s distilled to make Scotch. My friend favored this style.
All in all, this was an excellent stop on our Drinking Around the World Tour (which later included stops in Japan for sake and Mexico for a tequila flight.)
I was able to try some top notch Scotch that I would not have otherwise taken a chance on liking, and I learned that I actually do appreciate this version of whiskey. And anytime I can combine learning with adult beverages, it’s a fun day! 😉
Don’t forget to check out some other awesome Epcot drink flights in this fun “Fancy Flights” post!
Have you sampled a flight in Epcot? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts!
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I don’t know how missed this flight. I also don’t know how I never noticed it on the drink menu. But I do know where I’ll be heading soon. Thanks for bringing this flight to light for us Scotch drinkers. Just another reason to head to Epcot.
I have to be honest, I have done this flight and the tequila flight before and have a tough time with this one. Scotch always just leaves a taste in my mouth like I licked my charcoal grill. Something very Kingsford-y about the whole experience. The tequila flight I can get behind – the premium flight that is in the $70-$80 range is outstanding, but when in the UK I will stick to a good old fashioned Irish car bomb.
Your friend wanted to put the water IN the Scotch? The horror! (Just kidding. I know people do this, but I resolutely prefer my whisk(e)y neat.) My impressions of the single malt flight were similar to yours. I love Highland and Speyside malts, and the Oban is my drink of choice. I find Lagavulin incredibly overwhelming. I think that on future visits, I would order the Oban by itself or with a beer back rather than ordering the fight again.
Josh: I would definitely recommend it. I enjoyed it for learning purposes, but anyone who enjoys all the different nuance of good Scotch would like it as well, I’m sure.
Pat: I would give the slight edge to the tequila flight as well. And I really didn’t care for the Lagavulin at all, but I thought the Oban was brilliant. My friend loves anything smokey, so he was all in for the Islay malts.
Melissa: Ha! Yes. He prefers “just a drop” of water, and it must be room temperature. We were happy to drink it neat, too. You just can’t go wrong with excellent whisky 🙂 I’m looking forward to trying more of the Highlands. But I could happily content myself with the Oban for a bit!
Author,
Epcot doesn’t have an ‘England Pavillion’. Scotland, the country from where that ‘Scotch’ you were drinking came from, very much exists! Epcot has a UK Pavillion… there’s more to the UK than England.
Kitty — that’s probably my fault during editing! Silly me; I lived in the UK for a year and usually never make that mistake 🙂
Lol AJ, then you know how us Scots can be about it! :p It’s tough being a teensy, tiny country – people forget you exist! 😀
Kitty — Well, I love it! Thanks for keeping my late nite self in my toes, and thanks for reading!! ;-D