The Whisky Show 2013 review

As we posted back in February, David, Ivan and the gents from World of Whisky in Double Bay booked their annual "The Whisky Show" again this year - in a larger venue with more exhibitors than ever. The show was held over Friday and Saturday last weekend (28-29th June).

Sir Stamford Circular Quay was the venue this year - spread over two levels and with exhibitors both local and international (including industry stalwart Dr Jim Swan), and with whiskies from Scotland, Australia, Ireland, US and Taiwan, there was something for everyone - from whisky nuts to beginners.

The show followed the usual format, with a number of tables, each typically representing a distributor or spirits brand like William Grant & Sons (representing Hudson, Balvenie & Glenfiddich), Brown Forman (Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve) and Think Spirits (Jura, Dalmore), staffed by brand managers or ambassadors.

There were plenty of familiar faces - both behind the tables and throughout the crowd, with seemingly the whole Sydney whisky community out in force. Steph and I arrived just before the show started on Saturday night (the last session) and while it was quiet at first, within 30 minutes the place was packed and some of the queues were three deep. To be expected I guess.

There were over 50 brands represented (some with up to 8 whiskies) and as always, a number of special drams behind the tables for those in the know. This year also features two masterclasses - a whisky and cheese matching class, and a Kavalan masterclass, hosted by Dr Jim Swan (post to follow).

Standout tables/drams for us were:

• Aberlour A'Bundadh - An oldy but a goody. Batch 45 was on tasting, with a heady (but not overwhelming) 60.2% ABV.
• Ardbeg - Sadly no Alligator (one of my favourite drams), but a pretty fantastic range nonetheless,  with Ardbeg, Galileo, and the usual lineup (10yo, Corryvreckan and Uigeadail). A very popular table.
• The Balvenie - no 17yo Doublewood on tasting, but keep an eye on this blog for a review soon.
• Chivas - Both 18yo and Royal Salute (presented by the incredibly knowledgable Laura Hay)
• Glenfiddich - The Malt Master (recently re-released and just as good as last time)
• Glenmorangie - the whole lineup and the Ealanta.
• Australian whiskies - Starward (who won the award for best Australiasian whisky), Hellyers Road, Overeem, Lark and Sullivans Cove.
• Woodford Reserve (Aged and New cask Rye)
• NZ Whisky Co (South Island 21yo)
• SMWS (39yo Glenglassaugh - incredible. Post to follow.)
• Talisker (finally, the Storm!)
• Yamazaki (sadly no Bourbon Barrel finish, but the 12yo is always enjoyable)
• Bruichladdich (Octomore Comus)
• Nikka (Yoichi 15yo and Taketsuru Pure Malt)
• Buffalo Trace - George T Stagg bourbon (a #101drams whisky).

Despite being the last of three sessions, most of those presenting managed to retain their enthusiasm, with special mention to the always-good-for-a-laugh Think Spirits chaps, Stuart from Brown Forman and Mark from William Grant & Sons.

Whilst the venue was bigger than last year, it seems they crammed as many people in as possible, which did make it hard to chat and learn about some of the whiskies at times. Responsibly, there was plenty of water available, and the food (mostly sandwiches) was nothing special, but tasty and plentiful enough. As with last year the show featured a fully-stocked shop, with special pricing available just for show-goers.

All up, another fantastic show, and considering tickets were available for as little as $27.50, an absolute bargain. We can't wait for next year's.

World of Whisky can be found at Shop G12, Cosmopolitan Centre, 2-22 Knox Street, Double Bay, (Ph: 9363 4212).

Cheers,
 - Martin.

Tasted #16: Glenmorangie Ealanta (#101drams)

Back at World of Whisky in Double Bay (NSW) for a tasting of selected Independent Bottlers (post to follow), the gents were again kind enough to crack out a few tasty drams at the end of the night, and when offered, I jumped at the chance to try the Glenmorangie Ealanta.

Glenmorangie Ealanta (46%, 19yo, Highlands, Scotland)
Nose: Shortbread, big wafts of shortbread. Some butterscotch, and a hint of the nuttiness evident in most Glenmorangies too.

Palate: Sweeter than the nose implies. Toffee, vanilla, still a hint of shortbread.

Finish: Smooth and pleasant, lingering (not unsurprising given the Original 10yo has a long finish, and this is aged almost twice as long). I still get shortbread, and some dryness towards the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100

Glenmorangie Ealanta can be purchased from World of Whisky for $180AUD. Thanks to the gents for the taste!

Cheers,
 - Martin.

Tasted #15: Ardbeg Gallileo (#101drams)

Another tick for the #101drams list...

The folk at World of Whisky in Double Bay (NSW) have quite a selection of tasting whiskies. During their Tasmanian Expo recently, I noticed the Galileo included amongst the collection, and the gents were kind enough to give me a taste and allow me to tick another dram off my list.

Ardbeg Galileo (49%, distilled in 1999, bottled in 2012, Islay, Scotland)
Nose: Definitely an Ardbeg. Perhaps a bit more mellow than the standard 10yo, and with a slight nuttiness (hazelnuts?)

Palate: Peat monster, no doubt, but a more ashy, tarry peat than I get from the 10yo. A tad spicy, but the peat wins out here. Ardbeg fans will love it.

Finish: Everything fades away but that ash, which lingers on. Very pleasant. Even 10+ minutes after, as I left the shop, I could still taste that ash. It's smokey like the 10yo, but even more so, and more of an ash taste than a tangy, salty peat.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100

Ardbeg Galileo can be purchased from World of Whisky for $182AUD.

Cheers,
 - Martin.

World of Whisky's Tasmanian Whisky Expo

Australian Whiskies are on the rise, gaining world recognition and winning awards (some having only been bottling for less than a few years). Whilst almost every state in Australia is represented, none is better known than Tasmania, with a number of active distilleries and an increasing reputation as a world-class whisky distilling region.

In recognition of this, World of Whisky in Double Bay (a specialist shop selling nothing but whisk(e)y) held their annual "Tasmanian Whisky Expo" last Saturday, with representation from four Tassie distilleries:

• Lark Distillery
• Old Hobart Distillery (makers of Overeem)
• Hellyers Road
• Tasmania Distillery (makers of Sullivans Cove)

To emphasise the focus on Tassie produce, the guys also had a number of Tasmanian cheeses and salmon for tasting (including a fantastic whisky-cured salmon which I could've eaten all day...)

Each distillery had their key expressions available for tasting, including one from my #101drams list (Hellyers Rd Pinot Noir Finish), and staff/management from the distilleries on-hand to answer any questions and have a yarn about all things whisky.

The event also coincided with the recent launch of the "Tasmanian Single Malts" plinth (pictured above), which will be rolled out to various bars and shops to promote Tasmania whiskies.

The event was a great way to get word out about Tassie whiskies, and was a great chance for whisky fans (and newcomers alike) to meet, enjoy a dram or two and discuss their favourite tipple. I'm looking forward to seeing this again next year (hopefully bigger and better)!

Cheers,
 - Martin.

PS: World of Whisky run a great show, and to see this on a much, much bigger scale, check out their "Whisky Show 2013" which was mentioned in this post.

PR #2: World of Whisky's "The Whisky Show" returns to Sydney for 2013

Last year was a big year for Whisky Shows in Sydney, with Whisky Live, World of Whisky's "The Whisky Show", and Oak Barrel's "Whisky Fair", not to mention a variety of smaller events.

2013 is set to be just as big if not bigger - with Whisky Live (2-3rd August) and The Whisky Fair (7-8th September) already having been announced, and now a bigger, better "The Whisky Show 2013" booked for 28-29th June 2013.

With a limit of 500 visitors per session (across three sessions) and two halls, the show should give everyone plenty of opportunity to discuss and enjoy a dram (or several).

To quote World of Whisky:

Based on feedback received from both exhibitors and visitors last year, we have made several changes to the Show format, to strive for continued improvement. 

• The Show will be split into three 4-hour sessions. One session on Friday and two sessions on Saturday, with an hour break between the sessions. 
• Each session will be limited to 500 visitors. 
• There will be free snack and finger foods available for visitors.
• The Show will be split across two halls, allowing for more exhibitors and to spread visitors out a bit more. 
• Access to the show will be at street level, in a side entrance to the hotel, allowing easy direct access to the Show. 
• The retail store will be located near the exit. We will again be having special show prices on the day.
• The Whisky Cocktail competition and Australasian Whisky Awards proved to be very popular, and will be repeated again in 2013.

Keep an eye on the World of Whisky website for tickets - we might even see you there!

Cheers,
 - Martin.