Woodford Reserve Tasting with Elizabeth McCall, Woodford Reserve Sonoma Triple Finish [Tasted #679]

Last week, we had the pleasure of joining Elizabeth McCall, Woodford Reserve’s Master Distiller, for an evening of whisky insights, flavour exploration, and plenty of banter ahead of Old Fashioned Week.

Elizabeth kicked off the evening with her unexpected path to whisky. With a background in psychology and counselling, she entered Brown-Forman’s sensory department almost by chance. Her story unfolded as one of curiosity and a deepening passion for whisky, taking her from quality control to training teams worldwide in sensory analysis, eventually landing her the prestigious role of Master Distiller. One of the standout moments was Elizabeth describing her journey from psych studies to the whisky lab—a blend of fate, sensory expertise, and a love for exploring the depths of flavour.

Elizabeth McCall’s journey into the world of whisky is as unique and unexpected as it is inspiring. Growing up, she never imagined she would one day become a master distiller. Instead, Elizabeth pursued her passion for psychology, earning a degree in counselling psychology and initially envisioning a career as a therapist. 

Her introduction to the whisky world started while attending her younger brother’s graduation party, she happened to strike up a conversation with a guest who worked at Brown-Forman, Woodford Reserve’s parent company. When Elizabeth shared her interest in sensory sciences and her struggles finding the right career path, he suggested she apply to their sensory department, where her psychology background would be a valuable asset. Elizabeth was intrigued—she didn’t know much about whisky or sensory evaluation at the time, but the opportunity was too exciting to pass up.

Starting in Brown-Forman’s quality control department, Elizabeth found herself drawn to the nuances of whisky production and sensory evaluation. She was immersed in the hands-on, often mysterious world of whisky-making, working alongside industry experts who taught her about distilling, blending, and the complex layers of flavour that make each whisky unique. A pivotal moment came when she learned that whisky is clear when it first comes off the still—a revelation that sparked her curiosity and deepened her respect for the entire maturation process. She dove into every aspect of her role, from learning to interpret tasting data to helping shape new methods for sensory training across Brown-Forman’s global teams.

In 2014, Elizabeth’s career took a major step forward when she attended a class with Chris Morris, then Woodford Reserve’s Master Distiller. Chris invited her to train as a Master Taster, a role that would allow her to further her sensory skills. Her training alongside Morris offered her the chance to develop her own sensory style, and she soon became the expert palate behind Woodford Reserve.

In 2015, she officially took on the role of Master Taster, working across both Woodford Reserve and Old Forester. Then, in 2016, Woodford Reserve claimed her focus entirely, and Elizabeth moved to the Woodford Reserve Distillery full-time, working as a sensory scientist and overseeing quality control at the historic site. By 2018, she had advanced to Assistant Master Distiller, and in 2023, she achieved the role of Master Distiller.

The tasting session took us through Woodford Reserve’s five sources of flavour: fruit and floral, spice, grain, sweet aromatics, and wood. The tasting paired three Woodford Reserve expressions, with selected foods. Elizabeth led us through each pour with insights into how flavour is crafted, and, more importantly, how it can transform through pairing.

We started with the flagship Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select bourbon, an iconic expression built around Woodford’s signature “five sources of flavour”—fruit and floral, spice, grain, sweet aromatics, and wood. To bring out the whisky’s versatile profile, Elizabeth introduced a trio of food pairings: parmesan cheese, dried cranberries, and fresh orange slices.

Next up was the Woodford Reserve Rye; a pre-prohibition style rye that’s as approachable as it is complex. Elizabeth guided us through the tasting, with soft hints of baking spices, honeyed sweetness, and dill on the nose. She described the palate as smooth and slightly sweet, with warming cinnamon and nutmeg spices that are softened by notes of light honey and malted barley. This rye is fitting for those who are new to rye or are wanting to check out the category. Elizabeth highlighted how the finish, with its lingering spice and nutty character, reveals the subtle depth and complexity of Woodford’s rye without overpowering the palate. 

The third and final expression we tasted was the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, A personal favourite of Elizabeth’s, Double Oaked takes Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select through a second aging phase in a heavily toasted, lightly charred barrel. This added step builds upon the bourbon’s natural complexity, bringing notes of butterscotch, vanilla, marzipan, and dark caramel. To bring out these indulgent flavours, Elizabeth paired the Double Oaked with dark chocolate.

But just as we thought we had completed the tasting, came the highlight for the night, the Woodford Reserver Sonoma Triple Finish

Woodford Reserve Sonoma Triple Finish (45.2% ABV, Versailles, Kentucky, USA, A$269.99)

The Sonoma Triple Finish, a limited Master’s Collection release with a triple-barrel maturation process in Korbel brandy, Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir, and Woodford barrels. With its rich, fruity character and slightly red hue, this whisky was the highlight of the night for me.

Nose: A rich, layered aroma opens with brandy-soaked cherries, sweet cherry liqueur, and the warmth of Christmas cake. Notes of juicy raisins and a subtle hint of baking spices emerge, hinting at the complex interplay between brandy, Pinot Noir, and bourbon barrels.

Palate: Silky and creamy on the tongue, leading with soft vanilla and a medley of warming spices. Clove and nutmeg add depth, mingling with sweet caramel and a burst of tart raspberries. The barrel influence brings a gentle, toasted oak character, balancing sweetness with spice.

Finish: The finish is long and warm, lingering with a satisfying, spiced complexity that hints at cloves and subtle red fruit notes, leaving a memorable, layered impression.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Hendy)

As a fitting end to the evening, and to celebrate Old Fashioned Week, we were served a Dessert Old Fashioned made with maple syrup instead of traditional sugar syrup. It’s a fantastic choice for those looking to experience the Old Fashioned in a new way, with a hint of dessert-like richness.

It was a truly remarkable night with Elizabeth McCall, hearing her stories about balancing life as a master distiller and her reflections on the art of sensory tasting. It’s clear that her journey is just beginning, and with her leadership, Woodford Reserve’s spirit of innovation is in great hands.

Thanks to We Are Different PR and Woodford Reserve for having us on the night

Cheers

Hendy

High West Whiskey Tasting with Brendan Coyle [Tasted #653]

Late last month, we joined Brendan Coyle, Master Distiller of High West Whiskey who had visited Australia for the first time to talk through everything High West.

Brendan's passion for the whiskey game was evident as he talked about his journey at High West which began in 2006. 

High West Distillery, located in Park City, Utah, United States, is the first legally licensed distillery in Utah since the end of the American Prohibition. It was founded in 2006 by David Perkins, a former pharmaceutical biochemist, and his wife, Jane. The distillery operates in an old livery stable dubbed “The National Garage” and in the adjacent historic Ellsworth J Beggs house, which was built in 1907.

Brendan noted that American whiskey had been somewhat stuck in its old ways, with many distilleries churning out similar products. He felt that the traditional whiskey landscape in America was slow to change, with many producers following similar methods and High West saw a chance to shake things up, by focusing on innovation and dreaming about what whiskey flavours could be, not just what they were like back in the day. This is primarily why High West is more known for blending whiskey rather than distilling it. 

This unique approach to whiskey production sees High West producing its spirits only in small batches and they are known to source whiskeys from other distilleries to produce the base components of their whiskeys, focusing on blending different grain bills and ages to create a different whiskey profiles. Brendan noted that he has taken inspiration from global spirits like Scotch and Cognac, which are known for their artful blending of young and old spirits. The result is a diverse range of flavours and styles that make up their lineup. Their American Prairies Bourbon is a blend of straight bourbon aged between 2 and 13 years.

On the night, Brendan introduced us to a few High West highlights, including the Double Rye, Double Rye Tawny, American Prairie Bourbon and High West Campfire. The latter is an interesting blend of bourbon, rye, and peated malts from an undisclosed distillery in Scotland - though not the kind of peated malt you think of and certainly not from Islay. The High West Campfire presents a mix of sweet candied, honey notes from the bourbon, a kick of cookie spices and spicy rye, and a subtle smoke. The Campfire does make for a good base for cocktail making.

High West Double Rye Tawny Port Barrel (56.1% ABV, Park City, Utah, A$TBC)

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Part of High West's Barrel Select Program, the High West Double Rye Tawny is a blend of 2-year-old MGP 95/5 rye whiskey and a 7-year-old High West rye whiskey with a mash bill of 80% rye and 20% malted barley.

Nose: The nose opens with notes of marzipan, raisins, baked (rye) spices, gingerbread like, vanilla, cherry. There's some burnt caramel, honey and light citrus notes.

Palate: The palate is gentle with rye spices, cinnamon, gingerbread. Some sweetness develops with vanilla notes and fluffy vanilla chiffon cake, there's white pepper and developing dryness

Finish: Moderately long finish, with peppery spices and dry finish

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Hendy)

Cheers

Hendy

Thanks to Maven PR and High West Whiskey for having us at the High West Dinner with Brendan Coyle

Pairing "World Whiskies" with Indian cuisine at McSorley's Hong Kong

With the immense popularity growth of whisky in Hong Kong in recent years, it's no surprise to see an increase in both dedicated whisky bars (when we started covering the Asia scene for example, there was no Club Qing or Ginger - now two of HK's best whisky bars), as well as existing bars increasing their focus on whisky.

Much loved McSorley's Ale House fall into the latter camp, with their new SoHo location in Staunton St, Central. The traditional Irish pub is increasing their focus on whisky (all whisk(e)y, not just Irish), and plans to do so with a regular calendar of events.

We went along to a recent event - a tasting of 4 "world whiskies" (which actually ended up being 7), paired with four Indian dishes. Indian cuisine may not seem like the most obvious to pair with whisky, but we applaud the bar's bravery in exploring this front (and as we discovered, it actually worked well). 

Whisky Ambassador Jessica Kwok was our host for the night, kicking things off with a brief introduction into the new whisky nights concept at McSorley's, as we all enjoyed the welcome cocktail - a mixture of Tullamore D.E.W, ginger syrup, soda and bitters. Much like the laid-back, relaxed nature of a traditional Irish pub, McSorley's SoHo is looking to keep their whisky nights informal and fun, but with a sizeable list of quality whiskies.

Jessica explained that given the group is already well-known for their Indian menus, they figured why not try to pair that with their new whisky aspirations...and without further ado, we jumped into the first pairing - Bulleit Rye with vegetable samosa. I've always enjoyed Bulleit Rye, but with a 95% rye mashbill, there's no denying it's a spicy whisky. Pairing that with vege samosas resulted in, well, a spicy pairing. A tasty one though.

Next up was Teeling Single Grain paired with Butter Chicken. This worked quite well too, with the whisky making the chicken seem sweeter, and the sauce more perfurmed.

Of course, it wouldn't have seemed right if there was no Indian whisky, and so our third course saw Amrut Single Malt (see our distillery tour here) paired with fish Makani. This was by no means a bad pairing, but neither the whisky nor the dish really seemed to elevate or substantially alter the notes in the other.

For a brief interlude before our final pairing, Jessica broke out her personal bottle of Breckenridge Bourbon, a young whiskey from the Rocky Mountains. Whilst I was sceptical at first (having tasted a lot of young, generic Bourbon over the years), I was pleasantly surprised with this - a delicious Bourbon with notes of toffee, oak, vanilla cream and red apples.

Back to the food, and our last pairing - Famous Grouse "Smoky Black" paired with tandoori chicken. Jessica explained that they'd tried this dish with various Laphroaigs and Bowmores, but found the toned-down, subtle smoke in the Famous Grouse worked best as a pairing, and to be fair, it did work well, with the charred smoke of the chicken and the subtle smoke of the blend mixing nicely, and creating what I thought was the best pairing of the night.

Indian may not seem like the natural choice when looking for food to pair with whisky, but in this case, it was a fun and interesting experiment that produced some enjoyable combinations. Well done to McSorley's, and we're looking forward to their future whisky events (including one soon with The Lost Distillery Company).

Cheers,

Martin.

Wild Turkey Master's Keep 1894 Launch with Eddie Russell (Tasted #372)

Wild Turkey Master Distiller Eddie Russell visited Australia earlier this month to unveil Master’s Keep 1894 – the latest release in its limited edition Master’s Keep series. The visit by Eddie was quite special and coincided with the Masters of Conviction Tour; a series of masterclasses across Sydney and Melbourne to celebrate Wild Turkey and the launch of the 1894. The tour presented Wild Turkey expressions including the Rye, Rare Breed, Kentucky Spirit, the Master’s Keep Decades (a personal favourite) and the 1894.

What we love about Eddie, as the current Wild Turkey's Master Distiller, is how he worked from the ground up, closely partnering with his dad, Jimmy Russell. It's amazing to see Eddie follow in his dad's footsteps to become Wild Turkey's Master Distiller having started as a Relief Operator and subsequently spending many years as Wild Turkey's Associate Master Distiller alongside Jimmy. Eddie and Jimmy certainly make an awesome father and son Bourbon duo.

As Nicole Stanners, Wild Turkey's Bourbon Marketing Director described: "Eddie is of unmatched pedigree in the bourbon industry, with skills that only come from a true expert and knowledge others aspire to learn."

At the launch, Eddie proudly spoke of his Bourbon life and the journey from his first taste of Wild Turkey, having drunk it straight from the barrel, to his time spent with Bookers and Jimmy and through the years of learning, crafting and continuing the Wild Turkey story. Many elements of his bourbon life story have come to influence and shape the details behind each of the Master's Keep releases; the 17yo, the Decades (above) and now, the 1894.

The Master's Keep 17yo is a nice, soft and balanced barrel proof whisky. The long maturation profile of the 17yo meant the whiskey angels have had their fair share, estimated by Eddie to be around 37 gallons (140 litres) of liquid dissipation per barrel (amazing)! This is a share that had been taken from what started as 53 gallons (per standard bourbon barrel volume) to a mere 16 gallons at the time of bottling. Jokingly he referred to the angel as being the ultimate Master Distiller having taken a fair proportion of the bourbon. The long maturation was only possible through the barrel storage method by which the barrels were stored. The barrels were stored in a brick warehouse which stymied temperature variations and ensured cool and steady maturation condition; a stark contrast to maturing barrels in metal clad warehouses.

The Decades was different to the 17yo in that it had been named after the inclusion of what Eddie considered to be the golden maturation age of Bourbon, 10yo. It includes some older barrels, up to 20yo and a large portion of 13-15yo barrels. The Decades was curated by Eddie as tribute to the smooth, balanced and lingering taste profile that he prefers and is starkly different to the bigger, bolder bourbons that are commonly favoured by the wider bourbon community. Personally, the Decades is also a favourite of mine.

As to the newly launched 1894 - it takes its name from the oldest rickhouse (warehouse) at the Wild Turkey Estate which was built in 1894. The warehouse was where Eddie first fell in love with Wild Turkey. It was 36 years ago, on June 5th, 1981, when Eddie started working at the distillery, earning a mere 6.58 cents an hour. Every day, he would clock on, clock off and witness the distillery crews ducking into the warehouse not knowing what they were up to. This was until one day when Eddie decided to join them and found out that they were, in fact, going around and sampling from the different barrels. After which he joined and sampled his first taste of Wild Turkey - the day he fell in love with it all.

Commenting on the release, Eddie said: “From the very first taste at Rickhouse A, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to Bourbon. Master’s Keep 1894 captures that moment, the start of my journey to master distiller and the beginning of years of tradition.”

The 1894 has been released in Australia before it hits the American market following a wise decision after a request was received from Marketing that Australia wanted their own bottles (in fact 10,000 bottles for allocation to Australia).

Wild Turkey Master's Keep 1894 (45% ABV, NAS, Kentucky, USA, A$197.90)
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The 1894 release is a unique small batch release and can be enjoyed as an everyday bourbon or mixed up as the base to an Old Fashioned, Whisky Sours or Manhattan.

Colour: Copper with amber tinge

Nose: The nose plays strongly to spiced cinnamon apple notes, dried currants, liquorice, honey, vanilla, toffee and a slight herbaceous; wild grass undertone.

Palate: More of the herbaceous note followed on the palate and joined by some glorious toffee apple, vanilla, butterscotch notes. There's also a level of spice that lingers.

Finish: Medium, lingering spice that slowly fizzles out with a level of sweetness

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 91/100.


Cheers,
Hendy

A huge thanks to ElevenPR and Wild Turkey for having us as part of the launch of the 1894 with Eddie Russell.

Master of Malt Advent Calendars return for 2017

Much-loved spirits retailer Master of Malt have again launched their series of advent calendars, covering the full gamut from whisky to gin to cognac to bourbon to (eep) vodka. Prefer tequila, mezcal or Armagnac? They've got you covered too.

The calendars this year span two pages of the MoM site, and again include an incredible £8,333 "Very Old and Rare" calendar (ex-VAT) which includes a 48 year old Karuizawa, 46 year old Balvenie DCS, 60 year old Glenfarclas and many other bottles (OBs and IBs) from distilleries past and present.

We reviewed 2016's whisky calendar here, and found it an incredibly clever and enjoyable way to try 24 drams without having to comit to a full bottle.

The full range of 2017's calendars can be pre-ordered from here now.

Cheers,
Martin.

A Night with Michter's in Hong Kong

We've been fans of Michter's for a while here at TimeforWhisky - and so has Hong Kong it seems - particularly on-premise, with a number of bars using Michter's range of ryes and bourbons in some incredible cocktails (more on that below). In fact, so big has the rise of Michter's been, that last year the brand appointed their own brand ambassador for Asia, John Ng (although prior to that, global sales director and son of founder Matt Magliocco lived in Hong Kong for several years).

Matt and John were joined recently in Hong Kong by Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson, who had flown in from Louisville for the distillery's first Hong Kong media launch dinner, held at Hong Kong's favourite American restaurant Lily & Bloom. 

Steph and I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Monday night.

Kicking things off with a cocktail was a welcome way to beat the 35ish degree heat outside - especially when that cocktail mixed Michter's Rye, ginger, pineapple, lemon and smoked tea spirit. Known as the Bomberger Buck, and served in a similar fashion to a Mint Julep, it was the perfect start to the evening, and evidence that even after 7 years, the drinks program at Lily & Bloom still continue to impress (in particular, since John Nugent's recent hiring as Head Mixologist).

After taking our seats, Matt introduced John and Executive Chef Chris Grare, who talked us through the 6-course menu, explaining it as American-focused with some Asian hints, bringing out charred, smokey flavours with some spice and caramel.

(Or in other words, a perfect match for a range of American whiskies.)

Matt talked us through a brief history of the Michter's brand, and in particular its most recent incarnation under his family's stewardship. Matt explains the company's recent history in three phases - the first involving aged casks of American whiskies being purchased from other distilleries, the second involving whisky produced (using Michter's-spec mashbills) at other distilleries, using rented time known as "Michter's Days", and the third, since August 2015, involving whisky being produced at their own distillery. 

After this brief history, the night's guest of honour Andrea Wilson walked us through a detailed and informative overview of Michter's production (touching on topics including oak drying, barrel entry proof and heat cycling), making it clear that the future of Michter's maturation programme is in safe hands.

One thing I've always found interesting about Michter's is the number of whiskies in the range. There are Ryes and Bourbons, both in "small batch" and single barrel variety. There are age statement varieties (including a 25 year old Bourbon and a 25 year old Rye, both of which we've been fortunate enough to try), there's a Sour Mash, an "unblended American whisky", various limited releases (including popular Toasted Barrel finishes), and barrel proof varieties too.

...little did I know we'd be tasting at least 9 of these on the night!

Following the Smoked Oyster paired with our welcome cocktail (see above), Kombu Cured Sea Bass (with yuzu-lemon compote and black sesame paste) came next, paired with Michter's US*1 Unblended American Whiskey, with the Yuzu in the dish proving a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the whiskey. Both great on their own, but better together. Off to a good start then!

Lentil-crusted Lobster (with blue point mussels and bouillabaisse) came next, paired with Michter's US*1 Sour Mash Whiskey. As I find the Sour Mash to be a fairly subtle whisky on its own (an easy and enjoyable everyday whisky though), I found the whisky and food complimented each other well here, but in a subtle way, without either really changing or accentuating the other.

Course four was Truffle tagliatelle (with Australian winter truffle and roasted cauliflower), paired with Michter's US*1 Bourbon, a great match, with the Bourbon surprisingly turning up the creaminess of the pasta significantly.

Bourbon and steak is a hard pairing to beat, and so it was when Pastrami Rib Eye (with potato gratin and pickled mustard jus) was paired with Michter’s 10 Year Old Bourbon. Decadent? Perhaps, but a fantastic combination, with the rich sweetness of the Bourbon playing brilliantly with the rare steak.

Had the meal ended there, we all would have walked off praising the chef and whiskies, but there was one more dish to go, and it was an absolute winner. Pecan Apple Tart (with granola and Michter's raisin ice cream) was very good when paired with the Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye, but in my opinion was even better with the 10 Year Old Bourbon - the two making a deliciously sweet and rich pairing, with the Bourbon adding vanilla and honey notes to the already flavoursome dish.

With 6 wonderful pairings down, it was time to leave (it was Monday night after all), but not after a few surprise whiskies made their way out, including one (at the time) unreleased Michter's, the Barrel Strength Toasted Barrel Finish Straight Rye, which put a slightly spicier twist on a whisky I already loved for its spicy profile.

After that it really was time to leave, with memories of wonderful dishes and equally delicious whiskies to carry us home, not to mention the take-home pre-batched "Snickers Old Fashioned" cocktail, made with Michter's US*1 Unblended American Whiskey, vanilla demerara, black walnut and aztec chocolate. One of the best cocktails I've had in a while, and proof (again) that Michter's works wonderfully both in a cocktail and when served neat.

TimeforWhisky.com would like to thank Michter's Whiskey Distillery, Andrea, John and Matt for the invitation.

Cheers,
Martin.

Whisky Live Singapore 2016 review

We've attended a few Whisky Live events over the years - Tokyo, London and Sydney twice, but had never attended the Singaporean event, despite having heard good things. When a bit of good fortune put me in Singapore for a conference in the days following Whisky Live, it was a no-brainer to arrive a bit earlier and spend a day at the show.

After an absolute debacle trying to buy a ticket (without going into too much detail, there was no eTicket / mTicket option, and no option to pick up the tickets at the venue - although the organisers arranged the latter for me after my tickets never arrived at the hotel), I turned up to Capella Hotel on Singapore's Sentosa Island, ready for a day of whisky.

I'd opted for a 1 day VIP ticket ($173SGD), which gave access to the "VIP Tasting Room" as well as the main floor. I've attended a lot of whisky shows over the past 5 or so years, and whilst I still really enjoy them (probably the social aspect more than the whisky these days!), the whiskies on offer at most shows can be a bit "same same". Sure, sometimes (often) there's something special under the table, and don't get me wrong, the people at these shows absolutely make them worth attending, but sometimes you're just looking for something a bit more unusual/unique on the whisky front - something beyond the usual 12/15/18/NAS lineup. 

...and that's where the VIP Tasting Room came in. Singapore's Whisky Live is run by La Maison du Whisky, and as anyone who's come across LmdW knows, they bottle and sell a lot of very special whisky, rum, cognac etc......and a huge number of them were on offer in the VIP Tasting Room. From 43 year old Speysiders to single cask Kavalans, to limited edition Blantons to a whole lot of tasty Indies, to 30yo OB Speysiders and...well I'll let the photos do the talking...

  

Certainly not your average whisky show drams, and generous pours were being served (all included in the ticket price). The room never felt busy, and there was always a friendly face or two to chat to.

Next door though was something even more special - the "Collectors' Room", housing much, much rarer whisky that LmdW had managed to get their hands on - from rare single cask Japanese whiskies (Yamazakis, Karuizawas) to old, old bottles of Laphroaig, Bowmore, Macallan and others. Whilst prices weren't "cheap" (especially not for those who have visited Japanese whisky bars with similar collections), they were for the most part reasonable, considering the rarity of the whiskies.

1 token was $10SGD.

Dave Broom was also floating around (having just presented a masterclass on two 1965 Karuizawas!) and being the top bloke he is, was more than happy for a chat and a dram.

By this time I'd been at the show for about 2 hours and hadn't yet ventured onto the main floor. When I finally did, I got there just in time for a "Dram Full Yum Seng", led by Glenfiddich's Regional Asia Pacific Brand Ambassador Matthew, and a few of his Brand Ambassador colleagues from Pernod Ricard and Edrington.

Not quite sure what to expect from my first 'Yum Seng", it basically involved yelling "Dram Full" for as long as we possibly could, and then shooting the whiskies on offer (Glenfiddich 21yo, Macallan Rare Cask, amongst others). Not quite the "pacing myself" I'd planned, but a huge amount of fun, and a great welcome to the main floor. There's a video of it here.

The main floor had the usual complement of brands - with Macallan, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Aberlour, Glenrothes, Glenlivet and others representing Scotch, and Kavalan, Paul John, Teeling and others representing "world whiskies". There were of course a few special pours available if you asked nicely (some I can talk about, some I can't!) and a few fun experiences, like Glenfiddich's virtual reality tour (actually quite good!), Monkey Shoulder cocktails, Arberlour/Glenlivet music pairing, and Balvenie's free customised whisky tasting journals.

There were also a few indies on tasting from Singapore and Seoul's B28 bar:

..and a good selection of masterclasses, priced quite cheaply in most cases (except for the Karuizawa 1965 masterclass which was almost $600SGD/ticket).

When all the whisky became a bit much and the palate fatigue started to set in, there was a large F&B area outside, and VIP ticket holders were entitled to two servings of food and a cocktail from each of the pop up bars (host by some of the world's best cocktail bars - Bar Trench, 28 Hong Kong Street, Gibson and Jigger & Pony to name a few). A refreshing break (as were the Monkey 47 gin laybacks on offer)!

As the sun started to set (had it really been 6 hours already!?) I headed back to the VIP Tasting Room to try a few more drams (including some fascinating rums) and enjoy whisky banter well into the night with whisky friends old and new.

So, overall impressions of Whisky Live Singapore?

• Fantastic range of whiskies
• Brilliant collector's room
• Good value tickets (when you consider the food, cocktails, and all the VIP drams)
• Great venue layout (great space and really well utilised - it never felt too busy)
• Great personalities.

My only complaints would be the ticketing process (which I understand is a limitation of the ticketing company more than LmdW / Whisky Live), and the fact that I had to leave all the samples I'd brought at the front counter, which made it a pain to do the sample swaps I'd arranged beforehand (this might've been a "responsible service of alcohol" type situation, but whisky sample swaps are pretty common at shows like this, and I've never had an issue at shows anywhere else in the world).

On the whole though, an absolutely brilliant event, and one I'd definitely return for (only next time, I'll buy a 2 day ticket).

Cheers,

Martin.