The Whisky Show Sydney 2016 review (Tasted #294 - 297)

Annually, coinciding with World Whisky Day on 21 May, renowned Sydney whisky shop World of Whisky host one of the three whisky shows for Sydney - dubbed simply "The Whisky Show". We attended the Friday session which was rather good as the session hadn't been fully sold out and as such the crowd was quite manageable (although we did miss out on the four masterclasses which were to be held on the Saturday; the Kavalan, Laphroaig, Paul John and Bourbon masterclasses).

Hosted at the same location as the previous two years; the Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport (see our 2014 write-up here), though not the most convenient of locations, was large enough to accommodate a diverse range of distilleries and/or their distributors. Upon arrival, all guests were provided with a nosing glass and a bag containing a bottle of water and few nibblies. There were also a couple of water fountains placed along the centre of the exhibition room to allow rinsing of glasses and re-hydration.

As with previous years, 2016's show was well represented with a large range of brands (big and small) and various related exhibitors. Standouts included:

Ardbeg, Balvenie, BenRiach, Big Peat, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Connemara, Dalmore, Glendalough, Glendronach, Glenfiddich, Glenglassaugh, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, Glenrothes, Jura, Kavalan, Kininvie, Laphroaig, Makers Mark, Old Pulteney, Paul John, Springbank, Starward, Tomatin, Uber Bar Tools, Writer's Tears



On the night, we observed that there was quite a mix between the line-ups across the different brands, some showcased an extensive range of their expressions whilst others showcased a select few:

• Starward focused on their two classic expressions; the Solera and the wine cask edition - though when asked nicely, Brand Ambassador Paul Slater was happy to bring out the ever-secretive Project X from behind the counter
• Springbank brought their limited release 17yo sherry wood expression into the mix, along with a Longrow and the Hazelburn 12yo
• Kininvie made its first appearance following its launch late last year with the Kininvie 17 and 23. The lovely Laura Hay was on the stand with Kininvie friends
• Similar to Kininvie, Paul John also made its first appearance, presenting five unique expressions from its portfolio (and a single cask which was presented to us from behind the counter)
• Bruichladdich put on a strong showing with two Octomore expressions; the 7.1 and 7.3. Phillip Mack of Dram Full represented Bruichladdich
• BenRiach was manned by our friend WhiskNick, and the line up included the 12yo sherry, 15yo sauternes, 16yo, 17yo Septendecim and the newly released (and one of our favourites from the night), Cask Strength Batch 1
• Tomatin showcased their range including few highlights; 14yo Port Casks and the ghostly Cù Bòcan
• The Glenrothes brought the Peated Cask Reserve which was released late last year, together with the 1992 Vintage and 2001 Vintage releases
• Disappointingly, GlenDronach only showcased the 12yo and there were no signs of the older core lineup, cask strength, or any of their single cask releases
• The hype around the Kavalan Solist Amontillado must have sent the expression straight to the shelves with no samples available, though it was available for purchase at the show
• Kavalan though did have the most expressions available, with a whopping eight expressions, including the Solist range and the King Car expression; and
• Douglas Laing held the Indie bottler fort, showcasing a number of bottles from the "Old Particular" series including a Ben Nevis 14yo and a Glengoyne 17yo.

Here are some tasting notes for a few favourites of the night...


Springbank 17 Year Old Sherry Wood Whisky (52.3% ABV, 17yo, Campbeltown, Scotland, $290AUD)
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A limited release from Springbank, fully matured in sherry oak casks and bottled at cask strength, this full bodied expression was quite enjoyable.

Colour: Rusted gold

Nose: The nose is filled with sweet cranberries, rich sticky date, moss and molasses.

Palate: The palate is clean and delightful with notes of berries, raisins and the sticky date from the earlier whiff. The palate is then slowly transformed with red chilli pepper and toffee notes.

Finish: Long with lingering peppermint spices.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100.


BenRiach Cask Strength Batch 1 (52.3% ABV, 17yo, Campbeltown, Scotland, A$220 / £44.03)
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The inaugural release of the Cask Strength series from BenRiach. This malty, creamy and delicate expression was one of our favourites of the night. Can't wait to see future Cask Strength releases from BenRiach.

Colour: Champagne

Nose: The nose is sweet, fruity and creamy, loads of  sweet burnt caramel and butterscotch, sticky date pudding.

Palate: Merry Christmas, though not in July. Oaky and spicy, where is that Christmas pudding? There are hints of cinnamon tart and cinnamon dusted creme brulee. The creamy mouthfeel is then followed by a lingering black pepper spice. 

Finish: Long, sweet and not too drying.

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

Paul John Select Cask Classic (55.2% ABV, NAS, Goa, India, A$128 / £49.96)
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A limited cask strength release from Paul John; the second Indian distiller to hit the Australian market after Amrut. This unpeated cask strength release had been aged for around 7 years in ex-bourbon barrels.

Colour: Gold with amber tinge

Nose: The nose has bourbon all over it. Almost smells like a good breakfast; fruity malty, oaty with notes of honey and sweet vanilla.

Palate: The malt continues on the palate; creamy, mellow and loads of honey with a layer of black pepper spices from the oak. The higher ABV balances the sweet, malty notes.

Finish: The finish is long and there remains a chewy oaky mouthfeel. A nice solid dram.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100.


Paul John Single Barrel (58% ABV, NAS, Goa, India, not commercially available)
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We were offered a sample of this Paul John Single Barrel following discussion of the general expression they had on offer. It is a preview of what is to come from Paul John, in the form of Single Barrel releases. This particular expression was aged in an ex-Jack Daniel's barrel for (presumably nine) years and bottled at cask strength. Overall, this was an excellent dram and we look forward to the official release of the expression.

Colour: Light amber

Nose: The nose is filled with loads sweet malt, honey and there's a strong hint of oak, almost resembling the smell of new wood lacquer.

Palate: The palate is deep, rich and presents a nice layer of vanilla tart. The tannic, citrus notes follow the sweetness and then there's some oak spice to finish. Similar to the Select Cask Classic, the higher alcohol ABV provides a layer complexity to this expression.

Finish: Long and lingering with plenty of oak and spice.

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




The Glenrothes Peated Cask Reserve (40% ABV, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, $99.80NZD)
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This newly released expression from The Glenrothes combines vatting from three vintage casks and finished in an Islay cask. This was a clean, elegant expression that packs a small hint of peat to balance. Interestingly the only online shop we could find selling it was based in NZ!

Colour: Pale straw

Nose: Malty, breakfast cereals; or rather breakfast whisky. There's no peat on the nose though the nose is fun with plenty of jolly lollies.

Palate: The palate is clean and very light, sweet molasses are evident and there is a gentle peat note that fades over time. A light layer of spice lingers.

Finish: Medium though there is a lingering malty sweetness.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100.


As the clock hit eight o'clock, David Ligoff of World of Whisky rounded up the troops and called last drams. As we sign off, here are some more photos from the show:

The Sydney Whisky Show is on for this entire weekend. Whether you'll be at the show celebrating World Whisky Day or at home savouring your favourite dram, Happy #WorldWhiskyDay!

Cheers,
Hendy.

Whisky Live Tokyo 2015 (Part 1): Whisky Live Tokyo Party

It was only a few months ago that the stars aligned and I ended up in London (on a short work trip) at the same time as Whisky Live London 2015. Fast forward to September, and I again found myself on a work trip that also conveniently coincided with another Whisky Live - Tokyo, this time. 

(This might not seem overly strange, if it wasn't for the fact that I don't work in the spirits or whisky industry at all - this blog is just a hobby through which I can indulge my passion...)

Unlike previous years, when it was part of the Tokyo Bar Show (which we also visited this year), Whisky Live Tokyo stood on its own for 2015. After some help from the friendly Stefan of Nonjatta, I finally learned that the event actually comprised two parts:

• A "Whisky Live Party" on Friday night, at the Park Hotel (home to "The Society" SMWS bar that we visited earlier this year); and
• "Modern Malt Market" - the more typical whisky show, with booths, talks, brand reps etc...

Tickets were hastily purchased, and the countdown began...

Whisky Live Party Tokyo 2015

Being a convenient 30 second walk from my hotel, I made my way over to the Park Hotel just before the show was due to begin, and did a lap to see what was on offer. The best way to describe the party would be like a smaller, more intimate whisky show. 200 people and 70 different whiskies, in a quieter, more refined setting.

After being handed a Brew Dog palate cleanser (side note: Japan seems to love Brew Dog!) and my sheet of 20 tokens, the first bottle I noticed was an Ichiro's Malt "Cards Series" Hanyu Colour Joker - a vatting of Hanyus from 1985-2000. Despite quite a few bottles (3,690 to be precise) being produced, these bottles are still highly collectible and fetch a pretty penny at auction. Fair to say this one wasn't going to last long...

A few other gems I spotted before the official opening were a 42yo WM Cadenhead indepedent bottling from The Glenlivet, a fair selection of SMWS bottles, the 2014 Yamazaki Mizunara, and plenty more. Soon enough it was time to start sampling.

Unsurprisingly about 8 minutes into the party, the Colour Joker (costing 7 of our 20 tokens) was empty. I'd tried it a few months earlier, but couldn't resist another dram so made sure I got in early. With big creamy orange notes on the nose and toasted oak, leather and red berry compote on the palate, it was as enjoyable as I'd remembered.

Next up was the 42yo The Glenlivet from WM Cadenhead, who were well represented at both the party and the show the next day. At 40.2% ABV, it's fair to say this one may not have seen it's 43rd birthday had it stayed in the barrel, but 42yo is still a mighty impressive feat nonetheless. With ripe peaches on the nose and an oaky, thin and smooth body, it was an enjoyable dram but nothing overly special - somewhat typical of the majority of well-aged (40yo +) independent bottlings we've come across.

By this point I'd run out of my 20 tokens, so quickly purchased another 10 (2000yen - approx $22AUD / $130HKD) which led me to the 2014 Sherry Cask release from Hakushu. I did find the number of tokens a little stingy (especially when considering the event didn't include a take-home glass, OR any included food), but I guess there were some pretty special drams on offer, and they had to ration them somehow.

Steph and I tried the Yamazaki 2014 Sherry Cask back in December last year (at the bargain price of about $3AUD / $17HKD for a dram - thanks Japan!) so I was keen to see how the earthier Hakushu spirit fared in similar maturation. Turns out - very well. Truly an excellent sherry bomb, with plenty of rich fruity Christmas cake notes whilst retaining that trademark earthy characteristic.

After a few more drams, and a chat with the legends from Melbourne's Whisky + Alement who were also in town, it was time to hear from our host for the night - whisky legend Dave Broom. Dave (donning a kilt, of course) gave a brief overview of what he's been up to, having not been to Japan in 2 years, then introduced the guests for the night - Akuto-san (Chichibu master distiller and industry legend), Fukuya-san (Suntory Chief Blender and the man responsible for Hibiki), Sakuma-san (Nikka chief blender), and Tanaka-san of Fuji Gotemba / Kirin.

Each briefly discussed the event, the Japanese whisky scene and their own whiskies, and engaged in a brief Q&A with Dave. When finished, we realised time was quickly running out to use our left over tokens (this was a 2 hour party after all, not an all-day show).

With remaining tokens in hands, it was off to the Nikka table to try a limited 21yo Port Wood Taketsuru blend released for the 80th Anniversary in 2014. With a sweet madeira nose (with hints of sweet pastries and icing), a big smoky palate with caramel and strawberry notes, and a long smoky finish with lingering demerara sugar hints, this was a surprising and enjoyable blend.

Time was almost up, but I managed to sneak a few final drams including a unique (to me) triple-distilled BenRiach 16yo sherry cask from 1989 (with lots of walnuts and glacé cherries on the nose, and a lemon peel zestiness with tapioca on the palate) and two single cask Nikkas (one a Miyagikyo, one a Yoichi) - both also from 1989.

When all was said and done, it was a great night and a nice change from the regular format of whisky shows. Even though some aspects could be improved (food could have been provided, a souvenir glass would have been nice, as would a few more tokens) considering the quality and rarity of the drams on offer, and the ticket price (5000yen - $56AUD / $320HKD) I'd still say the show was good value, and would happily return.

Keep an eye out for Part 2 which will cover Modern Malt Whisky Market Tokyo 2015 - the larger show on the following day.

Cheers,
Martin.

TimeforWhisky.com Partners with "Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong" Exhibition

TimeforWhisky.com is proud to announce we've recently partnered with Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong - Hong Kong's premier restaurant, bar and spirits exhibition, being held on September 8-10th, 2015 at the HKCEC. TimeforWhisky.com will provide information on the spirits/whisky-related side of the show, and cover key whisky-related events during the 3 days.

Open to members of the F&B trade, Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong combines fine dining, bar culture, beer, wine and spirits, bringing together 330+ exhibitors from across the globe. Of particular interest to readers of this blog will be Artisan Drinks Live, and the "Artisinal Spirits Theatre" on Day 2 (Wed 9th Sept). Featuring masterclasses from Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, a masterclass with Sipsmith Master Distiller Jared Brown, and more classes to be announced, Day 2 will no doubt be a highlight.

With representation from whiskies ranging from the classics (like Glenfiddich / The Balvenie) to cult favourites (Bruichladdich, Glenfarclas) to up and comers (Glendalough, Amrut) to name a few, there should be something for everyone.

Members of the F&B trade can register here to receive their free pass for the 3 day exhibition.

See you there!

Cheers,
Martin

Whisky Live London 2015 review

You know how occasionally things just work out incredibly fortuitously? Whisky Live London was one of those occasions for me. 

I had to be in London for 4 days for work. Having not been for a few years, I decided I'd take the Friday as leave rather than head home a day early - figuring it shouldn't be too hard to find something to do in London for a day. I got in early the weekend before too, had a great time bar-hopping with this bloke, and at one point dropped by the SMWS bar in Greville St, London, where I got talking to Martyn, The Whisky Cyclist. Upon hearing I was only in town for the week, Martyn asked was I going to Whisky Live on Friday?

"Umm...well I bloody well am now!" was about all I could manage.

I genuinely had no idea it was on (which was surprising, considering how many UK bloggers I follow on Twitter), but it looked like I'd sorted out my Friday! Even better - just before plonking down £50 on a ticket, I noticed Whisky Live were offering media passes for an early media/blogger session. So with one of those sorted, all I had to do was wait for Friday to roll around.

I was excited to visit Whisky Live London because I'd heard good things (and generally, from what I could tell, major whisky shows held in the UK have been pretty high quality). I was also keen to see how it compared with Whisky Live Sydney, which I don't consider a bad show at all, but in my opinion is more of a beginner show, as opposed to say The Whisky Show or Oak Barrel's Whisky Fair, who cater more towards the enthusiast.

Fast forward to Friday, and I turn up to the impressive grounds of The Honourable Artillery Company for my first taste of a UK whisky show...

Arriving into the relatively empty hall, I quickly spotted a few familiar faces from the whisky blogging world - the likes of Dave and Kat from Whisky Discovery, Greg from GreatDrams and later the famous Joel Harrison (formerly Cask Strength, now Worlds Best Spirits). One thing that struck me first was that whilst a number of the big whisky companies were present, they weren't necessarily presenting the whiskies you might think. William Grant & Sons for example, had no Balvenie, Glenfiddich or Kininvie in sight. They did however have an impressive lineup of seven different Girvans. Diageo too were present, but with Mortlach (and yes, the new NAS Talisker Skye).

Then there was Wemyss Malts, Maverick Drinks (who are as entertaining in person as they are online), and Whisky Magazine presenting the full set of World Whiskies Awards winners (the competition having been held in London the night before).

The Rare Old Bar allowed attendees to sample some pretty rare drams (such as a Glenfarclas 1961 Family Cask, Glengoyne 35yo or even the Appleton Estate 50yo rum) for a fee, but there were plenty of impressive drams on offer at the exhibitor booths too, including a few gems I managed to sample on the night:

• Girvan 25 and 30
• Teeling 21
• Wemyss "Velvet Fig" (winner of the previous night's "Best Scotch Blended Malt")
• Balcones Brimstone
• Kavalan Vinho Barrique (winner of the previous night's "World's Best Single Malt Whisky")
• The Lost Distilleries Blend
• Master of Malt 40yo Liquer
• ...amongst many others (notes up soon)

As mentioned, the World Whiskies Awards were held the night before (also in London), and I imagine there would have been a few sore heads during the show. Nevertheless, a few legends made an appearance - including these two fresh from their recent wins:

Unlike previous shows where we'd run into Bill Lark, Bill was there as a punter (from what we could tell), enjoying the show and as always, happy to chat to fellow whisky lovers. A legend (or should we say the legend?) of the modern-day Australian whisky scene.

Maverick Drinks (known and loved for their fantastic range of Drinks by the Dram) had an interesting stand, with a number of expressions from That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Balcones (not a bad drop amongst them) and a live Tweet board, where you could tweet them, see your tweet in real-time, and score a dram for your troubles (a Batch 4 Arran from That Boutique-y Whisky Company, thank you very much).

After about 2 hours the public started to shuffle in and the hall started to fill up, so I headed off to one of the masterclasses - an introduction to Dewar's (Bacardi's) "The Last Great Malts", with an enticing lineups of whiskies that, until recently, were not often seen for sale:

• Aberfeldy 21
• Craigellachie 13
• Craigellachie 23
• Aultmore 25
• Royal Brackla Single Cask 21yo (my pick of the line-up)

It might have been an "introductory" masterclass, but these certainly weren't "introductory" whiskies, with at least two of them retailing for £300+. A great experience though, with a very entertaining host in Stephen Marshall (ex-SWMS and current brand ambassador the Last Great Malts).

After a few more drams shared with a few more bloggers, it was time to call it a night. Was it a good show? Without a doubt! With a line-up of some very interesting / not often seen whiskies, some great characters, an enjoyable masterclass schedule and the ability to taste the complete lineup of the World Whiskies Awards winners just a day after the awards, it was about the best possible way to spend a Friday evening.

Cheers,
Martin.

TimeforWhisky attended Whisky Live London as a media guest of Whisky Live (as we did in Sydney in 2013).

The Whisky Show Sydney 2014 Review (#101drams)

We love our whisky fairs here at TimeforWhisky.com. What better way to meet the people behind the whisk(e)y, chat about whisk(e)y with like-minded individuals and try some rare, interesting, unique and (sometimes) downright weird drams, all with a cost of admission less than a single one of those drams might cost you at a bar?

Sydney has three main whisky shows/fairs each year, and they all serve very different purposes. There's our pick of the bunch, The Oak Barrel's Whisky Fair, where you're guaranteed to try some stunning, rare, often one-off drams and meet some real enhusiasts and industry legends (this year for example, they had their own cask of Glenfarclas selected by George Grant himself).

There's Whisky Live Sydney, which is more of a "beginners'" show and may be good if you're just getting into whisky, or you want to try a large part of Dan Murphy's range.

..and then there's this one, The Whisky Show, run by Double Bay's World of Whisky, held in May this year, and the only 2014 fare we attended (as our July move into Asia saw us miss the 2014 Whisky Fair).

Held for the first time at Mascot (a fair way out of Sydney city compared to previous years' events, though easily accessible on the train from the CBD), the event saw a number of familiar faces presenting the latest offerings from their respective distilleries and distributors.

The show was a decent size, though the hall did start to fill up and towards the end some booths were a little difficult to access. Steph and I left before the end though, as the shortage of food meant we headed off in search of sustenance (having spoken to the organisers subsequently, we understand they have plans to address this next year - hear hear we say!)

There were many interesting drams on-show, mostly available for retail purchase at the show's shop (handy that). Highlights for us,  or rather drams of interest (for various reasons) were:

• Scallywag Speyside Blended Malt - we'd heard a lot about this blend, and given the enjoyable and well-priced Big Peat also from Douglais Laing & Co, we were happy to start with this as our first dram of the night. Sadly, for me at least, it was a let-down. Too much young spirit and not enough character. Great label and name though.
• Stagg Jr - I'd been wanting to try this for a while, and it was enjoyable, but for only $30AUD less than the excellent George T Stagg, I know where I'd be putting my money.
• Tobermory 15, a #101drams dram! I found this to have a citrusy, slightly musty nose, with a drying, tannic, earthy palate and a slightly peaty finish. A decent dram.
• Sinatra Select - an incredibly smooth, and stunning looking (though pricey) Jack Daniels. A dram worthy of 'ol Blue Eyes for sure.
• Bruichladdich "The Laddie" Classic - another #101drams dram. Grain-driven, but smooth and with a sweet nose. Sweet vanilla palate with hints of dark chocolate. A medium length finish with wafts of smoke, though certainly not what you'd call an overly peaty whisky.
• Glen Grant Five Decades - an interesting concept and one which I'd been wanting to try for a while. Created to pay tribute to Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm, this contains Glen Grant from 5 different decades. Enjoyable, as long as you're not expecting to taste a 50 year old whisky.

 

• Octomore 6.1 Scottish Barley - you may not like peaty whiskies, but you have to appreciate what Bruichladdich have done with each of their Bruichladdich releases. Far from just being "overbearing peat monsters", they've released some truly unique, distinct and collectible whiskies. The 6.1 Scottish Barley was no different. Peaty, sure, but so much more than that.
• Laphroag Select Cask - a lot has been said about this dram and I tend to agree with a lot of it. Not exactly my taste - too much young Laphroaig, and for the money, I'd rather drink the reliable, standard 10yo any day.
• Still on Laphroaig though, we were fortunate enough to try the very rare Laphroaig 25yo, at cask strength. With a sweet nose (with muted peat influence), a citrusy, ashen palate and a great mix between the stereotypical medicinal notes and chocolate sweetness on the finish, this was a fantastic dram. I gave it a 94, which probably doesn't tell you much, but it does give you an idea of some of the other drams in it's league, in my opinion.

• SMWS - nothing but brilliant drams throughout the whole lineup, as expected, including the 39yo 21.27 "An Enticement of Sweet Oak".
• Balvenie 15 - but wait, that was already one of my favourite drams. Why include it here as a "dram of note"? Well, Mr James Buntin (who readers of this blog would be familiar with, and who has recently taken up the coveted role of UK Balvenie Ambassador) was representing the William Grant & Sons single malts, and brought along two bottlings, both the older, Bourbon-aged 15yo, retail bottles. Yet the two were incredibly different! One was peppery and spicy and the other had these incredible honied notes. Both stellar whiskies, but it just goes to show you how much influence a single cask can have over the lifetime of a whisky.

 

There were far too many interesting and enjoyable whiskies to mention - including Berry Bros & Rudd with a large lineup of Glenrothes, Pernod Ricard with the usual fantastic assortment of Chivas and Glenlivet whiskies (and Strathisla, Scapa and Arberlour thrown in for good measure), Starward,Diageo with a few of the newer Talisker releases, the usual Aussie contingent (Lark, Overeem etc..) and plenty more.

Suffice to say, it was an enjoyable event and one we'd recommend for next year (where, we're assured, there'll be more food!)

Cheers,
Martin.