Whiskey Fest

For all of you out there who have not heard of this.
This is an annual event held at the Hilton downtown. Great time. It may seem pricy, but considering you can drink all the fine scotch and whiskey you want in 4 hours it is a good deal. The VIP allows for early access which is critical when it comes to the rare vintages they have in limited supply. There is a pretty good food buffet available through out as well. Tons of freebie stuff like shot glasses and stuff given out by the vendors.


http://www.maltadvocate.com/whiskeyfest-ch.asp

davecamaro1994 wrote:For all of you out there who have not heard of this.
This is an annual event held at the Hilton downtown. Great time. It may seem pricy, but considering you can drink all the fine scotch and whiskey you want in 4 hours it is a good deal. The VIP allows for early access which is critical when it comes to the rare vintages they have in limited supply. There is a pretty good food buffet available through out as well. Tons of freebie stuff like shot glasses and stuff given out by the vendors.


http://www.maltadvocate.com/whiskeyfest-ch.asp

I've already got my tickets! I'll be there- VIP.

I went last year and had a blast...such a good time, in fact, that I don't recall leaving, and lost my goodie bag too!

Oh well. The VIP early hour is worth it...if you can pace yourself. My memory lasted until about 8:30ish.

See you all there. i got my VIP tickets. Maybe we can all make the rounds together

I'll see you in about 2022, when my kids are finally out of the house.

bring the wee ones. Put some hair on their chest.

Judging by the current list of whiskies that will be available, another benefit to the VIP ticket is exclusive access to certain bottles. The egalitarian -- and non-VIP ticket holder -- in me bristles at this, but whatever.

I strongly suggest anyone going in for the VIP hour make a beeline to the Lagavulin table to try the Distiller's edition. Considering how difficult it is to find in a store, this a great opporunity to try a wonderful expression of the malt.

I second that. Any other particulars anyone is looking to try? Of course the Crown Royal XR and this is the first year they will have Johnny Walker Blue Label available. I am glad to see they are making some distinctions this year. In previous year the bottles were available until they ran out. Now, with the VIP hour only I feel I am getting a better deal for my money

There are a couple of other Distiller Editions that Diageo will be pouring, but I think they're pretty comonly available (I've seen the Oban and Cragganmore bottlings often, as well as the Talisker bottle to a lesser extent). While I don't see their table on the map, I have to assume that Compass Box will still be represented -- they have really changed their line-up since I last checked in, and that should be a highlight. They have really outdone themselves bottle after bottle, proving that blends can be every bit as good as a single-malt (which is to say that blends have always been good, but that single-malts seem to have much more cache these days).

Speaking of blends, one thing that me and my non-VIP ticket holding self will not miss is the Johnnie Walker Blue. Maybe it's because of that same single-malt cache I mentioned above, but I've never been impressed when I've sampled this (on the admittedly few occasions that I've been able to do so). It's so smooth that I wonder why I'm drinking it in the first place. Definately worth seeking out in that first hour, though, just the same.

I think, too, that the independent bottlers -- Signatory, Gordon & MacPhail, Duncan Taylor, etc. -- should have some interesting bottles to sample.

Johnny Blue is ok. Not fantastic, but very very good. I don't think the price justifies it, but I do know quite a few who love it.

With the Blue that is why I have never bought it. For the price I don't think it is all that good. I am looking forward to having some more of th Isle of Jurna. While common I have always enjoyed that scotch. As well as the very peaty Laphroigh. I love to throw that in the mix just to give my tastebuds a 180

davecamaro1994 wrote:For all of you out there who have not heard of this.
This is an annual event held at the Hilton downtown.

Actually, it's at the Hyatt. There are interesting seminars, too, but somehow people rarely mention them....

Oh yea one of the H hotels. The one next to the Swiss. The seminars are great. Did you catch the great whiskey debate one? Pretty funny.

jpschust wrote:Johnny Blue is ok. Not fantastic, but very very good. I don't think the price justifies it, but I do know quite a few who love it.

Exactly. It easily tops $200/bottle and it's not even a vatted blend! For that kind of money, I expect a full bottle of whisky. Get those neutral spirits out of there...

The North Shore Distillery offerings should be excellent, too. Since discovering it, their gin (the basic one, called No. 6?) has become my go to gin for any occasion. A friend of mine who generally can't stand gin loved it (a little too much -- a few too many gimlets resulted in a nasty hangover the next morning).

danimalarkey wrote: Since discovering it, their gin (the basic one, called No. 6?) has become my go to gin for any occasion.

I had North Shore #6 in a cocktail at The Drawing Room and thought it was very pleasant..."soft" was the word that came to mind when I sipped it. I hardly ever buy gin (not that I don't like it, just that I'm usually too lazy to mix drinks), but this is what I will buy the next time I do.

The north shore is good, but it's got a flavor component that makes it only useful for me where I'd normally use bombay. I've really been getting back in to plymouth gin again.

Guys,

So, I was crushed when I found out about Whiskey Fest because I was scheduled to be out of the country on business. Now my trip got canceled, but they sold out of tickets... yesterday.

Does anyone have a ticket that they'd be willing to sell?

-Dan

p.s. Sorry to post a want-ad on the LTH boards... not trying to turn this in to a marketplace. I hope everyone will forgive me.

I might have 2 tickets. Might.

I'll let you know.

I may have one VIP ticket. I will know Monday wether my buddy will take it

There is a small chance I may need to sell my pair of VIP tickets. Let me know if anyone needs them- I'd just want what I paid for them.

I do need to sell my VIP tickets to whiskey fest. PM me if you need a pair. I just want what I paid for them.

I have two tickets for the event tomorrow. I've replied to those who have contacted me about them and most have found tickets.

I do feel dirty posting a sale ad here, but I'd rather someone from LTHforum get them than some random guy on Craigslist. Since you all have given me so much (I don't post much, but per recommendations I've had some lovely meals at Avec, Kuma's Corner, and Little Three Happiness over the past few months) I'm willing to give them away for half price if you promise to post here and tell us about your experience at the event.

Great time had here. I was disappointed though in a few bottles of the rare vintage that was supposed to be there but was either a) on the way, the guy is stuck in traffic. or b) that was on the list? that should not of been it is a rare vintage you can hardly get in the U.S.
What putzes, wasn't that the point of the VIP hour was to sample the rare vintages.
Anyways, was still a success despite my wingman going face planting into a waste basket at 10:30 and refunding his whiskey.
LOL

What's your favorite American whiskey under $25? I drink Eagle Rare, but am looking for a few others. I used to drink Weller's 107 proof but don't see that very often in the local stores. Maybe it's illegal around here??

teatpuller wrote:What's your favorite American whiskey under $25? I drink Eagle Rare, but am looking for a few others. I used to drink Weller's 107 proof but don't see that very often in the local stores. Maybe it's illegal around here??

Rittenhouse rye. Easy.

teatpuller wrote:What's your favorite American whiskey under $25? I drink Eagle Rare, but am looking for a few others. I used to drink Weller's 107 proof but don't see that very often in the local stores. Maybe it's illegal around here??

I think Buffalo Trace is a fine, fine whisky for the money. I'm not a rye fan -- despite trying a fair number of them at WhiskyFest -- so I stick with bourbon.

Back to WhiskyFest, Dave, I also missed out on some the rarer bottles -- the Highland Park 25 and 30 come to mind (I didn't have the VIP ticket, but if I had made straight for that table, I would have tried them). I did try the Springbank 15, which was outstanding, as well as some of the Arran and Tomatin malts. A real treat was the 1970 bottling from the Tomatin table -- it's a distillery-only release, and he only brought it to show what they can do. I saw the bottle hiding on the back table, and was trying to come up with a sly way to ask about it -- someone in my group, ever the pragmatist, asked the easy question, "What's on that table back there?". Excellent stuff.

Another treat was from the North Shore table -- they had their upcoming absinthe available. I've never had absinthe before, and there was no flaming sugar cube or anything on Friday night, but I liked what I drank. They said it would be hitting retail by the end of April would cost about $65, I think.

Any other surprise hits from last Friday? Or misses?

Damn I must have missed the absinthe. I really would of wanted to try that as well. I have never had absinthe before so would of enjoyed that.

Not a rye fan either so I stick with the corn based bourbans for the most part. My biggest disapointment was the Bushmills 1608. Smooth on the pallet but left a real bad after taste.

davecamaro1994 wrote:Damn I must have missed the absinthe. I really would of wanted to try that as well. I have never had absinthe before so would of enjoyed that.

Not a rye fan either so I stick with the corn based bourbans for the most part. My biggest disapointment was the Bushmills 1608. Smooth on the pallet but left a real bad after taste.

Bourbon