Has anyone participated in a large tasking event like this one: Event Linky

Trying to decide if it is worth the money or a waste of time.

Berge,

I've been to http://www.maltadvocate.com/whiskyfest.asp before and it's awesome. Obviously, you get suuuuuuuuuuuuuuper ****ed up. For WhiskyFest it is def worth it to get the VIP pass for an extra hour full of special tastings.

I couldn't find a list on the event you linked. Whiskyfest has a list of everything you get to taste: http://www.maltadvocate.com/whiskyfe...hisky_list.asp

I've asked them for a list, so we'll see if they produce one.

It's the only event I've seen coming to the DC area, so may have to go regardless of what's on the list just out of principle.

No way around getting majorly messed up, but I imagine one should have some plan of attack at a large event like that to make sure you get to try what you really want w/o just loving everything b/c you're so blasted.

Berge,

At both WhiskyFest and various wine events, friends and I always go with the same plan. Look at the list, pick out a number of things that are your "must taste" list and with single-minded focus go specifically to those booths first, not letting yourself get distracted by anything. Once that has been accomplished, start wandering and drinking whatever catches your eye.

I've never been to one of those, but wow it looks like heaven. The thing is, even though I love whisky, I've never actually been drunk off it, it's like a one or two glasses at the end of a night thing for me. I can't imagine that the morning (or week) after a session of purely straight Scotch would be too much fun. I have been to plenty of beer/cider festivals though and they're always great fun, drinking good drink with like-minded people and a great atmosphere, I imagine this will be similar, just a bit more upmarket.

I tried the Glen Moray last night and it was expected. No depth of flavour, a sickly-sweet taste, and a bit of smoke, but not really peaty smoke, more like pollution smoke. The finish left a cheap alcohol taste in the mouth. Pretty disappointing, would have been nice to have uncovered a hidden gem in the back of my kitchen cupboard.

Oh my...... I do believe I know what I'm going to be doing on Oct. 8th now....

They did send me a list. Yummy:

Aberfeldy 12 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Aberlour 12 year old
Aberlour 16 year old
Aberlour Abunadh
Ardbeg 10 year old
Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist 1990
Ardbeg Uigeadail
Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Ardmore Traditional Cask
Auchentoshan 12 year old
Auchentoshan Three Wood
Auchentoshan 18 year old
Balvenie 12 Doublewood
Balvenie 12 Signature
Balvenie 15 Single Barrel
Balvenie 17 Peated Cask
Balvenie 21 Portwood
Big Peat - Islay vatted malt
Bowmore 12 year old
Bowmore 15 year old
Bowmore 18 year old
Bushmills 10 year old
Bushmills 16 year old
Bushmills 1608
Bushmills 21 year old
Bushmills Black Bush
Bushmills Original
The Classic Cask - 35 year old rare Scotch whisky
The Classic Cask - Glenrothes - 18 year old Sherry 1990
The Classic Malts Dalwhinnie 15
The Classic Malts Glenkinchie 12
The Classic Malts Lagavulin 16
The Classic Malts Oban 14
The Classic Malts Singleton of Glendullan 12
The Classic Malts Talisker 10
The Classic Malts Cradhu 12
Clontarf Irish Whiskey
Crown Royal Cask 16
Crown Royal Reserve
Crown Royal Black
The Dalmore 12 year old
The Dalmore 15 year old
The Dalmore 18 Year Old
The Dalmore Gran Reserva
The Dalmore King Alexander III
Dewar’s 12 year old Special Reserve
Dewar’s 18 year old Founder’s Reserve
Double Barrel - Highland Park / Bowmore
The Famous Grouse 12 year old
The Famous Grouse 18 year old
The Famous Grouse Finest Blend
Glen Garioch 12 year old
Glen Garioch Founder’s Reserve
Glen Grant 10 year old
Glen Grant 16 year old
Glenfiddich 12 year old
Glenfiddich 15 year old
Glenfiddich 18 year old
Glenfiddich 21 year old
Glenlivet 12 year old
Glenlivet 15 year old
Glenlivet 18 year old
Glenlivet 21 year old
Glenlivet 25 year old
Glenlivet Nadurra (16 year old) Cask Strength
Glenmorangie Astar
Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 year old
Glenmorangie Lasanta Sherry Cask 12 year old
Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or Sauternes Cask 12 year old
Glenmorangie Original
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban Cask 12 year old
Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX
Glenrothes 1975
Glenrothes 1985
Glenrothes 1994
Glenrothes 1998
Glenrothes Select Reserve
Glenrothes Alba Reserve
Highland Park 12 year old
Highland Park 15 year old
Highland Park 18 year old
Highland Park 25 year old
Highland Park 30 year old
Highland Stag Blended Scotch Whisky
Isle of Jura 10 year old
Isle of Jura 16 year old
Isle of Jura Superstition
Isle of Jura Prophecy
Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old
Laphroaig 10 year old
Laphroaig 10 year old Cask Strength - new batch #1 bottled 2009
Laphroaig 18 year old
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Loch Chaim - Isle of Arran 13 year old 1996
Longmorn 16 year old
The Macallan Cask Strength
The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old
The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 year old
The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 year old
The McGibbon's Provenance - Coal Ila - 14 year old 1990
Michael Collins Blended Irish Whiskey
Michael Collins 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Old Malt Cask - Isle of Arran - 13 YO 1996
The Premier Barrel - Highland Park - 13 YO1996
Scapa 16 year old
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society - 25.51
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society - 123.05
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society - 39.75
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society - 93.37
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society - 33.83
Suntory Hibiki 12 year old
Suntory Yamazaki 12 year old
Suntory Yamazaki 18 year old
Usquaebach 'Old-Rare' Superior Blended Scotch Whisky
Usquaebach 15 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky
Usquarbach 'Reserve' Premium Blended Scotch Whisky

Berge,

Great looking list. This is what my prep list would look like (these are the ones I'd aim to try, with the *'d ones first)

Aberlour 16 year old
Aberlour Abunadh
Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist 1990
Ardbeg Uigeadail
Ardbeg Corryvreckan
*Balvenie 17 Peated Cask
*Balvenie 21 Portwood
Bowmore 18 year old
Bushmills 21 year old
*The Classic Cask - 35 year old rare Scotch whisky
*The Classic Cask - Glenrothes - 18 year old Sherry 1990
*The Dalmore 18 Year Old
*The Dalmore King Alexander III
*Glenlivet 25 year old
*Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 year old
Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or Sauternes Cask 12 year old
*Glenrothes 1975
*Glenrothes 1985
*Highland Park 25 year old
*Highland Park 30 year old
Isle of Jura Prophecy
Laphroaig 18 year old
The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 year old
Suntory Yamazaki 18 year old

I recently did a "booze cruise" along those lines and found it to be an outstanding experience. The pours are actually quite manageable (they're barely sips, really, but certainly enough to taste) - you can taste and compare a lot of stuff before you really start losing your ability to be discriminating, and then after that it's still a lot of fun. Especially if you haven't had many of the scotches before, I think it's a great way to figure out what you like.

Indeed, it was at that event that I discovered "Scott's Selection" - not cheap, but some simply outstanding bottles. You can google around for some different websites that describe it but here's one example:
http://www.scottsselection.nl/select...ottsselection/
I've never had a scotch with the same character or personality as these, like drinking an aged wine or something. Anyone else had them at all?

bink, only one I would add is the glenmorangie astar, and maybe the cask strength macallan

Buffalo Trace releases their 2010 antique collection. I'll be picking up George T Stagg and the Sazerac Rye.

probably gonna get the whole lot....they are all incredible imo.

elus,

Thanks! I'll still get some of those, esp the Stagg. But it's no longer my fave high-proof Bourbon since AA intro'd me to the Willett 16, which is simply amazing. I'm a huge fan of Willett now - their whole range.

I'll have to find a distributor for the Willett. It doesn't look like we get that here in Vancouver.

Do you guys cut the proof down before drinking these bourbons?

Go splurge on the 24 yr rye and tell me how great it is.

Omgggg Whiskyfest was awesome. I was surprised at how much I liked some of the Scotches. My favorites from last night:

Duncan Taylor
• Lonach Strathisla 42 yr.

Best by a surprising margin for me. Really smokey, peaty, smooth and delicious.

Ardbeg
• Rollercoaster

No supernova left. I think the Ardbeg line as a whole was my favorite line. Tons of smokey taste yet no burning or bitterness.

The Balvenie
• 17 yr. Peated Cask
• 21 yr. PortWood

I had never tried any Balvenie before but I think this will become part of my regular rotation. Both of the above were incredible.

Kinda disappointed with the Suntory Yamazaki and I honestly thought the Hudson line was some of the worst Whisky I have ever tasted. Beyond that, incredible night, my main worry was big lines and small pours. But we had no problem there, not too crowded, lots of free stuff, good food, hot pour girls, and the most awesome scotsman ever:



Euan Shand, the man behind the Duncan Taylor lines.

Just my two cents:

Old Charter Bourbon 8 & 10 yr old Whisky is definitely worth picking up if you're looking to buy a litre around $20.

soo lucky wrt whiskyfest. super jealous.

the balvenie portwood is def. a fav, as is the 17.

Yeah, I have the portwood 21 and the yamazaki 12. Yamazaki is a decent drink, but it's lacking in depth. Haven't had it in a while, but it smells and tastes overwhelmingly like vanilla I'd say. It's nothing special. Not even worth the cost. Is the 18 year old version much better? Seems hard if not impossible to find here anyway (montreal).

Balvenie : I have the 12 yr doublewood and the 21 portwood. Doublewood's a good drink for the money. Definitely beats most of the other cheap scotches. It's pretty smooth and tasty for a low-end drink. This is cheap enough that everybody should buy at least 1 bottle and try it for themselves. Portwood's great too, but I'm too drunk right now to go into a proper evaluation. May or may not be worth the $200 it costs here.

Tonight I've mostly been drinking cognac, but am ending the night with some talisker 10. Is it just me, or does all cognac taste similar? The 3 bottles I have taste mostly like abricot (Pierre Ferrand ambre, Remy Martin VSOP, chateau montifaud petite champagne). Maybe my taste buds suck.

Talisker 10 is an excellent scotch for the money. Smoky, sweet and spicy. Leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth. If you're not familiar with this one, buy it when you see it. Cheap and excellent.

i dont really know anything about bourbon, but saw a bottle of benchmark 8 at my local (bourbon and whisky are hard to find in my area). buy? or is it pretty horrible

Since Whiskyfest I have bought:

Ardbeg Uigeadail
Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist
Willett 16

All are just sosososo good. I think I like the Nam Beist verrrry slightly over the Willett 16. Both really shine with some water. I hadn't experimented much with water but wow it seems to help quuuite a bit.

fish:

Talisker 10 and Balvenie 12 are very good scotches, period. Great for the price.

Yes, they're very good period. Didn't mean to make it sound like they're merely good for the money. They happen to be great for the money. Talisker 10 is tied with a few of the Islays for my overall favorite regardless of price. I'm not as much into Balvenie, but can't imagine anyone hating on the doublewood. It costs 1/2 as much as Macallan 12 here, and I like both about equally.

Wow did Macallan 25 go up in price? A lot? I seem to remember it sitting at $400 a bottle and now it seems like $550-$600 is the going rate.

Yes, I have seen it recently for around $530 where I buy most of my whiskey. I have never even tried the stuff since it just seems outlandishly expensive, and a lot of the people I have talked to about it seem to think it's extremely overpriced. It seems to me that if you're going to spend that kind of money on a bottle of whiskey you could get some sort of really amazing, old, and rare single barrel.