The Travels of Whisky Intelligence – Kensington Spring Single Malt Whisky Festival – Thursday June 9th, 2011

Kensington Wine Mart (KWM) in Calgary, Alberta hosts a Single Malt Festival twice yearly in the Spring (Spring is usually tardy in Alberta and quite frankly it can snow at any second no matter what time of the year) and Fall; due to space constraints the Festival is limited to 100 participants. The extensive wine racks  are pushed back to make space, the beer is ignored,  the tables for the various brands & distilleries are shoe horned in as best they can and an extensive array of whiskies is offered to the lucky few whom are able to attend. Whisky Intelligence was one of the lucky attendees this Spring, our attempt to attend in the Fall of 2010 ended before it began due to extremely poor flying weather and aircraft problems (better to experience aircraft problems on the ground rather than half way there). This time the flying weather was perfect and the flight time was mercifully short at just over an hour in duration.

In many ways Alberta is the Canadian version of Texas with lots of income from the oil & gas sector, lots of cowboy hats and boots, big pick up trucks; no provincial sales tax (except for the federal tax, the GST) and basically a free liquor market not burdened by a government monopoly as in other Canadian provinces. The net result is a very vibrant whisky community with very decent prices and loads of selection.

The Festival is organized by Andrew Ferguson (who was recently inducted into the Keepers of the Quaich) and he’s the resident ‘scotch guy’ at Kensington. Customers are kept in the loop by his emailed Malt Messengers newsletter which affords them the inside track on new products, tasting notes, sales, monthly dinners & tastings featuring various single malts and details of distillery trips to Scotland, also led by Andrew.

For such a physically small location crammed with 100 people the line up of whiskies was impressive indeed; Authentic Wine & Spirits with three BenRiach, two Isle of Jura, four GlenDronach (including the Glendronach 1995 KWM PX, a KWM exclusive) and a Dalmore, Purple Valley Imports with Stronachie 18, two Amrut, four different Roughstock, the English Whisky Company, Sullivan’s Cove and a very nice 26yo Glenglassaugh. Diageo Canada had Port Ellen 8th Release, Lagavulin DE, Oban, Talisker, Caol Ila, the Singleton and Bulleit Bourbon. Charton-Hobbs had EIGHT different Glenmorangie, several Ardbeg and a few Glenrothes. Not to be out done the table featuring Edradour and Signatory featured eight bottlings ranging from Edradour Caledonia to Glen Mhor 1982.

United Distributors offered seven bottlings from Bunnahabhain, Tobermory, Ledaig and Deanston while Harvest Vintage Imports offered six Isle of Arran (including two Kensington exclusive casks, one sherry and one bourbon) as well as two Finlaggan. Saverio Schiralli poured a couple of Auchentoshan, four Bowmore and two Glen Garioch.

PMA Canada was pouring three Glenfiddich and five Balvenie. Beam Global had a great selection of three Macallan and four Highland Park (including the recently arrived St. Magnus) as well as the brand new to the market Alberta Premium 30 year old. Gold Medal Marketing featured and impressive line of thirteen Duthies, three G&M Connoisseurs’ Choice, a couple of both Mackmyra and Kilchoman.

The Kensington Wine Mart Table (actually an up ended barrel) featured Tullibardine 1987,   G&M Connoisseurs’ Choice Glen Keith 1968, Kilchoman KWM Fresh Bourbon, G&M KWM Glen Grant 1966, Mackinlay’s Shackleton, Compass Box Hedonism Maxximus and a Signatory Bowmore 1970 40 Year Old. Stellar use of an up ended barrel!

The Curiosities Table was happily controlled by Dr. Jane Cameron who poured Lagavulin Feis Ile 2010, Yamazaki Sherry Cask, Yamazaki Puncheon, Port Charlotte An Tura Mor, Whistle Pig Rye Whiskey and Nikka From the Barrel. Later in the evening Whisky Intelligence earned a wry glance from Andrew Ferguson for blending the Yamazaki Puncheon and the Port Charlotte An Tura Mor together but his look changed to one of pleasant surprise at the result!

Despite the size of the location and the number of people there is no trouble in navgating between tables and everybody is very friendly. Alas, is short order the Festival was over at 9PM sharp however there’s no room for complaint since the selection of whiskies on offer is simply more than you can appreciate in a single evening. Since the selection is so extensive there is something for everybody. Most, if not all of the whiskies were on sale at between 5% and 20% off during the evening and Whisky Intelligence took the opportunity to buy a G&M single cask 1995 Old Pulteney 60.5% from a First Fill Sherry Butt Cask #1505 and a Bruichladdich Classic Sherry 46%, neither of which had been sampled by WI prior to the Festival.

Post Festival WI had the distinct pleasure to have a dram or two with Glenn Todd & Stan Willow, members of the Companions of the Quaich and directors of the Victoria Whisky Festival who were also in Calgary for the Kensington Spring Single Malt Whisky Festival.

Indian Hunter, c. 1855 Collection of Glenbow Museum

As with past festivals (as WI readers well know) the opportunity was taken to visit a local museum and in Calgary the one to visit is the Glenbow Museum which was just a two minute walk from the Fairmont Palliser in the down town area. The selection of historical oil paintings really was first rate and depicted the West extremely well. A nice way to finish the trip and they even have a few paintings by Cornelius Krieghoff, remember him from the Spirit of Toronto trip?

Cornelius Krieghoff

William Bradford The English Arctic Expedition in search of Sir John Franklin

From www.glenbow.org

Glenbow Museum’s holding of nineteenth century art is strong in works on paper featuring topographical and illustrative images, which were created by itinerant artists. They were not professional artists but explorers, engineers, surveyors, and military officers documenting the opening up of the West. Another significant part of the art collection relates to the exploration of the Arctic.

Glenbow also has a large body of works by artists, most members of the newly created Royal Canadian Academy, whose trips to the West were promoted and sponsored by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Large oil paintings by these artists were typically done in Ontario, based directly on sketches, photographs, and watercolours executed on western trips. Over the years, through purchase and donation, Glenbow has acquired many important works of art by artists from eastern Canada and the United States.

Frances Anne Hopkins Canoes in a fog Lake Superior 1869

The Glenbow Museum even had an exhibition of Karsh photographs which was very interesting (but of a lot of deceased people).

Sir Winston Churchill by Karsh

Traditions must be maintained so later in the day at the airport on the home ward leg of the trip in the comfort of the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge a pre flight ‘blend’ of one ounce of Glenlivet 12yo mixed with one ounce of Johnnie Walker Black was enjoyed, an opportunity was had to reflect on the Kensington Spring Single Malt Whisky Festival and what an enjoyable event it is. If you have the opportunity (or if you don’t have the opportunity make one) then you really must attend one of Kensington’s Festivals, they have a great selection of whiskeis and it’s a very good whisky shopping opportunity.

Whisky Intelligence would like to thank Andrew Ferguson and Kensington Wine Mart for the ticket to the Festival. Visit Kensington Wine Mart at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com 

The Travels of Whisky Intelligence

The 7th Annual Spirit of Toronto

East —->

The flight left the gate a mere 10 minutes late due to a reset of the on board computers but arrived over an hour late in Toronto. Now how does that happen? Did they take the scenic route? An unstable worm hole was to blame? We don’t know since they never made an announcement. Very irritating none the less and now an hour behind schedule and lunch with Davin de Kergommeaux of www.canadianwhisky.org fame was off the table, so to speak.

After meeting Davin at the Fairmont Royal York we headed over to the Spirit of Toronto venue Roy Thompson Hall to drop off a box of samples for Davin’s masterclass. At the door we were met by a very nice man in a black suit and a radio who immediately zeroed in on the box. “Is there alcohol in the box?” Yes we affirmed. “You cannot bring alcohol into the building; there are children in the building”. Excuse me? What the hell is he talking about? We didn’t want to serve it to them we just wanted to store it and prepare for the masterclass. “No. You cannot bring it into the building while children are present.” Oh for pities sake. Welcome to the cloud cuckoo land that is Ontario. One wonders how the little dears manage to walk past a bar in a hotel lobby without being scared for life.

So box in hand we made out way across the street to the Elephant & Castle to wait out our time in the penalty box until the building was clear. Some other law was most likely broken by bringing the box into the Elephant & Castle but they never said anything. The sliver lining is we did have an opportunity to have a late lunch and to line our stomachs prior to the commencement of hostiles. Joining us was fellow Malt Maniac Nabil Mailloux who was also in town for the Spirit of Toronto.

Eventually Roy Thompson Hall was swept clear of all children and we could return, fortuitously it was already time for a pre show masterclass, Gordon & MacPhail led by Michael Urquhart. After a very informative talk on the history of Gordon & MacPhail Michael led the room through samples of Mortlach 15yo, Glen Grant 21yo and Strathisla 25yo which were all very good. Also on the tasting mat were two other unidentified samples which were revealed in sequence, a rather lovely Benromach 30yo followed by the highlight of the class which was the G&M Glenlivet 70yo. There were gasps from all over the room as this was completely unexpected by the attendees. One poor fellow actually knocked over his glass of the 70yo earlier in the class; Michael Urquhart didn’t even blink.

After the Gordon & MacPhail masterclass it was time to examine the venue, new additions were Classic Cocktails by Yuki Yamazaki and Kentaro Wada, the Blind Whisky Challenge with Regis Lemaitre (participants had 15 minutes to identify 3 blind samples; single malt, grain or blend?) the Whisky Pod video stand where attendees reviewed their favourite whiskies and the Canadian Whisky “All Stars” in the American Express Lounge featuring Crown Royal XR, Canadian Club 30 Year Old, Wiser’s Red Letter and Gibson’s’ 18 Year Old.

As for the stands there was a good showing from Glenlivet and Aberlour, Glenfiddich and Balvenie, Highland Park,  Macallan and the Famous Grouse, Compass Box with John Glaser, Isle of Jura with Willie Tait in the Whyte & Mackay corner, Nikka with a real show stopper of a Nikka Taketsuru 12yo, Glenrothes, Lark Distillery,  Gordon & MacPhail and Glenmorangie.

At 8:30PM Ross Hendry started his Glenrothes masterclass and took us through their line of single malts explaining their careful wood policy, their attention to detail and that they only bottle vintages when they feel the whisky is at the peak of its maturity. Ross presented the Select Reserve,  1994, 1995, 1985  and the 1978 to the class.

The lady at the Glenlivet table took one look at the well travelled Guardians of the Glenlivet member card and promptly apologized for not having any Glenlivet 21yo for the Guardians. Whisky Intelligence accepted a fine dram of Glenlivet 15yo French Oak in its place.

As per tradition there was a gathering at the Elephant & Castle post event for a few drinks (because one must always have more drinks after a whisky festival) and there was one more bit of cloud cuckoo land fun. Since the group was so large it was proposed that two tables be turned end to end and joined together but this was quickly rejected by the locals. “Don’t do it” they warned, “this is Toronto, they’ll ask you to leave!” Odd, odd, odd.

Sunday morning after an amusing breakfast with Davin we grabbed a taxi and headed to the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) www.ago.net  via a circuitous route due to the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon which neatly screwed up the traffic. The marathon caused the taxi driver to complain some what bitterly about the lost revenue. Perhaps if they put all the runners in taxis and had the taxis race through the downtown core on the prescribed route if would offer more revenue for the taxi drivers and a really cool spectacle for those viewing from the side lines. 2,000 taxis crammed full of runners racing through downtown, now that would be something to see.

Cornelius Krieghoff

Once in the AGO we made a bee line to the excellent paintings of Cornelius Krieghoff  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_Krieghoff ) in the Kenneth Thomson Collection featuring may scenes of early Canadian life.

The Toll Gate

The Krieghoff’s were followed by the Canadian Group of Seven, the Thomson Collection of Ship Models and then some impressionist paintings including the excellent Alfred Sisley ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Sisley ). Alas our time was soon up and we returned to the hotel (with more marathon complaints from another taxi driver) and then our separate ways.

West <—-

Hours later while enjoying the comfort of the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge and enjoying a pre flight ‘blend’ of one ounce of Glenlivet 12yo mixed with one ounce of Johnnie Walker Black, an opportunity was had to reflect on the Spirit of Toronto. It really is a very good festival and the extra hour added just enough time to visit the stands and meet old friends and make new acquaintances.

Whisky Intelligence would like to thank Johanna Ngo and Charles Anderson, the producers of the Spirit of Toronto, for the tickets to their excellent show. Please visit the Spirit of Toronto at www.spiritoftoronto.ca and plan to attend in 2012, it’s scheduled for Saturday, 12th of May 2012.

The Travels of Whisky Intelligence.

The Nth Show Las Vegas March 18th & 19th, 2011

The first we heard about the Nth Show Las Vegas was while standing in line for the Ardbeg tasting the night before Whisky Fest San Francisco where we had the good fortune to meet Nina and Mahesh Patel who were at that time planning the Las Vegas based show. http://www.whiskyintelligence.com/2010/10/whisky-fest-san-francisco-october-8th-2010-scotch-whisky-news/  There was some speculation, mutterings, musings and promises on our part about attending the Nth the following March on the night of the Ardbeg tasting at the Barber Lounge but frankly, it was a done deal. There was no way that Whisky Intelligence was going to miss the Nth. 

In due course tickets were available to book on-line and this was done with ease followed by simply printing them off the office computer, this is really a trouble free method of securing tickets. The Wynn Encore had a special festival room rate and even the air line had a sale; all was looking good for the Nth. Once again it was time to wait, damn it.

——- > South…

Due to the timings of flights etcetera we arrived in Las Vegas the early evening prior to the Nth show so we took the opportunity to dine at Switch, the steak house in the Encore (it’s named ‘Switch’ due to the walls and ceiling moving position to change the appearance of the room about every 15 minutes; very Vegas.).  A glass of red with dinner and a dram or two of Chivas 18 along the way rounded out the meal nicely. Both the steaks and the rest of the meal were very good and the service was excellent.

After dinner if was a quick commute across the casino floor to meet up with some friends in the hotel lobby bar and much to our delight the bar stocked Laphroaig 15 for a reasonable price. Travel is always tiring so it was with some relief when we made our way to our very large room, all the rooms in the Wynn Encore are quite sumptuous, about 750 square feet and very well appointed so they were an extra value considering the very reasonable Festival room rate.

Friday was a quiet day and we had the good fortune to meet up for lunch with whisky enthusiast Noel Buckley from Vancouver who was also in Vegas for the Nth show. Finally, after what seemed the longest day ever it was time to register for the show where we received our wrist bands and goodies bags which included our crystal Glencairn glasses engraved with the Nth logo. A nice & classy touch. While registration was quick and efficient the short time spent in the line was an opportunity to re-connect with old friends like Ed Patrick, president of the Companions of the Quaich and to meet some new ones including William C Myers who is one of the authors that updated Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion (6th Edition). Everybody was naturally quite excited about the show….

After registration a group of us made a bee line to the special event room (one of six special events held on Friday evening) that would soon be hosting the Gordon & MacPhail Glenlivet 70yo ‘Generations’ tasting led by Michael Urquhart. By rearranging the furniture in the hall way we managed to barricade & separate ourselves from any late comers thus protecting our spots in line. (Just kidding…. mostly). But wait in line we did and in due course Michael let us in a little early to wait until the 6:15 start. In front of each seat was one glass and after a short talk on Gordon & MacPhail and the history of the Glenlivet 70yo Michael asked if we thought it was time for a dram; 25 heads nodded in unison. He asked Andrew Ferguson of Kensington Wine Mart in Calgary to pour everybody a sample and the appreciative nosing started.  Tasting this aged dram was only improved the experience by the whisky being so good. (As of tomorrow, April 11th,  2011, Andrew has been inducted into the illustrious Keepers of the Quaich)

After the Gordon & MacPhail Glenlivet tasting we, the lucky few,  happily trooped upstairs to the ballroom for the main show and the continuation of the evening. The main ballroom was not cavernous but it was roomy enough to accomodate the estimated 250 people in attendance and the 35 stands representing a myriad of brands and at least 230 whiskies. (Duncan Taylor, GlenDronach & BenRiach, Springbank, Hirsch Anchor Distilling,  Dewar’s & Aberfeldy, Laphroaig, Inver House, The Glenlivet & Royal Salute, Four Roses, Amrut & Glenglassaugh, Highland Park, Macallan, Glenfarclas, Burn Stewart, Sirius (a new independent bottling brand launched at the Nth), Gordon & MacPhail, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, High West, Dalmore, Jura, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Morrison Bowmore, Glenrothes, Suntory, Glencairn, Casa Fuente, wine and champagne tables for the non whisky drinking guests. Yes! They thought of that too!

If you couldn’t have had fun in that room, you’re doomed. Doomed. Additionally there was a superb buffet meal in the downstairs ballroom featuring meat pasta, salads, roast turkey, roast beef and vegetables. Which we took advantage of at some point in the evening, it was nice to have a break and the food was thoughtfully prepared so as not to interfere with your palate; yet another small touch that added to the whole show.

To add to the experience were “super pours” every attendee received a token good for one super pour along with a second token for a Glenfarclas 1966 dispensed by Brett Pontini of Binny’s. The extensive list of super pour drams featured were Dalmore Astrum, Highland Park 40yo*, Glenglassaugh 40yo*, Glenrothes John Ramsay*, Dalmore Aurora, Laphroaig 21yo*, Ardbeg 1974, Glenfarclas 50yo*, Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask #1.124 39yo*, Speyside (very rare bottling, BenRiach 40yo*, Glenfiddich 40yo, Yamazaki 1984*, Gold Bowmore, Balvenie 40yo, The Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1964*, Gordon & MacPhail Strathisla 1963*, Macallan 1950, Duncan Taylor Kinclaith 1941 41yo* and Glenmorangie Quarter Century 25yo*. However many stands didn’t feel the need to collect a super pour token, especially as the evening progressed. (Hence * = tried it). Of course this was only the super pour list; every stand had a complete selection of their brands ranging from standard bottlings to premium bottlings such as Dewar’s Signature which quite frankly should have been on the ‘super pour’ list, it’s that good.

Also in attendance was Tim Puett of the Ardbeg Project who seemed to loiter around the Ardbeg table for most of the evening!

Due to the schedule of the Nth, the masterclasses followed the Friday show so it’s was best to keep your wits about you since the masterclasses started at a seemingly unreasonable early 11:30 Saturday morning. However a large number of attendees couldn’t resist the pull of the Las Vegas strip and the walking wounded poured into the hotel pretty much until Saturday morning.  A few were never seen again.

There were a grand selection of 19 masterclasses featuring The Glenlivet, Macallan, Glenglassaugh, Four Roses, Glenfiddich, Morrison Bowmore, Glenmorangie, Amrut, Dalmore, Glendronach BenRiach, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Suntory, Glenfarclas, Balvenie, Glenrothes, Benromach, Highland Park, Ardbeg and High West.

We attended The Glenlivet with Ricky Crawford and the list of whiskies included a French Oak finish, two expressions of Nadurra and two aged Cellar Collection (a 37yo and a 40yo if memory serves). Ricky also explained at how he became an ambassador, the personal recollection added to the experience, it was a very good masterclass. It was made even better by the fact that the attendee to the left was hung over something fierce and passed along both Cellar Collections samples. Thanks! That’s the way to start your masterclass experience!

The Morrison Bowmore class was different altogether with a selection of whiskies from Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Auchentoshan with ambassador Jamie Mackenzie and Morrison Bowmore Senior Blender Iain McCallum. Iain’s presentation style is much like a broad side from a warship of old; however  it was both informative and enjoyable.

The BenRiach and GlenDronach masterclass with Alistair Walker was also a first rate affair and featured a generous selection; GlenDronach 1995 cask # 2045 (Preiss exclusive single cask), 31yr (Grandeur), 1972 Single Cask Bottling and BenRiach 25yr plus 21yr (Authenticus – peated).

The Glenfarclas masterclass with George Grant featured four 40yo; Millennium 40yr, Family cask 40yr, 105 40yr, and the New 40 yr. George was fresh as a daisy so he must have gone straight to bed after the show the previous night. Ahem.

And finally we were invited to sample two whiskies from the newly launched Sirius label (by Nth Show CEO Mahesh Patel); a 1965 Carsebridge 45yo and a 1967 Dalmore which may or not be a 43yo, by this point in the day the palate and memory were begging for a break. The Carsebridge was sublime and the Dalmore an aged gentleman.

And thus the Nth 2011 came to a close. A new standard has been set for whisky events in the United States, well done Mahesh, Nina and Mit Patel. Whisky Intelligence heartily recommends the convivial Nth Show in Las Vegas and plans on returning in 2012.

< ——— North…

Sunday early, Las Vegas McCarran airport in the departure lounge staring across the tarmac at the “Janet” airlines white with red cheat lines 737-600’s that transport people daily to and from the Nevada Test Site (area 51) and northern California on secret defense related work. Ah, it’s Richard Paterson; he’s on the same flight and a chance for a chat…

The 2012 Nth Show is scheduled for March 2nd and 3rd at the Wynn Encore and details will appear in due course at http://universalwhiskyexperience.com/

Whisky Intelligence will publish a review tomorrow of the Nth Universal Whisky Experience that was held March 18th & 19th, 2011 at the Wynn Encore Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Please take a moment to visit Whisky Intelligence tomorrow to read the review of this excellent event.

The Travels of Whisky Intelligence

One hour and twenty minutes after arriving at Seattle Tacoma airport, having already checked into the hotel, we were seated at the bar in TASTE Restaurant at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/ Now that’s not a moment wasted.

Why must a moment not be wasted? Well, we were the guests of the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza which was commencing in a few short hours http://www.singlemaltextravaganza.com/ and hosted by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America http://www.smwsa.com/. So no dawdling please.

But first we had a 2:20PM reservation to see the exhibit of “Master pieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris” October 8th, 2010 to January 17th 2011 featuring a 150 selected works of the legendary artist. (If you go, buy your tickets on-line and print them at home because there is always a line to buy tickets at the SAM).

We had missed visiting the Musée in Paris during our 2004 visit (which nicely coincided with Whisky Live Paris) due to ‘renovations’ but this time we benefited from yet another ‘renovation’ at the Paris Museum and thus the exhibit was at the Seattle Art Museum.  

So with lunch ordered the eye naturally wandered over the very good selection of whiskies and fell upon a Hibiki 12 year old which duly arrived in a large copita style glass with a heavy base. The pour was VERY large. Thanks Tiffany! The burger and fries went very well with the Hibiki and the 2nd Hibiki went even better with the first.

"What's this wire for?"

Next stop was the Picasso exhibit and there were a large number of people wandering around with confused looks on their faces. To be fair many others seemed to being enjoying the exhibit greatly muttering approving comments to themselves with furrowed brows. After 20 minutes defeat was admitted and refuge was sought on the 2nd floor to view scenes from American history like “Mount Rainier, Bay of Tacoma” – (Puget Sound, 1875) by Sanford Robinson Gifford; calming and not jarring, paintings of intact people, not like they had been a wee bit to close to an IED.

Mount Rainier, Bay of Tacoma” - (Puget Sound, 1875) by Sanford Robinson Gifford

Fast forward to 6:30PM…The Extravaganza

The Rainier Club

The Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza is held in the Rainier Club http://www.therainierclub.com/ located in the down town area and it’s a brilliant venue for the Extravaganza. The ambiance is old world London club (with some really good art sprinkled about the place). Check in started at 6:30PM in the lobby with the event commencing at 7PM, due to the club dress code jacket and ties were the order of the day.

The second floor of the club is set aside for the whisky portion of the event and on the third floor there was the Grand Dinner Buffet in the Heritage Room with a good assortment of hot foods (roast turkey, roast pork, roasted potatoes & vegetables and pasta with beef) salads, assorted cheese and bread/crackers followed by dessert; the food was very good. Enough is good as a feast as they say. The Club staff was very attentive and kept the buffet full and the dishes cleared with efficiency so there was no wasted time; back to the drams!

The second floor main event was featured in three rooms with Macallan, Highland Park, Famous Grouse (Blend & malt with age statement), Yamazaki (with Neyah White, Yamazaki Ambassador) and Glenrothes in the Cutter Room.

Ardmore & Laphroaig (with Simon Brookings, Laphroaig Ambassador), Douglas Laing (Big Peat, OMC & Premier Barrel), Loch Chaim, Highland Stag, the SMWS bottlings of 25.51, 123.5, 39.75, 93.37 and 33.83 (with Aron Silverman, Gabby Shayne and Alan Shayne of the Society), The Classic Cask, Glenmorangie & Ardbeg (with Dr. Bill Lumsden, Head of Whisky Distillation & Whisky Creation and David Blackmore, Master Brand Ambassador), The Glenlivet (with Ricky Crawford, The Glenlivet Ambassador), Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa & Chivas in the Cascade Room. The Cascade Room was the largest of the three rooms in use.

The Rainier Room featured Isle of Jura, Balvenie and Glenfiddich (with Mitch Bechard, Ambassador), a cigar/token exchange/collection point in front of GIANT fireplace (with a big copper top which was reminiscent of the Bowmore mash tun) and then The Classic Malts along with Clynelish and the Singleton of Glendullan which was newly introduced into the Washington market.

The Extravaganza holds a two curiosities; the first is that in attendance are a contingent that make use of unusually large ‘brandy snifters’ in place of the Extravaganza glasses that are supplied as part of the entrance fee. Large is defined as flower vase large. Do NOT ask them about their glasses. Now don’t go off on the wrong track here; they are very nice people and will talk to you all night long; just don’t ask about their choice of glass ware. One poor chap talked about the ‘higher notes’ escaping the the inside of the glass and clinging, spiderman like, to the outside of the glass. C’mon dude, that’s your after shave.  They have some funny beliefs about the magical effects of their flower vases and describe the magical properties with gleaming eyes and an intensity usually sported by….well, enough said. (Some wore black jacket & tie; they may be some form of leadership cadre).

The second curiosity is that some time ago the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza was told that they were not allowed to advertise the event by the authorities who govern such things in Washington State. Whisky Intelligence is pretty certain that both freedom of association and freedom of speech are being impugned in some fashion. Not to mention common sense being thrown out in the trash with the day old banana skins. However that is the situation and despite this the Extravaganza sells out every time, it seems word of mouth plays a big part in it’s success with many Rainier Club members and local scotch club members buying blocks of tickets (perhaps this is how the flower vase people infiltrated the event).

While the Extravaganza is smaller than some other events it certainly doesn’t lack for quality, it’s an entertaining evening with a good number of drams available in a comfortable venue with excellent food and attentive service. There is always something new to try and the brand ambassadors make sure that there are interesting rarities on hand. Mitch Bechard of William Grant & Sons (Glenfiddich & Balvenie) saved an older Glenfiddich and the Balvenie Peated Cask for late in the evening and worked the crowd into a high state of anticipation; both bottles were poured at light speed however Whisky Intelligence managed to try both!

Whisky Intelligence heartily recommends the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza and plans to attend in the future. Simply must solve the puzzle of those flower vases…

Tickets may be purchased at http://www.singlemaltextravaganza.com/ and the fall & spring tour schedule includes CHICAGO, BOSTON, WASHINGTON, DC, PHILADELPHIA, SEATTLE, SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, and FORT LAUDERDALE. You’ll need to telephone the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America to book your tickets for Seattle.

The Travels of  Whisky Intelligence

South —>

The planning to attend Whisky Fest ’10 in San Francisco commenced months and months ago with the on-line purchase of VIP tickets and the first surprise; tickets you printed on your own home printer. The Post Master General must be looking over his shoulder at the grim vision of vendor and customer making a joint motion of their collective hands sweeping the Postal Service into the dust bin of history. With Whisky Fest tickets safely in hand airline tickets were quickly booked and a phone call to the Marriott dealt with our accommodation.

Time to wait, damnit.

Fast forward to October 7th and we’re off to the airport for a painless hour and 40 minute direct flight into SFO; little turbulence and clear skies along the route, no problems with US Customs and Border Protection. Not a single question about the two bottles of Ardbeg for Tim Puett of the Ardbeg Project fame http://www.ardbegproject.com/  (however well within the duty allowance so no need for anybody to go all wobbly).

Two taxis later with a quick check in and pit stop at the Marriott and we’re in Elixir Lounge http://www.elixirsf.com/ meeting up with John Hansell, Amy Westlake and Joan McGinley (the producers of Whisky Fest) for a dram and a chat. Moments later in walks Lincoln and Wes Henderson proudly showing off their new project, Angels Envy http://www.angelsenvy.com/   Everybody eagerly crowded around to take in the design of the bottle and for a quick nose and taste of the whisky (the first brief impression is that it’s very nice but this is hardly a shock now is it?). After the dust settled there was a chance to share a drink with Lincoln and have a chat about whisky, politics and the state of the country. As usual with any whisky festival events, formal or informal, it’s always mildly hectic and never a complete opportunity to chat with everybody at length.

Along with meeting John, Amy and Joan there was also a chance to chat with William Smith of Treasure Island Distilling http://www.sfvodka.com/ DG Blackburn of the American Distilling Institute http://www.distilling.com/  and Mahesh Patel of Universal Whisky Experience http://universalwhiskyexperience.com/ (who is producing the first ultra luxurious whisky show in Wynn Resort in Las Vegas March 18-19th 2011). Hmmmm…another trip in the works for the Whisky Intelligence team?

At 6:30PM you could sense the  agitation in the bar, hasty good byes and the Malt Advocate team went off for dinner and the remainder of us simultaneously found out that we were all going to the same Ardbeg tasting at The Barber Lounge http://www.barberlounge.com/ on Folsom Street. A hasty sorting of who was in which vehicle and we were off to the next event arriving with a few minutes to spare. As we stood in the line up we had the opportunity to look at the Ardbeg choppers. Nice, but they were green and black.  Nobody was giving up their place in line to take a closer look however; after all we’re here for WHISKY. Lincoln Henderson did manage, without too much effort, to sweet talk his way onto the guest list much to our collective amusement.

At 7PM we were efficiently checked off the guest list and then up the stairs to the second floor where the lounge is located. Of course, it’s not a lounge but a barber shop nicely laid out with various Ardbeg at three stations the length of the venue. At the front of the lounge was a table groaning with appetizers and tucked in a corner half way to the back of the building was another table with lots of bottled water (water is critical to these events; you must stay hydrated).

To add to the whole atmosphere there were three barbers offering hot shaves and a masseuse offering neck massages. 

Rachel Barrie, whisky maker for Glenmorangie & Ardbeg was also present. She was very approachable and willing to enthusiastically chat at length about all aspects of her job. She is naturally and deservedly proud of the various Ardbeg that she has created. AND she reads Whisky Intelligence! On hand for our sampling pleasure were Ardbeg 10, Ardbeg Corryvreckan, Ardbeg Uigeadail, Ardbeg Supernova SN 2010, Airigh Nam Beist 2008 and Ardbeg Rollercoaster (in a really big bottle) poured as a finale with great fan fare.

The whole event was well thought out and executed, it was obvious that they had not spared the expense; it was an unusual but effective method to show case Ardbeg.

After the event we said good night to our new friends and parted company. They went for a late supper at a nearby restaurant and we retired to the Marriott for the night, after all it had been a very long day.

Friday morning and it’s the big day! However before Whisky Fest there were a few chores, a quick visit to The Whisky Shop http://www.whiskyshopusa.com/ and to Cask http://www.caskstore.com/  for whisky shopping and browsing. Success! Shopping completed and well within our duty free allowance for the return portion of our trip. While we in shelf gazing in Cask Jimmy Russell came in to sign some bottles, we grasped the opportunity to introduce ourselves.

Then off to the de Young Museum http://deyoung.famsf.org/ in Golden Gate Park for a quick bite of lunch (excellent Scottish Salmon from Loch Duart!), a tour of the upstairs gallery and then a 2PM viewing of “Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay”. If you like art, this is a show to see, it was really very good. On our way the de Young we met Gordon Urquhart of Gordon & MacPhail in the lobby of the Marriott who commanded us to come to his table first at Whisky Fest. Advice not to be ignored!

Now back to the Marriott and time to prepare for Whisky Fest but first a quick stop over in Tim’s room for a mini dram or two from the 40 bottles he & Mikey Mad had lined up on the bar. Discipline must be maintained at all costs other wise Whisky Fest might be missed!

Finally! Whisky Fest 2010 San Francisco! At the reception we were speedily and efficiently checked in and given our Glencairns and goodie bags. A short wait and then promptly at 5:30PM the doors opened and we were in!

As previously directed we made a bee line to the Gordon & MacPhail booth with glasses out stretched; a Strathisla 1963; Whisky Fest is off to a great start! A trip across the room and we were rewarded with a Deanston 30yo and further booths produced Amrut Intermediate Sherry (& a chance to chat with the Purple Valley Imports team), Angels Envy, Glenfarclas 40yo (Hi George 7 thanks!). Tomatin 25yo and a quick hello to Douglas Campbell their master distiller, BenRiach 1995 and GlenDronach 1995 from Alistair Walker, a Kilkerran 8yo from Peter Currie, another Strathisla in the form of a 42yo Duncan Taylor Lonach from Euan Shand, Dalmore King Alexander from the master blender himself Richard Paterson, Aberfeldy 21 (a vague recollection of a collection of tall blondes pouring the sample – if you cannot send the brand ambassador or the distiller, send 6 blondes – however they did have the details of the whisky correct), an excellent Dewar Rattray 18yo Bowmore from Andrew Morrison, Glen Garioch Founders’ Reserve, Balvenie Peated Cask from Nicolas Pollacchi along with a few moments to share a few words.

Further meanderings led us to the Highland Park booth where we were rewarded with a generous pour of Highland Park 30, then back to Gordon & MacPhail for a Glen Grant 15 (their Glen Grant are always good) and a Caol Ila 1998, a bit of a ricochet to the next dram which was Ardmore 30 and Laphroaig 25 followed by a Bowmore Tempest. Then over to Canadian Club  for a dram of the  excellent 12yo and a visit with Dan Tullio and Tish Harcus.

It was time to take a break and to see if there was any chance of palate recovery which was experiencing some fatigue. A little snack from the food on offer, a chance to rinse the Glencairn and take a look at what had been missed; not much but so much more in point of fact. We’ve just scratched the surface but you can’t sample them all…but it’s fun trying.

At some point the end of the VIP hour was signaled by the arrival of the remainder of the ticket holders, however the room didn’t seem crowded. There was still lots of room, a few tables had a good crowd but this was simply not an issue; you just moved to another table and then eventually made your way back when the table was less occupied.

Where’s Tim? He must be in Rachel Barrie’s masterclass so a quick detour to the class and Tim generously poured a dollop for his glass; Ardbeg 1975 Cask #4698 +/- 34 years old. Cheers Tim, very nice of you.

Finally the last task at Whisky Fest; would the Guardians of The Glenlivet member card open the door to a fine dram at Whisky Fest? The moment of truth was at hand and The Glenlivet Brand Ambassador Rick Edwards took one look at the card and said “Ah ha! This entitles you a really special dram of Glenlivet!” 

With that he handed over a bottle of the Glenlivet XXV and a really satisfyingly large pour was in the Glencairn glass. Thanks Rick! An excellent dram to end Whisky Fest with, it certainly was worth bringing the card along.

Shortly after leaving the Glenlivet table Whisky Fest in San Francisco came to a sad end, it had been a very enjoyable evening in every regard. The layout was excellent with lots of room in between the booths and a very good selection of whiskies from all over the world. The food was very good (with lots of it) and all the presenters were very friendly and approachable. All and all Whisky Intelligence gives Whisky Fest San Francisco a hearty endorsement, it’s well worth the time and money. The VIP ticket is also well worth the extra money (next year don’t even dwell on the extra cost, just do it!)

 <— North

Thankfully the return home was uneventful with the exception of one small incident at #SFO, the Guardians of the Glenlivet membership card, made of heavy aluminum, set off the metal detectors and thus Whisky Intelligence earned a disapproving frown from the TSA representative.