The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show Masterclasses now on-sale and selling fast!
The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show is known for its once-in-a-lifetime masterclasses that are presented throughout the Show and 2012 is continuing this tradition.
Building on the success of the last three years attendees will have the opportunity to attend four incredible masterclasses over the weekend of the Show, combining rare and interesting whiskies with world-class presenters.
From Scotland to Japan with Dave Broom, Rachel Barrie and Tatsuya Minagawa Saturday October 6th, 1pm. £55
While Scotland has been producing whisky for hundreds of years, the whisky world is a broad church and there are many other countries now making a name for themselves in the industry. The one that has been turning the most heads over the last decade or two has been Japan.
In this Masterclass we will be examining the differences and similarities between the styles of Scottish and Japanese whiskies, comparing and contrasting various drams from Morrison Bowmore and Suntory.
Leading the tasting will be Dave Broom, drinks writer and expert on both Japanese and Scottish whisky. He will be joined by Morrison Bowmore’s whisky creator and master blender, Rachel Barrie, and Suntory Brand Ambassador and experienced whisky sommelier Tatsuya Minagawa.
The class will be conducted in three parts, each based around a certain concept in the whisky world. The whiskies will be:
Cask samples from Auchentoshan and Hakushu – demonstrating ‘Lightness’
A Glen Garioch cask sample and Hakushu 18 – demonstrating ‘Fruitiness’
Gold Bowmore 1964 and Yamazaki 1984 – demonstrating ‘Ageing’
Gordon & Macphail’s Greatest Hits
Saturday October 6th, 3:30pm. £55
David Urquhart is Gordon & Macphail’s joint managing director and part of the third generation of the Urquhart family to be involved in the running of the famed independent bottler. He will be retiring this year after over 40 years of service and in honour of his time at the wheel of Gordon & Macphail we thought we should have a bit of a celebration.
David and his team have had a dig through their warehouses and come up with an impressive line-up, showcasing whiskies distilled in the four decades he has been part of the G&M team as well as a couple more from when he was growing up.
On the mat will be:
* Benromach 2005
* Pittyvaich 1993
* Macallan Speymalt 1980
* Tomintoul 1972 G&M Private Collection
* Benromach 1969
* Glen Grant 1952 Diamond Jubilee
All the proceeds from this Masterclass will be donated to Prostate Cancer UK, working since 1996 to raise awareness and funding for research into combating the disease, and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity’s Prostate Targeted Therapy Group.
Rare and Unusual Islay Classics with Mario Groteklaes Sunday October 7th, 1pm. £65
For this fantastic Masterclass we will be joined by Mario Groteklaes from fabled Belgian distributor and independent whisky bottler The Nectar. Mario’s experience in whisky selection over the years has led to him bottling some fantastic drams, some of which we’ve had the privilege of stocking at TWE.
In this Masterclass we have selected a number of very exciting whiskies that are not only a little bit unusual, but also rarely seen at tastings (hence the name). We’ve been digging through the last few decades of Islay releases to create a lineup that will intrigue and delight.
We will be tasting:
* Bruichladdich 15yo (White Label)
* Ardbeg Kildalton 1980
* Lagavulin 1979 Distillers Edition
* Laphroaig 1974
* Signatory Port Ellen 10yo ‘Scottish Wildlife’
The Johnnie Walker Directors Blends with Matthew Crow Sunday October 7th, 3:30pm. £35
Each year since 2008, Diageo have commissioned Johnnie Walker master blender Jim Beveridge and his team to create a special whisky for the directors of the company. Only a few hundred bottles are produced, using some of their most impressive stocks; these bottles are given directly to the directors, and have never been available to the general public.
We are very fortunate to be joined by blender Matthew Crow who will lead us through not one but all four of these fabled bottles, exploring the fundamentals of blending, and discussing the building blocks and process of putting together the iconic whiskies in the Johnnie Walker range.
Each of the yearly blends has been focused around a certain idea which has then been realised by Jim Beveridge, Matthew Crow and the blending team:
* 2008 – Inspired by the discovery of a small parcel of forgotten casks that highlight Diageo’s stocks of rare and flavoursome spirit, as well as the importance of balancing old and young whisky in a blend.
* 2009 – An exploration into the typically smoky finish of the Johnnie Walker range, offering insights into the use of peated whiskies and focusing on bold flavours.
* 2010 – A look at the mouthwatering fruitiness that accompanies the smoke of Johnnie Walker, generously using sherry casks for rich dried fruit and balancing that with fresh fruit flavours.
* 2011 – A whisky designed around the oak casks used for maturation, combining the flavours found by using different styles of wood to produce a showcase of the versatility of Johnnie Walker.
Full details of all four masterclasses can be found on The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show website: http://www.whisky-show.com
Tickets for all four masterclasses are now available from TicketSource:
http://whiskyshow.ticketsource.co.uk
