The Victoria Highland Games Association is once again pleased to present “The Whisky Tasting School” on May 19th, 20th, & 21st 2018 at the 155th Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival at Topaz Park.

All sessions will feature single malt whiskies presented by ambassadors representing a variety of Scotch & American whiskies.

The registration fee is $35 (Monday Food and Whisky pairing sessions $45) and includes a one-day field entry (value $15). Whisky School guests are also able to purchase an engraved Victoria Highland Games Glencairn whisky nosing glass for $15 (one per guest per class).

Guests must be aged 19 years or older to attend!

Each session has limited seating; in previous years all sessions have sold out prior to the Games so don’t be late in registering!

Details of the 9 sessions are as follows:

(WS1)
Saturday May 19th 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Whisky and Chocolate I
Price $35 – 45 attendees. SOLD OUT
with Adam Bradshaw and David Mincey

Sample a range of excellent Ardbeg whiskies paired with outstanding bean to bar chocolate ethically sourced from around the world. Hosted by Adam Bradshaw of The Strath, and David Mincey of the Chocolate Project.

(WS2)
Saturday May 19th 1:45 – 2:45 PM
Brands of Fountana
Price $35 – 45 attendees. Buy Now!
with Adam Bradshaw

Only the best whiskies get out of the cask, regardless how old they might be. Come and try single malts from some of best independent bottlers of Scotland.

(WS3)
Saturday May 19th 3:30 – 4:30 PM
The Douglas Laing Scottish Regional Malt Collection I
Price $35 – 45 attendees. Buy Now!
with Stacy Kyle of Rare Drams

Do you drink only single malts? Are you ready for a fantastic new whisky journey? Get ready to enjoy! Many blended scotches are just as delicious and take even more artistry to make. Judge a whisky on the liquid in your glass, not by the title on the label. And whatever your preference, bow down to the mastery of blenders behind them.

(WS4)
Sunday May 20th 12:00 – 1:00 PM
The Douglas Laing Scottish Regional Malt Collection II
Price $35 – 45 attendees. Buy Now!
with Stacy Kyle of Rare Drams

Do you drink only single malts? Are you ready for a fantastic new whisky journey? Get ready to enjoy! Many blended scotches are just as delicious and take even more artistry to make. Judge a whisky on the liquid in your glass, not by the title on the label. And whatever your preference, bow down to the mastery of blenders behind them.

(WS5)
Sunday May 20th 1:45 – 2:45 PM

NIKKA Japanese Whisky
Price $35 – 45 attendees. Buy Now!
with Rick Sousa

Enjoy world renowned whiskies from the Nikka Whisky Distilling Co. while Rick Sousa informs you of the history of whisky in Japan and the story of Nikka’s founder, Masataka Taketsuru, whose travel to Scotland and back shaped the history of whisky production in Japan.

(WS6)
Sunday May 20th 3:30 – 4:30 PM
STR, the Legacy cask
Price $35 – 45 attendees. Buy Now!
with Andrew Campbell Walls & Macaloney Distillers

In a career that spanned 40 years, ‘the Einstein of whisky’ Dr. Jim Swan revolutionized the industry. With a beer to start, this class discusses 4 brand-new-released malts matured in his proprietary bespoke STR casks and a 5th from the last distillery he ever worked with.

(WS7)
Monday May 21st 11:30 – 12:45 PM (NEW TIME!)
Whisky and Local Food Pairing
Price: $45.00 – 45 attendees. SOLD OUT
with Bill Jones

Join Deerholme Farm owner, Cookbook Author and Celebrity Chef, Bill Jones and Kensington Wine Market owner Andrew Ferguson, as they guide you through a sensory journey pairing single malt whiskies with delectable local food choices. Bill will lead you through a variety of local food choices paired with outstanding whiskies from the Beam Suntory portfolio including Highland Park and Macallan. For more information on Bill, visit www.deerholme.com.

(WS8)
Monday May 21st 1:30PM – 2:45 PM (NEW TIME!)
Whisky and Local Charcuterie Pairing
Price: $45.00 – 45 attendees. SOLD OUT
with Corey Pelan.

Join the Whole Beast Owner Corey Pelan and Kensington Wine Market owner Andrew Ferguson as they lead you through a selection of local made charcuterie paired with outstanding single malt whiskies from the Beam Suntory portfolio, including Auchentoshan and Bowmore. For more information on Corey and The Whole Beast, visit www.thewholebeast.ca.

(WS9)
Monday May 21st 3:30PM – 4:30 PM (NEW TIME!)
Whisky and Chocolate II
Price $35 – 45 attendees. Buy Now!
with Adam Bradshaw and David Mincey</>

Sample a range of excellent Ardbeg whiskies paired with outstanding bean to bar chocolate ethically sourced from around the world. Hosted by Adam Bradshaw of The Strath, and David Mincey of the Chocolate Project.

Friday, June 15, 2:30 – 5:30 PM

Single Malt Tasting:

 Glen Grant with Robin Coupar 

Join us for a tasting of Glen Grant single malt scotch, presented by global brand ambassador and whisky expert Robin Coupar!  Established in 1840, this centuries-old Speyside malt remains one of the biggest selling single malts in the world. Whisky ambassador Robin Coupar will present a guided tasting of Glen Grant’s new and rare releases, providing insider knowledge of what goes into making these incredible drams and the stories behind them. Pourlist to be revealed as event approaches- RSVP to keep up-to-date.

Click Here to RSVP

Saturday, June 2, 2:30 – 5:30PM 

Bourbon Tasting: Balcones 

From humble beginnings an old welding shop under a bridge in Waco, Texas, Balcones distillery is now recognized worldwide for their bold and intense flavors. From blue corn grown in New Mexico to the first Texas-grown malted barley, they’ve taken pains to create a truly Texas spirit – which is then distilled in magnificent copper pot whisky stills designed by Forsyths of Scotland. The result is a decadent and densely flavorful whiskey.

Click Here to RSVP

BENRIACH, GLENDRONACH AND GLENGLASSAUGH WHISKY TASTING – THURSDAY 7TH JUNE

Matt Chambers will be coming along to present our next whisky tasting on Thursday 7th June and as a special treat the tasting will feature not one, not two but three distilleries!  Matt is the UK Brand Ambassador for Benriach (from Speyside), Glendronach and Glenglassaugh (both from the Highlands) – each of which have a distinctly different style and were acquired by Brown-Forman in 2016 when they bought the group from Billy Walker and his partners.

The main focus of the tasting will be whisky from Glenglassaugh distillery but there will also be guest appearances of a luscious, sherried Glendronach and an aged Benriach that is the first Benriach to have been developed by talented Master Blender Rachel Barrie, who was brought in by Brown-Forman in 2017 to further develop the profile of the three distilleries.  The Glenglassaugh whiskies will include the fruity and smooth Evolution, a peated expression and some limited editions that have been garnering great reviews recently so, all in all, this promises to be a tasty and interesting line up.

Tickets are £15 per person and will be available to buy online from 1.30pm on Tuesday 8th May.  Please note, no bookings will be taken before this time and because of the high demand for these tickets the maximum number per booking is 4.

N.B. These events get booked out very quickly so make sure you go online to book yours as soon as they are released.  If you do miss out then please contact us to register your interest and we will add you to the reserves list for any returned tickets.

See below for all the details and if you have any queries just contact us.

Sláinte!
Fran and Ken
Arkwrights Whisky and Wines
www.whiskyandwines.com

Saturday, May 12th  12-3PM 

Scotch Tasting:

Ledaig, Bunnahabhain, & Tobermory 

Treat yourself to a traditional scotch tasting! We’ll be showcasing a variety of Scotland’s whisky regions with three very different distilleries – Ledaig, Bunnahabhain, and Tobermory. Distillery representatives and whisky experts will present for questions throughout. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the home of whisky, this is the tasting for you.

Click Here to RSVP

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Boutique-y Tall Ship Quayside Tasting

This is a very special evening of tasting and fun with ‘Captain’ Dave Worthington and The Whisky Lounge team… Aside from an exclusive tasting, your surroundings will be very conducive too, among the sails and boons aboard the Tall Ship Irene! We welcome to the Irene, and to Islay for the first time, Mr. Dave Worthington, legendary ex-blogger of Whisky Discovery fame and now ploughing his furrow as erstwhile UK Brand Ambassador for That Boutique-y Whisky Company! Dave has assured us he is putting together a tasting par excellence, a tour de force – or just some damn fine drams to you and me!

Currently the whiskies you will be tasting are…

A Bowmore 15 Year Old

A Bunnahabhain 35 Year Old

A Caol Ila 6 Year Old

The Williamson 6 Year Old

An Octomore 6 Year Old

The Islay #2 25 Year Old

This is not only a great chance to try some fantastic whiskies, but also an un-missable opportunity to drill down into the inner workings of independent bottlers and find out what really makes this historic part of the whisky industry tick. We’ll be boarding the Irene at Port Ellen Pier at 7pm sharp. You won’t need your sea legs for this one as we will be safely moored at the Port Ellen Ferry pier but you may want waterproofs (if it rains) and grippy shoes for the deck!

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Boutique-y Tall Ship Quayside Tasting

Mon, 28 May 2018 19:00 – 21:00 BST

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Elements Tall Ship Sailing & Tasting

What’s that you say? You can’t drink cask strength whisky at 9am? Well we’re on Islay time people and during the Fèis Ìle, settling into a tasting of cask strength treasures in the morning is very much the norm – we wouldn’t have it any other way. However, this is slightly different in that the added incentive is that you will actually get to sail on the Tall Ship Irene! This is an incredile opportunity to sail the high seas (well around the south of Islay) whilst tasting some incredible whiskies. We haven’t been able to do this for a couple of years but we have secured just two sailings for this year, but for only 9 people so don’t hang about! The tasting itself will be of the latest and yet to be released whiskies from the Elements of Islay, Port Askaig and Single Malts of Scotland range, with the very man who puts them together, Mr Oliver Chilton – Whisky Creator for Speciality Drinks.

Currently, this is what you’ll be tasting.

Port Askaig 8 Year Old
Port Askaig 14 Year Old
Elements of Islay Lg8
Elements of Islay Ar10
Single Malts of Scotland Bowmore 1994 / 22 Year Old
Single Malts of Scotland Laphroaig 1998 / 17 Year Old

This is not only a great chance to try some fantastic pre-releases but also an un-missable opportunity to drill down into the inner workings of independent bottlers and find out what really makes this historic part of the whisky industry tick. We’ll be boarding the Irene at Port Ellen Pier at 9am sharp. Bring your sea legs, waterproofs and anything else you think you’ll need for this voyage. Life jackets will be provided!

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Elements Tall Ship Sailing & Tasting
Tue, 29 May 2018 09:00 – 12:00 BST

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Eddie Tall Ship Sailing & Tasting

A very special one-off event this year… Eddie Ludlow considers himself a friend of Islay. He has been coming to the island for many years and championing its cause and whiskies for many more. For this special event, Eddie has agreed to bring some of his personal stash and if you know him, this is a BIG deal! So prepare yourself for a chilled out tasting of epic proportions… In addition, this experience will be made that much more special by the fact that you will actually get to sail on the Tall Ship Irene! This is an incredile opportunity to sail the high seas (well around the south of Islay) whilst tasting some incredible whiskies. We haven’t been able to do this for a couple of years but we have secured just two sailings for this year, but for only 9 people so don’t hang about!
We’ll be boarding the Irene at Port Ellen Pier at 2pm sharp. Bring your sea legs, waterproofs and anything else you think you’ll need for this voyage. Life jackets will be provided!

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Eddie Tall Ship Sailing & Tasting
Tue, 29 May 2018 14:00 – 17:00 BST

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Elements Tall Ship Tasting

What’s that you say? You can’t drink cask strength whisky at 10am? Well we’re on Islay time people and during the Fèis Ìle 2018, settling into a tasting of cask strength treasures in the morning is very much the norm – we wouldn’t have it any other way. Aside from a very special tasting, your surroundings will be very conducive too, among the sails and boons aboard the Tall Ship Irene! The tasting itself will be of the latest and yet to be released whiskies from the Elements of Islay, Port Askaig and Single Malts of Scotland range, with the very man who puts them together, Mr Oliver Chilton– Whisky Creator for Speciality Drinks.

Currently, this is what you’ll be tasting.

Port Askaig 8 Year Old
Port Askaig 14 Year Old
Elements of Islay Lg8
Elements of Islay Ar10
Single Malts of Scotland Bowmore 1994 / 22 Year Old
Single Malts of Scotland Laphroaig 1998 / 17 Year Old

This is not only a great chance to try some fantastic pre-releases but also an un-misssbale opportunity to drill down into the inner workings of independent bottlers and find out what really makes this historic part of the whisky industry tick. We’ll be boarding the Irene at Port Ellen Pier at 10am sharp. You won’t need your sea legs for this one as we will be safely moored at the Port Ellen Ferry pier but you may want waterproofs (if it rains) and grippy shoes for the deck! Fèis Ìle 2018 – Elements Tall Ship Tasting

Date: Wed May 30 2018
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Elements Tall Ship Tasting

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Boutique-y Tall Ship Quayside Tasting

This is a very special afternoon of tasting and fun with ‘Captain’ Dave Worthington and The Whisky Lounge team… Aside from an exclusive tasting, your surroundings will be very conducive too, among the sails and boons aboard the Tall Ship Irene! We welcome to the Irene, and to Islay for the first time, Mr. Dave Worthington, legendary ex-blogger of Whisky Discovery fame and now ploughing his furrow as erstwhile UK Brand Ambassador for That Boutique-y Whisky Company! Dave has assured us he is putting together a tasting par excellence, a tour de force – or just some damn fine drams to you and me!

Currently the whiskies you will be tasting are…

A Bowmore 15 Year Old
A Bunnahabhain 35 Year Old
A Caol Ila 6 Year Old
The Williamson 6 Year Old
An Octomore 6 Year Old
The Islay #2 25 Year Old

This is not only a great chance to try some fantastic whiskies, but also an un-missable opportunity to drill down into the inner workings of independent bottlers and find out what really makes this historic part of the whisky industry tick. We’ll be boarding the Irene at Port Ellen Pier at 7pm sharp. You won’t need your sea legs for this one as we will be safely moored at the Port Ellen Ferry pier but you may want waterproofs (if it rains) and grippy shoes for the deck!

Wed, 30 May 2018 15:00 – 17:00 BST

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Boutique-y Tall Ship Quayside Tasting

Friday, May 11th  5-7PM 

Local Whiskey: Do Good Distillery 

Located in Modesto, California, Do Good Distillery produces uniquely wonderful craft spirits, with an emphasis on whiskey. They strive to use local ingredients as much as possible, and give back to their local community in true “Do Good” fashion. Their whiskies have won numerous awards since their release, including Gold medal wins at the 2016 World Whisky Awards.

Click Here to RSVP

Taiwanese Treasures  with Kavalan master blender Ian Chang

SHREWSBURY – SHROPSHIRE 

Hi folks,

We are delighted to inform you of our next Whisky Tasting events 🙂

Tasting evenings for June will be held on;

Thursday 7th June 7pm

Friday 8th June at 7pm

As usual, tastings will be held at the shop on Wyle Cop, last approx. two hours and be informal in nature. We’ll be selecting six whiskies to taste, the theme yet to be decided. There will be 12 places for each tasting and prices will be £25 per head and should be booked in advance either in the shop or by calling the shop on 01743 369429 (we can take card payments over the phone).