The biennial Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship returned to Sydney in March 2022, after a series of interruptions due to COVID and lockdowns. Originally scheduled for June 2020, it was postponed twice and pushed into 2021, then had to be re-scheduled again to 2022 after the second wave from Delta. For competitors who’d been holding on to their entry ticket for two years, it was a relief when the event finally got the green light to proceed and the various COVID variants were kept at bay for one incredible night. And, as whisky nights go, this was a great one….
For those not aware, the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship has been around for over 30 years now. (In the interests of saving a few keystrokes, we’ll abbreviate the name to AMWTC from here on, although the event is also known affectionately as “The Champs” …… not to be confused with another very recently established tasting event that shamelessly and questionably adopted a too-similar name).
It surprises many to learn that the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship has been around since 1989. As the name suggests, it is a tasting competition, and had its origins in Adelaide, South Australia. The competition’s principal format and structure has remained almost entirely unchanged over the years: Competitors sit down at a table and are presented with eight whiskies pre-poured before them, and they’re supplied with a list of nine possible whiskies – in other words, the eight whiskies that are on the table, plus one red herring. (In the mid 1990’s, competitors were required to identify 12 different malts!). Competitors are then given 30 minutes to identify which whisky is which and to write their answers on the answer sheet. Of course, having a list with all of the possible contenders in front of you makes the exercise seem a little easier, but the challenge is also in establishing which whisky of the nine on the list is not on the table! For those particularly keen on training and preparing for the AMWTC, all competitors received an advance list of 50 “Competition Whiskies” ahead of the event, and were informed that any whiskies to be featured on the night (including for any taste-offs if there were tied scores) would have to come from amongst the 50 published malts.
The AMWTC ran annually out of Adelaide from 1989 until 2002, although it was in recess for a few years from 1997-2000. It attracted some healthy international attention during this run, even tempting the late Michael Jackson (the acclaimed whisky writer) to fly out one year to compete. With the original organisers of the event selling out of the drinks industry in 2002, the competition lost its home and – more critically – the infrastructure to run it, and it lapsed into silence. Until….
In late 2007, Andrew Derbidge, a Director of the Australian branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, decided it was time this national event returned to the calendar and became truly national. The SMWS subsequently took custodianship of the AMWTC and set about re-birthing it. Under the Society’s banner and co-ordination, the Championship returned in 2008 with a lavish affair that was held at the Sydney Opera House. The Champs were then held again in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, before the 2020 event encountered the COVID curse.
This year’s Championship, held at the Art Gallery of NSW, was a MASSIVE year, attracting nearly 200 competitors and a healthy number of spectators. A truly national event, competitors came into Sydney from Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Launceston, Perth, Canberra, Albury, and Wollongong.
The prizes on offer at this year’s AMWTC were…
- 3rd place – $750 voucher at Oak Barrel (a liquor retail store) + a bottle of Coastal Stone whisky, sponsored by Oak Barrel and Manly Spirits, respectively.
- 2nd place – A bottle of The Balvenie 26yo “Day of Dark Barley“, two ceramic cups designed for The Balvenie by Milly Dent, and a copy of the Balvenie DCS Compendium, signed by David Stewart. Sponsored by The Balvenie / William Grant & Sons, Australia.
- 1st place – A trip for two to Edinburgh, Scotland and a private tasting at The Vaults (the home of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society) including flights and accommodation. Sponsored by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
(Courtesy of Mr Tim Duckett of Heartwood / Tasmanian Independent Bottlers, a bottle of TIB Blended Malt Batch 4 was also donated in good humour and spirit with the suggestion, “Give it to whoever comes last”. However, knowing from previous AMWTCs that a large number of people would be tied for last place with 0 out of 8, the judges elected to make this a “runner up” prize for 4th place.)
One of the great features of the AMWTC is that it is so honest. Whilst the evening is always held in amazing surrounds and has all the looks and attractions of a major whisky event, for 30 minutes in the night, it’s just you and your palate. Outside the glamour and fun of the pre-event drinks and this year’s huge after-party, for half an hour, it’s a bunch of people in a room analysing some whiskies; using and focussing their senses to identify aromas and flavours; and either seriously or playfully guessing what they’re drinking.
It is an interesting yet challenging process to put yourself through: You stare at the eight glasses before you, carefully assessing the colour to see if you can make some easy eliminations. (No, the really pale whisky won’t be the Glendronach 21!). You do a “first pass” nosing of the eight whiskies, sniffing each one to identify the primary aroma. (Which ones are peated? Which ones are sherried?) Depending on your drinking preferences and what’s on your whisky shelf at home, you’ll either be totally at ease in identifying a Talisker 10 from a Glenfiddich 12; or you’ll be racking your brain to try and remember when you last actually tasted an Aberlour a’Bunadh. (And you might think that picking a 60% ABV Aberlour a’Bunadh would be easy in a line-up, but if it happens to be sitting alongside a Glenfarclas 105 – as it was in the 2010 Championship – then good luck to you!)
For obvious reasons, the whiskies used in the competition must be non-variable, official bottlings that are widely available commercially to all across the country. As such, any small batch, one-off, limited edition, or single cask expressions cannot be featured at The Champs. It’s also worth noting that it is a malt tasting competition – blends, grains, or other non-malt whiskies aren’t in the mix. The whiskies on the table at this year’s Champs were…
Old Pulteney 12yo
Glenlivet 12yo
Glen Grant Aboralis
Cragganmore 12yo
The Balvenie 12yo Double Wood
Starward Nova
The Naked Grouse
Highland Park 10yo
….and the red herring on the list was Dalwhinnie 15yo
At the conclusion of the 30 minutes, all entry forms were quickly marked and scored. It was announced to the room that a “taste off” would be necessary to split three tied competitors, although it was not announced which placing (or placings) had the tied result. Unbeknownst to the room, the taste-off was for fourth place. In an outcome not seen since 2008, there was actually a clear winner (who, incredibly, got 8 out of 8 – an unprecedented perfect score); a clear second place (with 7 out of 8), and a clear third place (with 6 out of 8). The three competitors tied for fourth place got 5 out of 8.
With the formalities out of the way, the event moved to the after-party, where attendees were treated to an incredible evening that encompassed superb food, a three-piece jazz band, and a series of whisky bars and cocktail bars set up around the room by the event’s sponsors, namely The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Balvenie, Manly Spirits Co (featuring Coastal Stone), Benriach, Starward, and Fever Tree. There was no risk of anyone going hungry or thirsty!
And, so, to the winners…..this year’s AMWTC bragging rights go to:
3rd place – Simon Cook
2nd place – Alex Uziallo
1st place – Seamus Carroll
All in all, it was a spectacular event (as always), and – after two years of lockdowns, restrictions, and a near-total absence of live events – it was a joy to see Australia’s whisky-appreciating community come together for something that mixed a bit of seriousness with a lot of fun.
Congratulations to all competitors, spectators, organisers, sponsors, and whiskies on a truly amazing and spectacular evening; one that everyone will be talking about until…well…the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship 2024!!
Cheers,
AD
All photos above courtesy of Whisky & Wisdom, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and Milk Bottle Projects.
For the official website of The Australian Malt Whisky Championship (aka AMWTC) see here.
This night was so worth waiting for. Thanks to everyone who made it so memorable. Fabulous venue – perhaps we should make this the “home” of the Championship.