As outlined in previous posts (e.g. here) the emerald city of Sydney is blessed to have three major whisky expo shows pass through each year. June 26/27 was time for Whisky Live to take centre stage and yours truly went along as a paying customer to the opening Friday night session.
Whisky Live has been running in Sydney since 2009 and it’s the same, original organisers still at the helm. For reasons none other than inconvenient timing or simply being out of town when the show rolled around, it had been a number of years (four?) since I last attended Whisky Live, so I was keen to see how the current incarnation played out.
The three different (I refuse to use the word competing) expos have each positioned themselves a little differently and each present differently. This is both good and necessary, as there would be little point in having three identical events. Of the three whisky expos, Whisky Live is the most expensive at $99 a ticket (compared notionally with $75 and $90, so we’re not talking much) but there are a few aspects of Whisky Live where you can see and appreciate where your money is going. For starters, you get the bonus of a very central and convenient location: This year’s Whisky Live was held at the Menzies Hotel in the city, immediately adjacent Wynyard train station and the bus depots. It was thus both a breeze and affordable to get to and from the event. The room was large, well laid out, and with excellent features and facilities. Water was at hand at numerous stations around the room, together with well-placed spittoons and – a particularly nice and appreciated touch – plenty of seating so you could sit down with a dram and contemplate the goodness in your glass.
The second stand-out for Whisky Live was the food catering. Put simply, it was sensational. Lots of it; plenty of choices; always available; very tasty, and incredible variety. Set up at several locations around the room, there were bain-marees serving varied options such as potato wedges (complete with sour cream and sweet-chilli sauce), cannelloni, a delicious beef stew, and various assorted meat pies, and sausage rolls. Elsewhere were platters presenting cheese boards, cut fruits, cold meats, anti-pasto, bread rolls, and so forth. Each food station was kept topped up all throughout the session, and you simply helped yourself to as much as you wanted, whenever you wanted. This was a sensational touch; it eliminated the cost of factoring dinner into one’s budget, it was convenient, and – above all else – it was pretty darn tasty! It also no doubt helped with one’s absorption of alcohol – an inconvenient truth at such events. Another stand at the show (Wapengo Rocks) was presenting oysters, allowing you to pair some of the more maritime whiskies with the jewel of the sea. Food and whisky pairings are always a treat.
Still, this event was Whisky Live, not Food Live, so what about the main attraction? The event featured an extremely broad and eclectic range of whiskies and other products. For the sake of simple categorisation, there were plenty of offerings from Scotland, the USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. I say “other products” because you could also explore some coffee liqueurs from the Appalachian Gap distillery (Vermont, USA), gourmet single-origin chocolate, the aforementioned oysters; there were also displays and stands promoting various whisky clubs, and also whisky tours to Tasmania. One stand was also making cocktails using their featured whiskies as key ingredients, thus presenting another way to enjoy whiskies.
For the whiskies themselves, there was a mix of well-known and ubiquitous brands, together with some lesser known brands that you’d rarely get to sample. For those that like names, the list reads as Aberlour, Appalachian Gap, Auchentoshan, Balvenie, Blug Hanger, Bowmore, Dalmore, Dimple, Dry Fly, Finlaggan, Glenfiddich, Glen Grant, Glen Ord, Glenlivet, Glenrothes, Hakushu, Hibiki, Highland Park, Hudson, Jack Daniels, Jura, Knob Creek, Laphroaig, Makers Mark, Monkey Shoulder, NZ Whisky Co., Russell’s Reserve, Starward, Sullivans Cove, Suntory, Talisker, and Yamazaki. Of course, many of these brands were showcasing multiple expressions from their portfolio, so the number of different whiskies available to taste was impressive. (As one example, the Glenrothes stand was featuring six different expressions from the one distillery).
Another nice feature that makes Whisky Live a little different to the other expos is the Old & Rare Bar. Located off to the side in its own little glorious area, the Old & Rare Bar features whiskies that are exactly that: Old and rare. A sight for sore eyes, the bar featured an impressive range of whiskies from numerous bottlers and included the likes of Port Ellens, Karuizawa, Rosebank, Glenfarclas, Willet, Yoichi, and the like. Ranging in prices from $28 to $99 for a 15ml dram, it was an opportunity to taste bottles that, for the vast majority of us, will be well beyond our reach. (As an example, the Port Ellen 4th release at $99 a dram is currently worth around $4,000 a bottle, so it’s an affordable opportunity to try a dram that might otherwise pass you by).
Like all good whisky expos, a key feature is to meet and chat with the various brand ambassadors and industry folks. The usual suspects were all there, making for yet another reunion and a great networking event. To Richard, Laura, Dan 1, Dan 2, Sean, Stuart, Ben and the many others on the front line, I salute you. As I write these words, I know your backs and legs are still aching from last night, and yet you’re already repeating the dose for the Saturday sessions. Kudos also to David Vitale, owner & director of Starward, who came up to represent his distillery.
Another aspect of Whisky Live worth pointing out is the excellent catalogue they produce for the event. The glossy booklet doesn’t just list all of the whiskies being featured at the event, but also describes each whisky with two simple line charts that give a rating from 0 to 5 to indicate both the whisky’s Smoke and Body. For those new to the category or who are wary of a particular style (for example, those who don’t care for peaty, smoky whiskies), these two simple line charts help the novice navigate to which whiskies they should like and which ones they should avoid. There’s also some excellent advice at the back of the catalogue addressing subjects such as “Do you add water to your whisky?”, “What kind of water?”, “What to look for”, “What are we tasting”, “Alcohol strength”, “Old and young whiskies, which is better?”, and “Some whisky labels have an age statement and some not…”. Again, for those newer to the category, this is all excellent information and certainly helps many come to terms with the often confusing and overwhelming terminology and traditions.
A whisky raffle – with some rather impressive bottlings – was also held during the night, with all proceeds going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. A loud cheer went around the room when the winner was announced, followed a split second later with the sound of several hundred people whispering, “Bugger” under their breath.
It would be a lost opportunity not to mention which whiskies pushed my buttons and which ones did not. To keep things short and simple, highlights for me were the Dalmore 18yo and the Laphroaig 15yo. Disappointments were the Finlaggan 10yo and the NZ Whisky Co.’s Oamaruvian. The real highlights and genuine gems of my visit were at the Diageo and the William Grant & Sons stands, courtesy of some…er…special bottles that were hiding under the table. Let’s just say Balvenie single casks from 1973 are well worth seeking out, and Caol Ila 30yo is a sublime dram.
In conclusion, I give a “Well done” to the organisers on a great event. They explained to me some time ago that they’re trying to position Whisky Live as an introduction to the category and to encourage people into the world of whisky. On that front, they are succeeding: This was a great event that delivered an impressive line up of whiskies; a chance to meet and speak with passionate people; and to be introduced to whisky in an incredibly hospitable, friendly, and non-confronting environment. On the other side of the coin, there was plenty to keep the more experienced drinkers and connoisseurs interested and satisfied. The room was spacious, the crowd size was “just right”, and the punters were the winners on the night.
As a final word: Lots of Sydney folks like to spend time & energy comparing the various whisky expos and argue over which one is the best. My advice – and request – is to be grateful we have three incredible opportunities at our doorstep, and to graciously support all three of them. I remember the dark days when there was nothing, and – frankly – we don’t know how good we’ve got it right now.
Slainte,
AD
