How often have you walked into a liquor store only to be overwhelmed by the selection of whiskies from Scotland, Kentucky, Canada, Ireland, Missouri, Japan, Tennessee, etc. The solution is to attend Whiskey in the Winter on November 20, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency downtown St. Louis. One ticket provides the opportunity to taste over 300 whiskies from around the world.
Although the event is now sold out (the bad news), here are some tips for those attending this year, advice for those who return next year, and information on ancillary events (the good news).
Understand you will not be able to taste everything, and I suggest making a list, as you will be overwhelmed once you enter the ballroom. Go for the most popular items first, but reserve the smokey, peaty whiskies for the end. Remember to eat, drink lots of water, and don't forget about the seminars, which provide excellent breaks from the main tasting.
Here are my Top 18 choices:
Macallan 18 - one of the benchmark single malts for so many, it continues to increase in price as demand outstrips supply.
Highland Park 18 - although Highland Parks can be peaty, the 18 is more the product of sherry casks, and always scores big.
Deanston 18 Bourbon Cask - this limited edition expression is very impressive with lots of buttery vanilla notes. A good value to pick up while you still can.
Arran 18 - this sherry matured, official bottling is wonderful, and highlights what the distillery can do.
Calling all Dewar's fans (& even those who don't fancy Dewar's), Bacardi has finally started releasing some of the component single malts of the Dewar's blends, so I highly encourage you to taste the Royal Brackla 12 and 16, The Deveron 12 and 18 from the MacDuff distillery, and Aultmore 12 and 18. These are all wonderful, and fun to try as mini-verticals to see how four to six years affect the expressions.
Brenne 10 and Estate Cask – single malt whisky produced in Cognac France, this small production whisky puts a unique spin on single malt, and worth a taste.
Alberta Rye Dark Batch - this premium rye from Beam's Alberta Distillers Ltd is rich, yet very approachable and great neat or in cocktails.
Cutty Sark Prohibition -t his new formulation of the traditional blended scotch is not your grandfather's Cutty Sark, but I bet he'd love it. Bottled at higher strength, this versatile blend is great neat, on the rocks or in your favorite cocktail. Definitely worth a try.
Tamdhu Batch Strength -Tamdhu was previously owned by Edrington and contributed to the Famous Grouse blend. Recently released as an official bottling by Ian Macleod, the Batch Strength has no age statement, but is bottled at cask strength – amazing!
Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 -Gaelic for friendship the limited, annual Cairdeas bottling for 2015 is special to celebrate the distillery's 200th Anniversary. It is produced from malted barley which was exclusively floor malted in the traditional style at the distillery. Laphroaig is one of a small number of distilleries to still employ floor malting, but only a small percentage of their malted barley.
Bruichladdich Black Art 4 -this is Master Distiller Jim McEwan's fourth iteration of this peated expression matured in a secret combination of casks, featuring French and American oak – extremely complex!
Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley -the first Octomore distilled from 100% Islay grown barley. Don't be fooled by the youth (distilled in 2009) this whisky is peated to 258ppm, which slowly evolves on the palate and finish. Not to be missed, but definitely to save for later in the evening.
VIP admission includes a Golden Ticket, which allows the holder to taste one of eight premium whiskies – which will run out on a first come, first served basis. The Golden Ticket selections for Whiskey In The Winter 2015 are wonderful, including selections for every type of whiskey lover. With the exception of the Parker's Heritage, most of these bottles can be found on local shelves and retail for $150 to $300.
Speaking of the Parker's Heritage, the annual release for 2015 is 8 years old, bottled at 54% and has the distinct mash bill of 65% malted barley and 35% corn. Heaven Hill has developed quite the reputation from their Parker's Heritage expressions, and are very difficult to source, which is why this bottle qualifies for the Golden Ticket. By comparison most bourbons only contain around 10% malted barley in their mash bills.
For the single malt scotch lover are three fabulous whiskies from Speyside. The Balvenie 21 demonstrates how port pipes can add an new dimension to the whisky. The Macallan Rare Cask highlights the influence of sherry casks. Similar to the classic Macallan 18, the Macallan Rare Cask has the bold, complex notes you would expect from sherry matured Macallan, but is incredibly smooth. It will only be released in limited quantities annually in the U.S. Lastly the Glenlivet 18 is one of the most awarded expressions in the Glenlivet portfolio. It's prized for the balance of age and elegance, fruitiness of spirit combined with the perfect wood maturation.
Japanese whiskies continue to grow in popularity, and Yamazaki 18 is a great example of how an additional 6 years of maturation and increased percentage of sherry casks affect the whisky, as most Japanese fans are familiar with the standard Yamazaki 12-year-old. Less obvious are the influences of Japanese oak casks.
Few whisky drinkers have not heard of Johnnie Walker, a grocer whose blended whiskey made him a household name and over the decades many blends have been released. The Johnnie Walker Blue Label was launched in 1992 as a premium blend, containing whiskies over thirty years of age. Many consider it a benchmark blend. It is very delicate, and best sampled early at an event which will challenge even the best palates to go the distance.
At 17 years of age, the Wild Turkey Master's Keep is the oldest Wild Turkey ever released in the U.S. By contrast, casks in the standard Wild Turkey 101 are six to eight years old. Bottled at the surprising low natural strength of 43.4%, which is attributed to time matured in stone warehouses.
Last, but not least, of the Golden Ticket whiskey selections is the Jack Daniels Sinatra Select. It's no secret Frank liked to drink Jack Daniels, and this special release is bottled at the higher proof of 45% and was matured in special Sinatra barrels, which were grooved on the interior to allow greater interaction between the spirit and the wood.
Ancillary events:
November 18 & 19: Scotch Tasting with Chris Riesbeck - The National Sales Manager for Classic Imports (Benromach, Brenne, Gordon & MacPhail), will conduct tastings from 5 - 7:00 p.m. at The Wine and Cheese Place on Nov.18th and from 5 - 7:00 p.m. at Lukas Wine & Spirits on Nov. 19th. Gordon & MacPhail has been bottling single malts for over 115 years. The company currently bottles over 350 different expressions from nearly 70 distilleries.
November 19: Giant Whisk(e)y Open House Tasting Extravaganza - An opportunity to taste three scotches from The Balvenie, three from Tullamore DEW, four from Hudson, and five from Glenfiddich. The following brand ambassadors will be in attendance: Jonathan Wingo (The Balvenie), David Allardice (Glenfiddich), and Han Shan (Hudson). At The Wine and Cheese Place (Clayton), from 5 - 7:00 p.m.
November 21: Scotch Tasting with Ed Kohl - Whiskey expert, spirits specialist, and founder of ImpEx Beverages (exclusive importer of the Chieftain Line of vintage single malt Scotch whiskies), Ed Kohl will conduct a scotch tasting at The Wine and Cheese Place (Clayton) from 1:30 - 4:00 p.m.
William C. Meyers co-authored Michael Jackson's "Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, 6th Edition," and "1001 Whiskies You Must Taste Before You Die." He is an avid scotch collector who writes for The Chicago Tribune and St. Louis Magazine. A criminal defense attorney by day, Bill is renowned for his sartorial style and passion for whiskey. Follow him as Scotchguy on Twitter and Instagram. He's also the Whiskey Sommelier at the Golden Ticket table at Whiskey in the Winter.
