Edinburgh Whisky Festival

[BruceCrichton]

Was at the last one.

The details are:

"Just to let you know tickets for the 2nd Edinburgh Whisky Festival on 22nd Feb are now on sale, they can be bought from http://www.hubtickets.co.uk, or please call hub tickets on 0131 473 2000.Look forward to seeing you there.

Thanks John & Claire OrganisersEdinburgh Whisky Festival "

[toshie]

I was there too and I wasn't very impressed. I much preferred Whisky Fringe, but I'm keen to support these events so if I'm not working, I may pop along

[Leither]

I was there too and I wasn't very impressed. I much preferred Whisky Fringe, but I'm keen to support these events so if I'm not working, I may pop along

My sentiments exactly, there are better events but I may well attend.

In fact just checked my diary - I won't be there as I'll be in Dublin for the rugby.

[BruceCrichton]

I'll head along anyway.

As long as the harp player is there and the bagpiper is left at home, my ears will be soothed.

The event was decidedly ragged in February but hopefully it will have improved.

Loads of great whiskies, especially the bourbons, at the venue though.

[Deactivated Member]

I think the onus is on the organizers to persuade us that it has improved. The first version did not have the advertised masterclass, offered miserly pours into straight tumblers from very, very few display stands. The only whiskies that I recall finding worthy of positive comment were, ironically, not Scotch - they were from Sweden, Wales and Japan. The few Scotch distillers that were there had brought very ordinary stuff or - in the case of one stand - some positively awful whisky flavoured with red wines.

I don't want to sound negative (sometimes it can't be helped, though), but I read last time around that many distillers stayed away because they thought the event was just about drinking lots of free whisky after the rugby - and not about promoting good whisky. Unless the organizers persuade both myself and the industry that this is no longer their focus, I'll save my pounds for things like SMWS tastings or Mark's Canongate tastings.

The gulf between last week's WL (warts and all) and the Edinburgh Whisky Festival is just too great.

[The Dazzler]

Like any event it has to start off some how!!! I think the fact they are back for 2008 shows some resolve. Assembly rooms is a fantastic venue and if they can build on last year then fair enough!! Entry fee was quite reasonable so bring it on!!!

Slainte

[jmrl]

Sadly can't attend due to pesky daughter's birthday (before you call social services I love her more than even my favourite dram).

FOR : Any event letting you taste whiskies for a tenner that you wouldn't normally consider trying due to doubt wether it was worth the dram price is welcome.

AGAINST : last year's was too amateur to offer much more than the drams themselves. EG nae outcakes, even water was scarce (2 litre plastic bottles are not ideal precision dispensers), information on the really interesting stuff often came recited from a printed bullet point sheet

This year's event is being held somewhere in Hanover street not Assembly Rooms. Does anybody know where to find more info on who is attending and with what whiskies also nature of master classes?

[Deactivated Member]

I'm afraid I think this is the kind of event that gives whisky festivals a bad name. They are only interested in selling tickets to people who want to believe they are getting drunk cheaply on whisky that costs the organizers nothing. Given the whiskies that were on offer last year, I think £10 represents poor value. I'd rather sit at home with quarter of a bottle of good Glenfarclas.

[Willie JJ]

I think that's a bit harsh.
True the event wasn't the best I've been to, but for my tenner the Bruichladdich folk offered me a choice of around six expressions of the Laddie as well as four Murray McDavid bottlings, of which the Caol Isla was, in my view, superb. On top of that the Whyte & Mackay folk made me rethink unpeated Jura whisky with their 16 year old, which is lovely.
Apart from those stalls the only experts were in the audience, but there were plenty of other good, if fairly mainstream, drams like Highland Park and Glenrothes, as well as a couple of cracking single cask Bourbons (Blantons was one, I can't recall the other at the moment; it may have been Elmer T Lee). Then there were the Japanese with Yamazaki and Hakushu. At the other end of the hall I got to try the Mackmyra Preludium and the Penderyn alonside a couple of Irish drams.
All in all quite a good learning experience for me, especially with the non-scotch whiskies.
What do you want for a tenner?
It may attract more interest from exhibitors this year and I'll be going to see if it does.

Willie

[Willie JJ]

For the curious these are the details posted on the hub. Note the £15 ticket price this time.

Edinburgh Whisky Festival 2008

Friday 22 February, 6.00pm - 9.30pm
Merchants' Hall, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2EP
£15.00 - general admission ticket

The 2nd Annual Edinburgh Whisky Festival with leading whiskies from around the world. Includes great live entertainment and whisky and bourbon cocktail bar.

Ticket price gives access to the hall, whisky stands and cocktail bar.

Please note that the £15.00 admission ticket does not include access to the whisky workshops.

[BruceCrichton]

Have booked my tickets.

Worth another shot.

I'd much prefer the harp player instead of the pipe band though.

[Willie JJ]

Have booked my tickets.
Worth another shot.
I'd much prefer the harp player instead of the pipe band though.

I'll be going for sure. Not sure why you prefer the harp player Bruce. Was she cute? I was too busy trying the whisky.

[BruceCrichton]

The harp player was a bloke who was so good, he could have played with Mike Oldfield and, no, I don't swing that way.

The pipe band was deafening indoors.

[Willie JJ]

That'll be the reason (s)he didn't catch my eye then

[BruceCrichton]

Just had a call saying that the event is postponed.

[martin grant]

Just had a call saying that the event is postponed.

Did they give you any idea why it was being postponed Bruce?

[BruceCrichton]

Not a peep, Martin.

Were Glenmorangie going to be there?

[martin grant]

Nope, and I'm not sure what other distilleries did confirm. I guess thats why it's been postponed. Did they say if it was postponed forever, or just until later in the year?

Cheers

[BruceCrichton]

Not a peep. Just that it was postponed.

Maybe if Bruichladdich, Glen Rothes and Isle of Jura weren't going to be there, they were last year, they just called it off.

[Willie JJ]

That's depressing

[irishwhiskeychaser]

I suppose there are only so many events some distilleries can go to and the fact the there seems to be an ever growing number of events world wide they have to chose wisely ....

[Lawrence]

Perhaps the £15 ticket price was the problem?

[BruceCrichton]

Just received a letter saying that it has been postponed due to illness and will be rearranged later.

[Deactivated Member]

Just received a letter saying that it has been postponed due to illness and will be rearranged later.

Let's hope it gets better.

[jmrl]

I was handed some publicity to advertise the event. The fact the organisers have not bothered to update ourselves with the situation speaks volumes. By the way I have been bitter ever since I was not permitted to advertise a charity whisky tasting at the last event.

[Deactivated Member]

Just received a letter saying that it has been postponed due to illness and will be rearranged later.

Nick beat me to it, but I was going to ask "Illness of the organisors or EVENT"

[jmrl]

Still disappointed its not going ahead even if we had our doubts.

[Deactivated Member]

Aye, I had thoughts about maybe going to this to try it out for the sake of £15 and the train through. Maybe it'll be back with a better line-up.

[BruceCrichton]

Aye, I had thoughts about maybe going to this to try it out for the sake of £15 and the train through. Maybe it'll be back with a better line-up.

It would be nice if they gave you some idea of who was going to be there.

And brought back the harp player and ditched the pipe band.

[jmrl]

did anybody actually buy a ticket?

[Deactivated Member]

Not me.

[Willie JJ]

I was going to but hadn't yet

[BruceCrichton]

did anybody actually buy a ticket?

Yes, one for me and one for my mate.

[Willie JJ]

Have they offered refunds Bruce, or are they insisting it will go ahead eventually?

[Deactivated Member]

Has anyone heard anything more on this?