Spirit of Speyside festival May 2008

[Deactivated Member]

Rene - I see I got David's name wrong - I'll correct it. Actually, I met David last year on the walk from Dufftown to Aberlour and was impressed,so it was a no-brainer to go back.

The Glenlivet safari was one of the real highlights. To be honest, once you've seen one distillery, you've pretty much got the idea. But with David Newland we were able to access the hills on the horizon and wildlife fell out of the landscape for us. We saw curlews, oystercatchers, gulls, lapwings, crows, mountain hares, roe deer, red deer (about 50 of them, in a herd, and it was my spot!!!), red grouse, meadow pipits and goodness knows what else. David was able to show us leaves that tasted of lemon, various types of heather and some grass that was used as wick for fish oil lamps. He knows the land and its inhabitants - and that is very special. There was a tie in to whisky with the smugglers trail and the drams we had but for me, it was the flora and fauna of Speyside that were all I needed. The place is very deceptive - it seems open and smooth but is far from it, and I have only ever seen it in spring and summer which doesn't give much clue to the real extremes of climate in the area.

If anyone is looking at a future Spirit of Speyside, please forego a distillery trip or two for the Land Rover trip - it's so worth it.

[Speyside]

Wow, that sounds like you've got a great time with David! Good to hear that. A few of my friends have done a similar trip with David and were equily impressed. Yes, it's good to have other activities planned during the whisky festival and I'm sure the Glenlivet Safari will be back on the program for next year!

Thanks for your positive feedback, much appreciated!

Rene
http://www.GreaterSpeyside.com

[BruceCrichton]

Great festival.

I've uploaded my pics on my Facebook site and I've posted some footage of Robin Laing in song.

What was everyone's favourite whisky?

[Deactivated Member]

What was everyone's favourite whisky?

I didn't really drink that much whisky, but my fave was probably the Glenfiddich Solera straight from the Solera Vat. It was rich, complex, sweet, rummy, creamy and full. I was lucky enough to try this twice - once on the Seven Stills and once on the Brian Kinsman tasting. At the Brian Kinsman event, we had first tried the 15yo traditional oak, 15yo new oak and 15yo sherry oak - the three ingredients in the Solera whisky.

I also had some lovely old Speymalt Macallans (far more expensive than the Glenfiddich would be if they sold it at cask strength) and some interesting cask samples of Knockando. The Seven Stills tour also gave me the chance to try Kininvie - a 1990 cask sample. This was a rare privilege, but the whisky itself was just a bit nondescript - some spiciness and vanilla (wood influence) but mostly it was quiet.

[BruceCrichton]

I notice you have a picture of me at Knockando.

I have a Nightwish top on.

Favourite whisky? Too many to mention and I was off with way too many bottles.

[Deactivated Member]

You're also quite visible in some of the Dregs Party shots, as I recall.

[BruceCrichton]

You're also quite visible in some of the Dregs Party shots, as I recall.

Which one were you?

[Deactivated Member]

Leather hat and Drizabone coat

[BruceCrichton]

Leather hat and Drizabone coat

Did see you then.

[Deactivated Member]

So - my entries in the photo competition are:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackwych/2470583143/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackwych/2470577225/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackwych/2471325460/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackwych/2470455435/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackwych/2470306631/

But there are others that I was sorry to leave out. Thanks for the comments.

[BruceCrichton]

Did you e-mail the links or send the photos as full size?

[Deactivated Member]

Neither - I saved them onto my computer as large (but not full size) and sent them as files - that way they all came in under the 1MB limit. Sorry you missed the cut, Bruce, but I liked the parallel lines in the Norwegian couple doing the nosing...

[BruceCrichton]

Am uploading some of my favourite ones just now.

[Deactivated Member]

Am uploading some of my favourite ones just now.

Link - please!

And it seems from the whisky fair that I didn't have a monopoly on leather hats I was probably the only person to come with two, though...

[BruceCrichton]

Just a snippet:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21272142@N04/sets/

[Deactivated Member]

Cool shots Bruce. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to the report.

[BruceCrichton]

Cool shots Bruce. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to the report.

PM me if you want a copy.

[Sleazer]

What was everyone's favourite whisky?

my fave was probably the Glenfiddich Solera straight from the Solera Vat. It was rich, complex, sweet, rummy, creamy and full.

I believe that the whisky you bottle yourself from a cask (e.g. from a hose) in the distillery shop, is the cask strength Solera Vat. Brilliant stuff. I filled one bottle at the autumn 2006 festival, and another one this time. I didn't taste it during the festival, so my favourite whisky this time was the Aberlour Warehouse no. 1 Bourbon Cask. Link to some pictures below. Some of the posters in this thread are caught indulging there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26471441@N04/collections/

[BruceCrichton]

Are you the guy who was sitting beside me at the Tannochbrae?

[Wave]

I saw you. Next time, say hello, Wave. Goodbye.

If had known which one you were I definitely would have. I had intentions to meet you and C_I at the Macallan Box in Elgin the night before but I got a bit carried away at the Whisky Fair in Dufftown Sunday.


Btw, I'll upload some of my festival pics when I finally get home from my travels (May 24th).

Cheers!

[BruceCrichton]

http://www.peatfreak.com/art-Bruce-Spey ... g-2008.php

[Sleazer]

Are you the guy who was sitting beside me at the Tannochbrae?

No, I'm the guy who was sitting on your left hand side in the Knockando tasting lab.

[The WSD]

I am interested to know what type of tasting events people would like to see during the Autumn 2008 and May 2009 festivals?

[BruceCrichton]

I am interested to know what type of tasting events people would like to see during the Autumn 2008 and May 2009 festivals?

A vertical tasting would be good. Caol Ila, Benriach or Aberlour would be interesting.

How about whisky and cheese again? That always goes well.

The usual indie bottlers, of course, and would Speyside distillers/Scott's selection do a tasting? They did one about 3 years ago and May was the first I've seen of them in Dufftown since.

Steve mentioned a tour of An Cnoc/Knockdhu distillery. If that was in the morning, I'd go and it would probably sell out quick.

[Deactivated Member]

Vertical tastings are good. There were a couple of events this year with tasting of whiskies that are not normally bottled without blending, alongside the final blend. This was done at Knockando and by Brian Kinsman at Glenfiddich.

Also - and you'll never get agreement to do it - I'd love to do a vertical tasting of Kininvie.

[BruceCrichton]

Nick, will you be at the Autumn festival?

[Deactivated Member]

No - sorry. I'll be doing a sponsored walk in South Africa. It was a tough choice - Dufftown or South Africa - South Africa or Dufftown? I had to toss a coin in the end.

[BruceCrichton]

No - sorry. I'll be doing a sponsored walk in South Africa. It was a tough choice - Dufftown or South Africa - South Africa or Dufftown? I had to toss a coin in the end.

How about next May?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25914259@N ... 363456235/

[Deactivated Member]

I hope to get up at some point during May - but I can't do the whole ten days. Probably just a long weekend.

[BruceCrichton]

I hope to get up at some point during May - but I can't do the whole ten days. Probably just a long weekend.

I'll just do a long weekend. Neither my liver nor my wallet can keep going for ten days.

[Deactivated Member]

Well, it seems that I have won a bottle of whisky, thanks to this photo:

I was a runner up and had a choice of three bottles, and I went for the Spirit of Speyside Blended Malt 2008. Only 21 full sized bottles exist - anywhere in the world. It's not going to be the most sought after bottle there's ever been, but I'm thrilled to bits to be getting one.

Sorry if I seem to be boasting

[Ganga]

Congratulations Nick.