Whisky musician Robin Laing experiences the Kentucky Bourbon Festival for the first time and finds a home from home.
Oh, the buzzin’of the bees and the cigarette trees and the soda water fountain.
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings, in the big Rock Candy Mountains’ Bardstown must be one of the few towns in the USA to still have an old-style, drug store soda fountain. I sat in there with some friends...
By Robin Laing
from Issue 59 published on 11/10/2006
There’s a real sense of purpose on Speyside at the moment, reflected by its rapidly developing Spirit of Speyside Festival.
Dominic Roskrow reports
Put it down to the eight outstanding whiskies we’d had to taste and judge, the fact that the dinner was served late or that the generally amenable ambience, but Alex Salmond couldn’t stop beaming.
The Scottish National Party leader had stepped in at the last moment to replace SNP member of parliame...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 56 published on 01/06/2006
Hosted for the second time in the magnificent Palais Brongniart, the old Stock Exchange, Paris Whisky Live welcomed 60 distilleries from all other the world including the newcomers from India, Wales and Brittany Whisky Live had chosen a sensory angle this year, placing the whole event under the them...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 52 published on 30/11/2005
The water of life flowed freely at this year’s Whisky Live show in Glasgow, with thousands of dram hunters making the pilgrimage to the event held in the main square of Scotland’s biggest city.
With people paying at the door and passers-by discovering for themselves this new annual event, attendanc...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 51 published on 07/10/2005
South Africa’s internationally aligned whisky festivals, the First National Bank Whisky Live Festivals, take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from October 26-28 and in Johannesburg at the Sandton Convention Centre from November 2-4, 2005.
Since inception in 2003, the FNB Whisk...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 50 published on 09/09/2005
September 25th and 26th 2005
The Paris stock exchange will welcome all enthusiasts of uisge beatha on Sunday 25th September (general public) and on Monday 26th September 2005 (professionals only) for the second Whisky Live Paris.
The event will bring together around 60 exhibitors including more than 50 distilleries from around...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 49 published on 15/07/2005
Whisky enthusiasts and industry representatives are gathering in Sydney this August for the second National Malt Whisky Convention. As interest in single malts within Australia continues to grow, this event is sure to be an even bigger success than the first festival in 2003.
The event will include...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 48 published on 10/06/2005
Whisky Magazine is hailing its first American show as an overwhelming success and organisers are already turning their attentions to next year as the industry hailed Whisky Live New York as a total triumph.
The event, ambitiously held in Central Park, attracted hundreds of New York’s jet setters, a...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 48 published on 10/06/2005
A team from Whisky Magazine completed nearly 50 miles of the Speyside Way to raise money for Make Poverty History. Dominic Roskrow reports
As great whisky moments go it takes some beating: an obscenely large glass of Balblair poured at Balmenach distillery late on a Friday evening in the company of friends and just as dusk began to turn to night .
We’d just completed a 12 hour, 30 mile yomp through Speyside on the back of 18 miles the...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 48 published on 10/06/2005
Whisky Live Glasgow will be held for the second time on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th September, 2005.
And this year’s event will not only be more ambitious than last year, but will embrace other aspects of Scottish culture beyond just whisky.
Held in the impressive St. George’s square in the centr...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 47 published on 05/04/2005
The Islay festival starts on May 27th. We decided to host a pre-festival dinner on the island and invited all the distilleries. Dominic Roskrow reports
On the face of it spending March 17th – St Patrick’s Day – on the Scottish island of Islay isn’t the most obvious thing to do. But there is some method in such madness. For while the Emerald isle is no doubt downing the Jameson’s in honour of its national saint and adopted Englishman, Islay has its ...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 47 published on 05/04/2005
In just three years, the Whisky Fair at Limburg in Germany has established a good reputation and continues to attract excellent visitor numbers.
In just three years, the Whisky Fair at Limburg in Germany has established a good reputation and continues to attract excellent visitor numbers.
The omens for this year’s fair, on the last weekend in April, look excellent. All 45 available trade stands have been snapped up and there is quite a wait...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 46 published on 10/3/2005
This year’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival was the first since the legendary Booker Noe passed away. But as Dominic Roskrowreports, he was remembered in the best possible way – with a whiskey
Ivan the Terrible, the Mean Jeanie, Karl the Snarl… America’s hurricane season did its best to put a dent in this year’s Kentucky bourbon Festival, but it failed miserably.
Indeed by the time country legend Charlie Daniels took the stage for a free concert in front of 7,000 fans, the rain that had ...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 44 published on 25/11/2004
The first Whisky LiveParis was held inteh old Parisian stock market - and it was a success
Whisky is definitely a bullish market in France as Paris Whisky Live could testify. The venue, the distinguished Palais Brongniart, former Paris stock exchange, had never dealt with so many liquid assets.
More than 50 exhibitors including 44 distilleries entertained 2,300 visitors for two days. Edr...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 43 published on 23/10/2004
Whisky Live Glasgow was different to any other whisky show
It’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming, whisky’s coming home.” Three Lions might be a song linked intrinsically to the English, but a
paraphrased version of it had a certain resonance in Glasgow when Whisky Live came to town.
For there was a real sense of triumph and celebration during the...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 43 published on 23/10/2004
We thought it would be fun to match some favourite whiskies with cigars, coffee and chocolate for a Christmas treat, so we called on the experts. This is what we got
Simon Chase, Hunters & Frankau – cigars
Gerard Coleman, master chocolatier,
Artisan du Chocolat – chocolate
Dominic Roskrow – whiskies
Jeremy Torz, roastmaster, Union Coffee Roasters – coffee
Glenfiddich Solera Reserve
Coffee selection:
JT: “The fairly light body of this whisky but sweet yet bold...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 43 published on 23/10/2004
In just three years, the Whisky Fair at Limburg in Germany has established itself as one of THE events in the continental whisky diary.
In just three years, the Whisky Fair at Limburg in Germany has established itself as one of THE events in the continental whisky diary. And going by the number of faces and names from the Scotch whisky industry who were putting in their second or third appearance this year, the fair is seen as both ...
By Brian Townsend
from Issue 40 published on 4/6/2004
This year’s Speyside Festival was a great success. Marcin Miller was there
Visiting a distillery gives you greater understanding of the meaning of whisky. Attending a festival gives you that to the power of 10 or more. How? Contextually, culturally and exclusively, that’s how.
Reading about a trek someone else undertook is fine. But it’s not the same as lacing up your boo...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 40 published on 4/6/2004
Gavin D Smith provides an update on the Andrew Usher commemorations
In Issue 36 we reported on the second annual Andrew Usher Event, held at William Grant & Sons, hosted by Peter Gordon, great-great-grandson of company founder William Grant.
The occasion was designed to celebrate blended Scotch whisky, and in particular one of the key pioneers of blending, Andrew U...
By Gavin D. Smith
from Issue 39 published on 1/5/2004
Whisky Live London has grown into a major event attracting hundreds of whisky lovers from across Europe
The sold out signs out days before the event started, packed masterclasses and the addition of new events – Whisky Live London was bigger and better than ever before.
And the event, now in its fourth year in London, is diversifying as a general interest in whisky of all kinds attract a younger audi...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 39 published on 1/5/2004
The Classic Malts Cruise is an annual event held by Diageo, formerly Guinness-UDV. For one person on it, it was a case of sailing with the enemy. But for Gillian Bell, the adventure was to change her perspective entirely
Given personal history and perceptions, I should have avoided the Classic Malts Cruise like the plague. A two week booze cruise with the heid yens of UDV, formally Guinness, and now Diageo.
It was 18 years ago that Ernest Saunders’ Guinness sent in the heavies to kneecap my father, Arthur Bell. He ...
By Gillian Bell
from Issue 39 published on 1/5/2004
As crazy ideas go, pillaging malts on Islay for charity is pretty crazy. Dave Broomtracked down some of the guilty parties and asked them exactly what they thought they were doing
He remembered the barrel roll. The laughs they’d had, the too-late night on Jura and the push up the hill at Port Askaig the next morning with thick ringing heads. The way the island came together, the distilleries working together, the roar of the staves on the road. Something similar was needed.
...
By Dave Broom
from Issue 35 published on 17/11/2003
Thousands turned out for Germany’s Limburg Whisky Fair. Brian Townsend was amongst them
It is an old saying that the Germans always take everything they do very seriously. Well, in recent years the Germans have discovered malt whiskies and they take them very seriously indeed, especially the peaty ones from Islay. Today Germany hosts a stack of annual whisky festivals, fairs and trade ...
By Brian Townsend
from Issue 33 published on 25/9/2003
Whisky with food is becoming increasingly popular. Dominic Roskrowgets a taste for it
If ever there were a meeting of cultures, it came a few years back at Britain’s most famous horse race, The Grand National. We had been taken on a luxury train to Liverpool by the sponsors Martell, had breakfasted on fine food and champagne, had enjoyed a private lunch in a marquee
on the course, an...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 32 published on 13/7/2003
Whisky Live Japan goes from strength to strength and is getting weirder as it does so. Marcin Miller mixes it with Tokyo’s finest
A good cocktail is all in the shaking, as one Tokyo bar owner took great delight in explaining to me during my recent visit to Japan.
Exactly the same ingredients, shaken in the same quantities but in different ways, can either come together in a delightful marriage, greater than the sum of its par...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 29 published on 24/3/2003
The Kentucky Bourbon Festival is one of the year’s whiskey highlights. Damian Riley-Smith brought back a suitcase full of fond memories
The rollercoaster ride that is the Kentucky Bourbon Festival more than met expectations yet again. Kentucky, often mistakenly left off the US
tourist map, is the heartland of hospitality, subtle beauty and historic charm.
This year began with a trip embodying a ‘historic’ experience, and one that I...
By Damian Riley-Smith
from Issue 29 published on 24/3/2003
Marcin Miller particpates in setting a whisky record in Sweden's beautiful capital Stockholm
Well, rather than being broken, a record was established for the biggest ever whisky tasting on 24th November 2001 at The World Trade Centre, Stockholm. A staggering 1210 people tasted five whiskies: three Islays, an Orkney and an Irish whiskey.
The tasting was the brainchild of Angela Forsgren d’O...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 21 published on 16/2/2002
Tokyo was host ot Whisky Live Japan 2001-and Marcin Miller was there to report on the festivities
Following the success and the positive feedback regarding last year’s event, the scope of Whisky Live Tokyo 2001 was far broader: it boasted an opening seminar tasting of five whiskies, a closing seminar tasting of five whiskies, 12 Masterclasses in between and a massive 29 exhibitors in the open ta...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 21 published on 16/2/2002
Whisky Magazine will again be present at this year’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which is to be held in the heart of bourbon country in September.
Bardstown, Kentucky, is the centre of the world’s bourbon industry. It’s a town steeped with history having been home to the spirit since 1776 – it’s th...
By
from Issue 17 published on 16/7/2001
The Single Malt Club Of Scotland was launched in Portugal at a ceremony held at the Ambassador’s Residence in Lisbon.
Over 100 whisky enthusiasts attended the event in April, including members of the press, restaurant owners and specialist retailers, as well as members of the social set in Portugal....
By
from Issue 17 published on 16/7/2001
Whisky Magazine had two of its writers nominated for awards at the prestigious Glenfiddich Food & Drink Awards.
Contributing Editor Dave Broom was nominated in the best Drink Writer category (won by Arthur Taylor for his work in What’s Brewing) and regular contributor Phillip Hills was nominated in...
By
from Issue 17 published on 16/7/2001
Martin Betts muses on the effect St Patrick's Day has on people not just in Ireland, but all over the world
It goes far beyond Ireland. Further than a bunch of reeling students stumbling from pub to pub or a couple of old boys having a
Guinness and a nip of Bushmills in a cosy bar in Galway. It transcends differing cultures, time zones and nationalities in order to bring the world’s craic (Gaelic word si...
By Martin Betts
from Issue 15 published on 16/4/2001
Whisky pilgrims , tourists, locals- this summer's Islay Festival attracted fans from around the globe. Michael Jackson reports on a time to remember, while Marcin Miller travels east to catch up on the festivities in Speyside.
Do young people enjoy whisky? 13-year-old Joe Byrne certainly does. Nosing but not tasting, he identified four out of eight local malts in a competition at the Islay Festival of Whisky and Music. His prize was a bottle of Laphroaig. Joe was there with a his nine-year-old brother Alexander and their ...
By Michael Jackson
from Issue 11 published on 16/9/2000
Heaven is wall to wall Scotches, bourbons and malts for the taking. Stuart Maclean Ramsay had a hard time coping.
It was a pleasant if somewhat overwhelming quandary for a whisky drinker to be in. Around 250 single malt Scotches, top class bourbons and other exemplary spirits to nose and sample; 10 whisk(e)y legends and pioneers to listen to and learn from; and a plethora of whisk(e)y makers and distillery mana...
By Stuart MacLean Ramsay
from Issue 11 published on 16/9/2000
Whisky Magazine readers revelled in true highland hospitality when they were entertained at a William Grant and Sons special lunch.
While much of England was under water during the month of May, Scotland basked in warm spring sunshine. So it was when 20 Whisky Magazine readers met at Glenfiddich Distillery, in Dufftown, for a tour of both Glenfiddich and The Balvenie distilleries (they are adjacent, although The Balvenie is not...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 11 published on 16/9/2000
Over 60 guests attended Whisky Magazine’s inaugural reader dinner for an exceptional tasting of a range of Aberlour single malts. Marcin Miller was there
Whisky magazine’s first sponsored reader dinner was held at London’s premier restaurant, Novellis EC1 and attended by Michael Jackson, Whisky Magazine’s constultant editor, David Boyd, master blender at Campbell Distillers who produce Aberlour and Georg Riedel, designer of the world’s finest selecti...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 8 published on 16/2/2000
It was show time in Kentucky and Damian Riley-Smith found it very much to his taste.
The newcomer to Kentucky may be forgiven for thinking he had come to whiskey heaven – for indeed he has. Arriving at the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville at 11pm would, for many, be the time to try out its fabulous four poster beds. But not during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. The Seelbach was playing...
By Damian Riley-Smith
from Issue 7 published on 16/12/1999
