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Whisky Live Festival 2011 Approaches
With just over one month to go to the famed FNB Whisky Life Festival (WLF) here in South Africa I’m a bit on the slow side posting this. Chances are, however, if you live in SA, drink whisky, and don’t reside in a hippie commune in the middle of the blazing Sahara, then you already know the countdown to South Africa’s premier whisky event has begun.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it as many times as I have breath in me, if you like whisky or are vaguely interested in the drink, then you must, nay NEED to, attend the event. Being a whisky drinker can often be a solitary experience apart from a handful of likeminded friends you may be lucky enough to have, but come the WLF dram enthusiasts from all over our aspiring great nation wiggle their way out of family and work obligations and come together to converse, imbibe, inhale and experience the magic of the water of life.
The event is running the same tried-and-trusted format as its eight previous years with more than 19 000 people expected to attend and over 180 international and local whiskies on show. Sifting through the press releases, emails and website, I’m most looking forward to:
- Kilchoman, marking its entry into the SA market (finally)
- The arrival of Compass Box Great King Street Artist’s Blend (finally)
- WLF special bottling of The GlenDronach 21yo, 1990 vintage, single cask
- Additional releases by Bruichladdich, Jura and Dalmore (we’ve only had the entry expression or two available in the past)
- Workshop with master distiller Billy Walker tasting several single cask/premium/vintage releases of GlenDronach
- Journey’s Blend workshop with Rob Allanson, editor of Whisky Magazine, on his motorbike trip around Scotland creating a blended malt
Other items that don’t tickle me as much, but are still news and deserve mention:
- The new Balblair 1989 and 2000 vintages, also marking their entry into SA market
- The unveiling of the Glenmorangie Pride 1981, limited to 1000 bottles worldwide, available for ±2500GBP (≈R28,000)
- The auctioning of the limited edition Glenlivet 1940 with proceeds going to the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research
- Additional workshops with Dave Broom, Denis Malcolm (Glen Grant), Ian Logan (Glenlivet) and more
The daily line-up is crammed full of whisky activities, so for full details see the WLF website here.
The festival is taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 2-4 November 2011, and at the Johannesburg Sandton Convention Centre from 9-11 November 2011, 18:00 to 22:00 daily. Tickets have been on sale since the 15th of September, available here, and will set you back R190 (≈R15) for entrance to the tasting hall, while workshops/masterclasses are still excellent value-for-money at R100 (≈R8) per class – combo tickets also available. (A word of caution, choose your workshops wisely depending on your whisky experience and exposure.)
See my posts last year on the WLF Dos and Don’ts and Lesson’s Learnt after the event.
See you there!
The Whisky Live Festival 2010 Lessons Learnt
Whiskies: Too many to list
Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa
Date: 10-12 November, 2010
Cost: Tasting Hall R180 ≈ £16, Workshops R100 ≈ £9
It’s surprising, and sad, to think the Whisky Live Festival 2010 has already come and gone. You literally wait the whole year for a few hours of whisky wonder, and then within what seems like minutes the wait begins anew. This coming year I expect to find the wait easier though, as unfortunately I didn’t enjoy the past one as much as the previous three. Even worse, I accept the responsibility for the role I played.
I attended two of the three nights in Joburg, and as I try and focus on the workshops more than the general tasting hall, for my first night I booked two workshops, and for my second night I booked for the early workshop and then the tasting hall for the remainder of the night. All good in theory so far. The problem was that I was also invited to a media workshop, and at the end of the day it was too much sitting and listening, and not enough interacting and tasting. The workshops were great, as always, but for the first time I’ve realised I can only sit through so many in one day. Lesson 1 learnt.
Next, I found the whiskies in three of the four workhops I attended… well, pretty average actually. I had tasted the vast majority of the whiskies presented, and the few I hadn’t tasted was because I had chosen not to buy them, not because they are difficult to come by. Maybe its just me, but I don’t find Knockando, Glen Grant or Speyburn exciting whiskies. (Of course this does not mean they aren’t good and don’t have something to offer.) It’s time to accept that the more whisky events I attend, especially WLFs, the more I should expect to see the same whiskies again. Lesson 2 learnt. A suggestion to the organisers: please list the whiskies that will be presented in all the workshops on the program beforehand.
My second night started with a workshop by Dave Broom, which is always enjoyable, but as I had attended another of his workshops the day before, many of the same examples, stories and jokes were cited. I have only myself to blame for this; I don’t expect presenters to have new material after a month, never mind 24 hours. Lesson 3 learnt.
The tasting hall followed, and after visiting a few stands, mainly to say hi to some whisky people, I found Whisky Magazine’s Independent Bottlers Challenge and World Whisky Awards (WWA) stands. Both are highlights of my previous years due to the incredible selection of independent bottlings and locally unavaliable whiskies. The WWA stand was being solely manned, in this case more appropriately womanned, by Eve from Wild About Whisky and as I sort of know her I ask if she needed some help. At first it was just acting as an obstacle to keep the entrance to the stand blocked, but as the wave of crowds kept coming I started to help pour and chat to answer questions. As much as I enjoyed helping, drinking the whiskies, and meeting some new whisky people, this didn’t leave me much time afterwards to explore the rest of the floor. Lesson 4 learnt.
I realise these lessons will not be applicable to many festival goers, but I do think it highlights the point that if you attend year-after-year the more important it becomes to have a game plan and stick to it.
Lastly, a rant I would like to share. The one workshop I attended had some absolutely killer drams, but the pours were so ridiculously small that I, as well as my whisky drinking companions, harboured some resentment the whole workshop through. When I say small pours, I mean about 0.5cl (5ml), and I’m sure you’d all agree this is not nearly enough for even one proper swallow! This was the first workshop in 4 years that once seated, the childlike wonder I usually experience was slapped out of me faster than a student can accept free beer. Being seated in the front row, what added to my aggravation was that I could see the bottles on the presenter’s table in front of me with plenty more glorious whisky in them. This workshop was only being held once so its not as if provision had to be made for another day. I got the distinct feeling, and probably wrongfully so, that one of the workshop organisers/helpers was consciously minimizing the pours in hopes of helping himself to the leftovers. I was excited more about this workshop than the other two I attended (who wouldn’t be at the chance to drink Brora and Port Ellen) but I enjoyed it least due to the puny pours.
The Whisky Live Festival 2010 Arrives
Its here, its here, its here, its here! The South African FNB Whisky Live Festival 2010 is upon as. The event took place last week in Cape Town and it sounds like it was another great success – although I have to admit news of the event has been minimal, could it be attendees are still sleeping off their hangovers?
If you haven’t attended the WLF before, I highly encourage you to make the most of this opportunity and don’t just get ish-faced (AND if you do, please don’t be a prick and drive). Of course drinking pour after pour of delicious dram is bound to lead you down that path, but travel it nobly; learn along the way, meet the salt-of-the-earth people that make this enlightening elixir, as well as the local players that ensure you have a constant supply of the good stuff within arms reach.
Festival DOs:
1. Do learn as much as you can – a better opportunity is hard to find
2. Do meet as many interesting whisky people as possible
3. Do try a whisky (preferable many) you haven’t tried before
4. Do attend a workshop
5. Do be friendly to the ‘pourers’
Festival DONTs:
1. Don’t go if you aren’t vaguely interested in whisky
2. Don’t ask for the most expensive whisky
3. Don’t ask for a double
4. Don’t go to your trusted whisky brand stand and not leave
5. Don’t be a prick and drink and drive
I have a packed two days lined-up: three workshops, tasting hall, a media only workshop (with Dave Broom and Gerry Tosh from Highland Park!), and surprisingly Dave Broom has agreed to an interview. Awesomeness! How much do I look forward to this event? Well I’ve taken leave and I’m flying from Lagos back to Joburg just to attend. (Only a faulty Airbus engine could keep me! Touch wood.) Other items on my to-do list: Whisky Mag’s Independent Bottlers Challenge stand, the new Three Ships 10yo SA whisky, Draymans Distillery’s single malt (and SA’s first), Bruce Campbell for comic relief, The BenRiach stand for their hand-filled single cask bottling, amongst plenty of others.
The whisky event of the year is this Wednesday 10th November to Friday 12th November, from 6am to 10pm. Tickets are an absolute bargain at R180 for the tasting hall and R100 for the workshops (this is better than a buy 1 get three free deal). Combo tickets also available.
See you, and your Mo, there!
Whisky Live Festival Media Launch
Whiskies: The Benriach 10yo Curiositas, 12yo, 15yo Madeira, 20yo, and The GlenDronach 15yo, 18yo
Venue: The Soweto Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa
Date: 14-15 October, 2010
Cost: NA
Considering myself no more than an aspiring whisky blogger I was surprised, and flattered, to receive an invitation to the South African Whisky Live Festival (WLF) media launch. It did mean I had to take leave from work, but hey, a small price to pay to indulge in several whiskies and mingle with some industry movers ‘n shakers. The event was described as SA’s very own “whisky trail” and included an impressive cocktail demonstration at the stylish Mibar, a nights stay at the smart and well run Soweto Hotel, a BenRiach whisky tasting, dinner with live jazz, and a dessert of BenRiach/GlenDronach expressions paired with delectable handmade Von Geusau chocolates.
Representing The BenRiach and The GlenDronach distilleries were David Wyllie and Bruce Wilsnagh (both distilleries are owned by the same three gentlemen, two of whom are South Africans). The first tasting consisted of The BenRiach 10y0 Curiositas, 12y0, and the 15y0 Madeira finish. The whisky selection for the chocolate pairing was The BenRiach 20yo (my favourite of the night), GlenDronach 15y0 Revival & 18y0 Allardice. Although the chocolates were especially chosen to pair with those three expressions, I choose to focus on the whisky and scoff the chocolates separately thereafter. A bit extreme I admit, but I was there for the whisky, and never having tried The BenRiach 20yo I thought it deserved my palette’s full attention. (Full tasting notes coming soon.)
The evening included a presentation of WLF and some new additions to this year’s show. I need to mention that the organisers and owners of the SA WLF, Karen and Sian, are putting in serious thought and energy to continue the event’s great success, and all signs so far indicate they are right on track. (All details found on their shiny new website.)
The highlights of the event were the whiskies (even though I had tried half of the six expressions before) and, without doubt, the people. No, not the people attending (although most were friendly and some know how to spell whisky) but the organisers and gentlemen from BenRiach/GlenDronach. I had a moment during the evening while chatting with these four individuals, that I realised 3 of them are Keepers of the Quiach, and within time the 4th would most likely be one as well. As a total whisky nut, whose income is in no way related to the water of life, it is a privilege and honour to interact with such high calibre whisky types, especially since at no time did I feel like an outsider.
This is what the South African Whisky Live Festival is all about: whisky, and whisky people. Yes, there are some non-whisky related activities, but these act as excuses to bring (aka drag) your spouses along. It’s a chance to taste plenty of whiskies you normally may not have the chance, or money, to buy, and to interact with people in the whisky industry, who may know a ton more about whisky than you, but you probably have just as much passion as they do. And if you don’t love whisky that much (yet), there is a good chance they will ignite the romance!
A sincerest thank you to Karen and Sian for the invitiation, and to Bruce and David for their generosity with their whiskies, their knowledge, and their time. (We drank till the wee hours of the morning!) Lastly, a thank you to Matthew from Roadtrip, the official transport partner of the WLF, who provided safe and comfortable transport to and from the hotel.
Oh, how could I almost forget! We also received a bottle of The BenRiach tawny port cask limited to 498 bottles, signed by all three owners, and personalised with our names… awesomeness!
See you at the Festival, slainte!
