Now in its 20th year, WhiskyFest, an annual event presented by Whisky Advocate, brings together whiskey experts and master blenders from around the world. This year’s event took up several floors of New York City’s Marriott Marquis hotel and delivered everything that was expected and more. Not only were there over 350 different whiskeys available for tasting, but other spirits (e.g., tequila, mezcal) and wines were available to taste as well. Attendees also had the opportunity to enjoy multiple buffets at their leisure, which featured Asian, Italian and Mediterranean selections. (Opening photo: Courtesy of WhiskeyAdvocate.com)
Among the highlights:
- Cooper & Thief’s booth featured its 2014 Red Wine Blend, one of their high-end wines produced in a whiskey barrel. This latest offering is dark and jammy with toasty vanilla notes. This is certainly a brand to watch.
- Old Forester, one of the most popular brands under the Brown-Forman umbrella, was on hand, too. One of its offerings was its Statesman variety, as featured in the recent hit movie Kingsmen: The Golden Circle. Although Kingsmen is no longer in theaters, the Statesman bourbon is still in stores.
- You know the legendary Irish band The Pogues? Well, The Pogues Irish Whiskey is a unique blend of–in the band’s words–“50% 10-year-old single malt Irish whiskey aged in sherry oak casks and seven-year-old single malt Irish whiskey aged in bourbon oak casks, and 50% four-year-old Irish grain whiskey aged in bourbon oak casks.” The whiskey itself is made by West Cork Distillers, while the Massachusetts-based M.S. Walker helps bring it into the states.
- Brixton Mash Destroyer comes from under the John Drew Brands umbrella. Destroyer is a mix of Kentucky bourbon and Florida dark rum. You can drink it on its own or as part of a mixed drink. Its sister drinks, Dove Tale Rum and John Drew Rye, were also available for tasting and got great on-the-spot reviews.
For more WhiskyFest events and news–upcoming 2018 events have already been announced for Chicago, Washington D.C., San Francisco and New York–click on over to www.whiskyfest.com. New York’s Marriott Marquis will again play host to WhiskyFest on December 4, 2018.
