WhiskyFest Dazzles Fans in New York

Last Friday, over a thousand whisky lovers gathered at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square to celebrate WhiskyFest New York. The event featured more than 200 whiskies, tequilas, other spirits, and cocktails. Among whiskies, notable drams included Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Beacon, Laphroaig 30 year old, Heaven Hill’s Grain to Glass series, Booker’s bourbon, Royal Salute 26 year old Kingdom of Italy, and Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach.

Just before the event started, 10 lucky winners chosen in a ticketholders’ raffle were treated to a private tasting of three ultra-aged scotch whiskies—Dewar’s 38 year old, Aberfeldy 25 year old, and Dewar’s Stone Toasted 21 year old—led by Dewar’s master blender Stephanie Macleod. Other whisky makers that were in attendance at WhiskyFest included master blender Jota Tanaka from Fuji-Gotemba, senior blender Hiromi Ozaki of Nikka, master distiller Joe O’Sullivan from Minden Mill, and High West’s Tara Lindley, to name a few.

As the crowds rolled in and the event kicked off, Whisky Advocate editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken was on hand, touring the aisles, and greeting guests and exhibitors. “The whisky selection is amazing,” said Shanken. “I’m also thrilled with the tequila selection—that’s something we’ve wanted to include. In both whisky, tequila, and other spirits, too, the big names are here.” Of all the whiskies on the evening’s agenda, Shanken said he was most looking forward to tasting Lagavulin 12 year old Grain & Embers from this year’s Diageo Special Releases collection.

The event also featured a great selection of tequilas from producers including Casamigos, Don Julio, El Tequileño, Patrón, Pantalones, Riazul, and many more.

WhiskyFest always draws aficionados and die-hard whisky lovers, but we also met quite a few newcomers to the event, who came for this unique opportunity to get to know the world of whisky. While making our rounds to the various booths early in the evening, we caught up with Jessica Picarello and Emily Waldman, two friends who made the trek from Long Island to attend their first-ever WhiskyFest event. “I love it here,” said Waldman. “I didn’t know what I was getting into, but it completely exceeded my expectations. I really learned a lot.” Both were sipping cocktails from Crown Royal, which they were planning to use as a stepping stone to explore some of the other whiskies at the event.

For the bona fide whisky lovers, few prospects are more attractive than a portfolio flight: tasting whiskies from the same distiller side by side, comparing and contrasting the myriad flavors. Here, Isle of Skye-based Torabhaig Distillery was offering nearly the full lineup of its Legacy Series (all entries except for its debut “2017” expression). The whiskies included batch strength versions of both Alt Gleann and Sound of Sleat, and a few samples of some smaller-scale regional releases aged in interesting casks.

Torabhaig’s whiskies don’t have age statements, but Marussia Beverages whisky specialist Brian Johnson heard no complaints. “People were really engaged,” he said, adding that Alt Gleann Batch Strength was the most requested pour of the night, with the 95-point gem receiving many compliments from visitors.

In an event that featured ultra-aged whiskies and coveted unicorns, one of the surprise hits was an infused whiskey brand named Five Springs, which was making its WhiskyFest debut but drew legions of curious attendees. Founder and CEO Lisa Derman, formerly with Macallan, was in attendance, greeting guests and helping pour neat serves and simple cocktails around the booth.

“We had an amazing turnout,” she said, noting that Five Springs was one of the few infused brands at the event. Derman said its 35% ABV Blood Orange expression, made with a base of high-rye Kentucky bourbon, was a crowd favorite, particularly for whiskey fans who love Old Fashioneds.

This year’s event also featured a few cigar makers in the mix, who offered samples for attendees to take home. (Smoking is not permitted at the event, of course.) To stay in the loop about next year’s WhiskyFest, be sure to check out WhiskyFest.com and sign up for our WhiskyFest newsletter for all of the latest updates. We look forward to sharing a few drams with you!