Whisky fans flooded the San Francisco Marriott Marquis on October 27th, scene of the first WhiskyFest event of the fall. Nearly 300 whiskies were on offer throughout the ballroom, and there were master distillers, blenders, and founders on-hand to share their whiskies.
Ahead of the event’s VIP hour, 10 lucky ticket holders, and their plus-ones, were chosen as Backstage Pass winners, which gave them the opportunity to sample two extraordinary expressions from Fuji Whisky, including its 50th anniversary single malt. Master blender Jota Tanaka was on hand to walk the winners through both whiskies, and talk to them in-depth about the story of Fuji Gotemba Distillery and its whiskies.
The VIP hour then commenced. VIP ticket holders had their pick of a wide variety of rare, ultra-aged pours, among them 45 year old Benromach Heritage Single Cask distilled in 1978, 40 year old Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 1 from Glenburgie 1983, Dewar’s 27 year old and Double Double 21 year old, Michter’s 20 year old bourbon, and 18 year olds from Elijah Craig and Crown Royal. Other VIP pours included hard-to-find drams like Compass Box Metropolis, Heaven’s Door Bootleg Series V, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra, Kentucky Owl Batch 12, and Nikka Yoichi 10 year old.
Compass Box founder John Glaser was in attendance. (Photo by Monica Semergiu)
For four-time WhiskyFest attendee Ron Kaulen, the Michter’s 20 year old was the sweetest spot to start the evening. “Michter’s 20 year old—more, please, because one bottle is not enough!” he exclaimed. “That was my gateway into the good stuff tonight, and thankfully there was a lot more where that came from.” Kaulen was joined by friends and fellow whisky club members—they all made a trip down from Sacramento, where they’re part of the 400-member Sactown Whiskey group.
More guests made their way through the doors as the evening continued, and were treated to hundreds of exquisite whiskies. Friends Chris O’Dell and Alex Burke were especially partial to some of the American whiskeys on offer. “The George Dickel 15 year old single barrel was a favorite of mine—all that baking spice and brown sugar, it’s such a perfect whiskey, and it’s something I’d never get outside of this room,” said O’Dell. For his part, Burke was enthusiastic about Michter’s Shenk’s Homestead (which was a VIP hour pour), as well as some selections from Heaven Hill. “Old Fitzgerald is such a classic, easy-drinking whiskey, but what’s great about tonight is that the high-brow variation is incredible; so many things are up to par,” he said.
Among the newer faces in the room was Swiss single malt Seven Seals, represented by company president Volker Huber. “This is only our second time exhibiting at WhiskyFest, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for us,” explained Huber. “Switzerland is not known as a whisky region, as people expect it to come from Scotland or Ireland or the U.S. But Switzerland is a country that’s known for quality and innovation, so we hope it’s a small jump for whisky fans to trust us.” At Seven Seals, Huber was serving up sherry, port, and peated port cask-finished single malts, and a special zodiac-inspired expression. 
Guests at one of the five master classes. (Photo by Monica Semergiu)
Aside from a ballroom floor full of whiskies, attendees also had their pick of five master classes led by Fuji, Glen Moray E&J Gallo (for its Germain-Robin and Argonaut Brandy craft brandies), Heaven Hill, and Shelter Point, Canada’s Leading Single Malt Whisky Distillery”).
If you didn’t get a chance to attend WhiskyFest San Francisco but would like to experience a WhiskyFest event before year’s end, our New York event is taking place on November 9, while our Las Vegas event is on December 2.
