This time I mean it literally. Friday is WhiskyFest in San Francisco, and there are literally hundreds of bottling available to sample over the brief 3 1/2 hours of the event. I’ve made some notes on what I’m looking to try… but I realize there’s a finite amount of drinking one man can do in such a short time.
So help me out: What would you drink if you were me? And what would you like to see covered when I do my writeup this weekend?
(Fair warning: Sadly I don’t think I’ll make it in time for the VIP hour…)
Aberfeldy
12 yr.
21 yr.
A.D. Rattray
Glen Spey 30 yr. (VIP hour only)
Balblair 16 yr.
The Alchemist
Springbank 10 yr. Port matured
Highland Park 15 yr.
American Distilling Institute
Anchor Brewing
Various
Ardbeg
10 yr.
Airigh Nam Beist
Uigeadail
Ardmore 12 yr.
Arran
10 yr.
Madeira Cask
Sherry Single Cask
Bourbon Single Cask
Auchentoshan
12 yr.
Three Wood
Ballechin Portwood Finish
Balvenie
12 yr. Doublewood
15 yr. Single Barrel
17 yr. Rum Cask
21 yr. Portwood
Beltramo’s Cask
Highland Park 15 yr.
Highland Park 19 yr.
Glenfarclas 15 yr.
Sazerac 6 yr.
Glenfarclas 35 yr. (VIP hour only)
BenRiach
16 yr.
21 yr. Authenticus
15 yr. Port
12 yr. Rum
Benromach Organic
Bernheim Original
Black Bottle Original
Blue Ice
Vodka
Organic Wheat
Gabriel Boudier
Gabriel Boudier Saffron Gin
Bowmore
12 yr.
15 yr.
18 yr.
Bruichladdich
Rocks
Waves
1998 Manzanilla Sherry Cask
1993 Italian Collection-Bolgheri Cask
Links 15 yr. Torry Pines
Buchanan’s
12 yr. De Luxe
18 yr. Special Reserve
Red Seal (VIP hour only)
Buffalo Trace
Buffalo Trace
Eagle Rare Single Barrel
Blanton’s Single Barrel
Sazerac Straight Rye
George T. Stagg
Bulleit Bourbon
Bunnahabhain
12 yr.
18 yr.
Bushmills
Black Bush
10 yr.
16 yr.
21 yr.
1608 (VIP hour only)
Canadian Club
6 yr.
Reserve 10 yr.
Classic 12 yr.
Sherry Cask
Clear Madness
Clontarf
Irish Whiskey
Single Malt
Compass Box
Peat Monster Reserve
Limited Release Magnum
Flaming Heart
Limited Release Oak Cross
Limited Release Hedonism
Connemara
PSM
Cask
12 yr.
Cragganmore Distiller’s Edition (VIP hour only)
Craigellachie 16 yr.
Crop Vodka
Artisanal
Cucumber
Tomato
Crown Royal
Special Reserve
Cask 16 yr. (VIP hour only)
XR
D&M Duncan Taylor
Imperial 18 yr.
Aberlour 12 yr.
D&M Gordon & MacPhail Glenlossie 19 yr.
D&M Sazerac 6 yr.
Dalmore
12 yr.
Gran Reserva
15 yr.
Dewar’s
12 yr.
Signature
Distilled Spirits Council
Duncan Taylor
ROR 1982 Linlithgow 21 yr old
NC2 1991 Glen Elgin 16 yr old
1969 Tamdhu 34 yr old
1970 Glen Grant 37 yr old
E&J Brandy
VSOP
XO
Eades Double Malt
Speyside
Highland
Islay
Elijah Craig
12 yr.
18 yr.
Evan Williams
The Famous Grouse
Finest
Malt 12 yr.
Malt 18 yr.
Forty Creek Barrel Select
Four Roses
Yellow
Small Batch
Single Barrel
Glen Garioch 15 yr.
Glencadam 17 yr.
Glenfarclas
12 yr.
17 yr.
21 yr.
25 yr.
105 Cask Proof
Glenfiddich
12 yr.
15 yr.
18 yr.
21 yr.
Glengoyne
10 yr.
16 yr. Scottish Oak limited Edition
17 yr.
The Glenlivet
15 yr.
Nadurra 16 yr.
18 yr.
21 yr.
25 yr.
The Glenrothes
Select Reserve
1991
1985
1975
Goose Island Brewing
Various
Gordon & MacPhail
Imperial Port Wood Finish 15 yr.
Mortlach Cask Strength 13 yr.
Port Ellen 25 yr.
Convalmore 22 yr.
Greenore 15 (VIP hour only)
Hazelburn
Highland Park
12 yr.
15 yr.
18 yr.
25 yr.
30 yr.
Isle of Jura
10 yr.
16 yr.
21 yr.
Superstition
Jack Daniel’s
Tennessee Whiskey
Gentlemen Jack
Single Barrel
Jameson
Standard
Rare Vintage Reserve
Gold
Jefferson’s Reserve
Jefferson’s Bourbon
Jefferson’s Reserve
John McDougall’s Selection:
Bladnoch 15 yr.
Islay 13 yr.
Johnnie Walker
Green
Black
Gold
Blue (VIP hour only)
Junipero Gin
K&L Wine Merchants:
Signatory Bruichladdich 1998
Gordon & MacPhail Bruichladdich 1990
Murray McDavid Mortlach 1993
Port Charlotte Single Malt
Knappogue Castle 1995
Lagavulin 16 yr.
Laphroaig
Quarter Cask
10 yr.
15 yr.
LeDaig 10 yr.
Longrow
10 yr.
10 yr. 100 proof
14 yr.
The Macallan:
Sherry Oak 12 yr.
Fine Oak 15 yr.
Fine Oak 17 yr.
Sherry Oak 18 yr.
Cask Strength
Mackillop’s Choice
Coal Ila 1979
Glenlivet 1987
Michael Collins
Irish Whiskey
Single Malt
Michter’s
US 1 Bourbon
US 1 Rye
US 1 American Whiskey
10 yr. old Bourbon
10 yr. old Rye
Midleton
Monterey Rye
American Oak
French Oak
Hungarian Oak
Oban 14 yr.
Old Forester
ld Forester
Signature
Birthday Bourbon – 2008 Edition
Old Potrero
Old Pulteney
12 yr.
17 yr.
21 yr.
Penderyn
Sherrywood
Peated
Redbreast
High West Rendezvous Rye
Rhum Clement
V.S.O.P.
Cuvee Homere
X.O.
Rhum J.M.
V.S.O.P.
1997 Cask Strength
1792 Ridgemont Reserve
Sam Houston
Signatory
1991 Royal Lochnagar 16 yr
1992 Tullibardine Sherry wood finish
Glen Grant
Single Vodka
The Singleton of Glendullan
Small Batch
Knob Creek
Basil Hayden
Booker’s
Baker’s
Speyburn
Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey
Strathmill 31 yr. (VIP hour only)
Stronachie
31 yr (VIP hour only)
12 yr.
Suntory Yamazaki
12 yr.
18 yr.
Talisker 10 yr.
Tobermory 15 yr.
Tomintoul
10 yr.
16 yr.
27 yr.
Tullamore Dew
Original
12 yr.
10 yr.
Crocks
Tyrconnell
Standard
10 yr. Sherry Finish
U.S. Bartender’s Guild
Unibroue
Blanch de Chambly
Maudite
La Fin du Monde
Trois Pistoles
Quatre Cetieme 400 yr. Anniv.
Van Winkle
Pappy Van Winkle 15 yr.
Pappy Van Winkle 20 yr.
Pappy Van Winkle 23 yr.
Wild Scotsman Mortlach 13 yr.
Wild Turkey
Rare Breed
Kentucky Spirit
Russell’s Reserve Bourbon
Russell’s Reserve Rye
American Honey
Willett Single Barrel Rye
Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select
Zacapa 23 Rum
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- Event Report: WhiskyFest San Francisco 2008
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I prefer the Irish whiskey’s, such as the Bushmills line, Knappogue and Midleton’s (which is major coin, but worth it). Then I’d feel obligated to check out the various rye’s, since they seem to be making a comeback. I’m a big fan of rum, so of course, I’d probably skip right to any of that next.
I love the Crown reserve, and have been thinking about trying the cask 16 and the xr, but don’t want to spend the dough and not be able to tell a noticeable difference to the reserve. What do you think?
Just got samples of both the XR and 16… will have reviews of both in the next week!
Do you recall trying the Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey? That seems to be all the rage this holiday season, and at 55$ a bottle for a 2 year old whiskey, I’m trying to figure out why.
Didn’t try it… alas. Maybe at next year’s WhiskyFest, or at Whiskeys of the World (March 28, 2009)
It turns out one of my neighbors has a bottle of this, and we cracked it open the other night. It’s a delightfully easy to drink whiskey, with lots of character and a sweetish carmel finish. I’m very tempted to pick up a bottle– I wish it were cheaper. I just dropped $$ on some Eagle Rare 17 yr, so I’m feeling somewhat stingy.
Blanton’s straight from the barrel is the shit!
XR verses the price difference for the Reserve is not worth it…..I have drank a whole bottle of XR… I purchased another for show….Reserve though has virtually no character is Great… I plan on trying the Cask16 soon…I have some Pappy’s 20year, and whistle pig arriving in a couple of days……