The Whisky Show 2016 Review

The Sydney Whisky Show by the World of Whisky was held on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 May 2016 at the Stamford Plaza in Mascot. Running over two consecutive days and three sessions, the event coincided with World Whisky Day.

Much like the previous year, attendees were given a tasting glass, a bottle of water and a food bag with sandwiches, muffins, cheese and biscuits and crisps. Water stations were regularly replenished along with the giant bowls of pretzels. Masterclasses were held on Saturday and for the first time, Uber Bar Tools provided cocktail making demonstrations throughout the show.

The Whisky Show was well represented with many brands in attendance and a good variety of well loved and new whiskies to keep punters busy during the 4 hour sessions. These included Ardbeg and The Glenmorangie, Balvenie, Bruichladdich, Dalmore, Glendalough, Glenfiddich, Glenglassaugh, The Glenlivet, The Glenrothes, Jura, Kavalan, Kininvie, Laphroaig, Paul John, Springbank, Starward, and Tomatin just to name a few.

Below are the highlights and some of the favourites on taste (in no particular order):

Rock Oyster Whisky from Douglas Laing with its maritime salty, sweet and smoky character
The newly-released Jefferson Bourbon range, particularly the Jefferson Bourbon Aged at Sea with its savoury notes and hints of saltiness that make it a unique bourbon
Dubbed as a “hot item”, Kavalan Solist Port Cask finish, a limited edition of 174 bottles with its rich, sweet and red fruit character
The rare William Grant & Sons Rare Cask Ghosted Reserve 26 Year Old Scotch Whisky was available to taste, a lighter, aperitif style, whisky with the elegance of floral and fruity notes.
Laphroaig 32 yo which we previewed earlier was a special surprise for a select few, a rare Laphroaig expression that combines rich Christmas fruitcake notes with subtle peat.
Starward showcased their apera cask and wine cask whiskies along with the excellent Starward Limited Release PX for Vintage Cellars aged in PX casks imported from Spain
A World of Whisky exclusive, The Glenlivet Mornish was a worthy addition to the range, a single cask, non chill filtered expression with honey and fruit sweetness.
Paul John Single Malt from Goa India which we featured in an earlier article showcased their range including the excellent Bold expression, balancing peat with honey sweetness and spice.
Glendalough Poitin was on taste with three expressions including the Mountain Strength (60%) and the sherry cask finish, a divisive spirit at first but one that has creative uses in cocktails.
The excellent Springbank 17 yo Sherry Wood was a full-bodied expression rich with berries, raisins and a long lingering finish.
Fans of the heavily peated Octomore were rewarded with two expressions, Octomore 7.1 (59.5% ABV) at 208 ppm and Octomore 7.3 (63% ABV) at 169 ppm.

Overall, it was a great show with a good vibe throughout among the exhibitors and guests. Attending on the less busy Friday night meant that access to the exhibitors was easy which made it a very pleasant experience to hop around stands. The Saturday sessions had sold out and guests had the chance to attend masterclasses featuring Kavalan, Laphroaig, Paul John and Bourbon.

Until next year!

The Whisky Show was held at the Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport in Mascot on 20 and 21 May, 2016.