I love Autumn. After months of weather in the upper 90’s with high relative humidity, the cooler air is most welcome. With the lower temperatures come layered clothes (“fashion weather”, as I call it). The anniversary of my wedding is in September, and my birthday is in October. Halloween. Football. And, as a whiskey fan, whiskey events and new limited releases from American distillers.
I’m not entirely sure which came first or when, but as long as I’ve been a whiskey enthusiast, Autumn has been filled with news of new releases of limited production whiskeys premiering at the whiskey festivals as well as area restaurants offering whiskey dinners or tastings led by distillery representatives and/or brand ambassadors. This year, fortunately, has been no different. My tax bracket restricts me from attending the whiskey festivals, but I’ll provide their information for the benefit of my readers in any case.
Unfortunately, this year’s editions of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival as well as WhiskyFest San Francisco have come and gone. But they are an annual occurrence in the middle part of September and early October, respectively, and there are other opportunities for those willing to travel prior to Thanksgiving for an opportunity to sample new/limited/hard-to-find whiskeys.
The next several upcoming events of note are all sponsored by Whisky Magazine. The first of their events is Whisky Live – Los Angeles, which occurs on October 13, immediately followed by Whisky Live events in Toronto on October 22 and Fort Lauderdale on October 29. Next month, Malt Advocate Magazine gets into the act with WhiskyFest New York coming up on November 9.
And what exactly can one expect to find at these whiskey events? Just the latest releases from U.S. distilleries that feature the best spirits being produced in America today. September saw the premiere of the Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, plus the annual releases of Heaven Hill’s Parker’s Heritage Collection and Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon. October is traditionally when Heaven Hill releases the annual edition of Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon as well as the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, and, finally, the highly anticipated annual release of Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection. All of these new releases will be available for purchase before the holiday season, although whether or not they make their way to this market and how they long those stores last are always unpredictable.
Now, one thing that I know I can indulge in despite my state of residence are whiskey dinners. There are usually a number of Charlotte-area restaurants hosting whiskey-themed events in the Fall, and this year is no exception. The first of these options occurs on October 20 at Andrew Blair’s. Unfortunately, the specific details of their Small Batch Bourbon Dinner are still being finalized, so I can’t provide any information at all save the date. However, the following night, October 21, $30 will afford you the opportunity to be guided through a three-course American Whiskey Dinner hosted by Woodford Reserve Ambassador Eamon O'Mahoney at Whiskey Warehouse. Finally, despite its name, the Scotch Society of Ballantyne is in actuality an event that costs $25 and occurs on October 23 at the Gallery Restaurant, not a group of Scotch enthusiasts. I hope to see you all at least at one of these events.
Salud.
I’m not entirely sure which came first or when, but as long as I’ve been a whiskey enthusiast, Autumn has been filled with news of new releases of limited production whiskeys premiering at the whiskey festivals as well as area restaurants offering whiskey dinners or tastings led by distillery representatives and/or brand ambassadors. This year, fortunately, has been no different. My tax bracket restricts me from attending the whiskey festivals, but I’ll provide their information for the benefit of my readers in any case.
Unfortunately, this year’s editions of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival as well as WhiskyFest San Francisco have come and gone. But they are an annual occurrence in the middle part of September and early October, respectively, and there are other opportunities for those willing to travel prior to Thanksgiving for an opportunity to sample new/limited/hard-to-find whiskeys.
The next several upcoming events of note are all sponsored by Whisky Magazine. The first of their events is Whisky Live – Los Angeles, which occurs on October 13, immediately followed by Whisky Live events in Toronto on October 22 and Fort Lauderdale on October 29. Next month, Malt Advocate Magazine gets into the act with WhiskyFest New York coming up on November 9.
And what exactly can one expect to find at these whiskey events? Just the latest releases from U.S. distilleries that feature the best spirits being produced in America today. September saw the premiere of the Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, plus the annual releases of Heaven Hill’s Parker’s Heritage Collection and Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon. October is traditionally when Heaven Hill releases the annual edition of Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon as well as the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, and, finally, the highly anticipated annual release of Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection. All of these new releases will be available for purchase before the holiday season, although whether or not they make their way to this market and how they long those stores last are always unpredictable.
Now, one thing that I know I can indulge in despite my state of residence are whiskey dinners. There are usually a number of Charlotte-area restaurants hosting whiskey-themed events in the Fall, and this year is no exception. The first of these options occurs on October 20 at Andrew Blair’s. Unfortunately, the specific details of their Small Batch Bourbon Dinner are still being finalized, so I can’t provide any information at all save the date. However, the following night, October 21, $30 will afford you the opportunity to be guided through a three-course American Whiskey Dinner hosted by Woodford Reserve Ambassador Eamon O'Mahoney at Whiskey Warehouse. Finally, despite its name, the Scotch Society of Ballantyne is in actuality an event that costs $25 and occurs on October 23 at the Gallery Restaurant, not a group of Scotch enthusiasts. I hope to see you all at least at one of these events.
Salud.
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