Being a judge - a deeper journey into whisky then expected, she said...

SHE SAID:  There is nothing worse then catching a really bad cold to stop one dead in her tracks especially when it comes to writing/blogging, which is what happened to this Lassie.  I got really sick on December 26th until  January 13th. Many a day was spent lying on the couch pondering the best way to just die but apparently I was actually one of the luckier ones as I didn't get any infections or pneumonia.  The morning of the 13th as I looked around the house and my wo"man" cave where all my whisky stuff is, I noticed piles and piles of "things" that needed to be done. Needless to say I fell extremely behind everywhere.  

4275 KM TREK!

To make matter worse from a writing perspective ONLY, I was to board a plane at 5:00am on January 17th bound for British Columbia, Canada for the 8th annual Victoria Whisky Festival.  So I stared at my unfinished blog, sighed and put the writing aside for yet a few more days in order to get organized before I left.  I was excited about my trip and couldn't wait to get there for several reasons:  A) The main reason I was attending the festival, B) getting out of the -35C weather home and C) the well needed time off from my day job.  So what was the main reason I attending this prestigious Whisky Festival some 4200km away from home: Because I was fortunate enough to be a judge for the 2012 Canadian Whisky Awards.  Now, for those of you who are not familiar, I'll briefly describe that it's a fairly new competition that is ONLY open to whiskies having been distilled in Canada. The judges are all writers/bloggers with a keen interest in Canadian whiskies and the entire country is well represented from East to West Coast.  For more information about the awards format you can click here:  http://www.canadianwhisky.org/news-views/canadian-whisky-awards-2011.html
As most competitions of this nature go the judges are kept secret until the actual award date and the samples are tested blind (only numbers appear on the sample bottles when received).  A detailed scoring sheet is given to each judge with a list of criteria and there is absolute radio silence during the process, going as far as ensuring the judges do not discuss any scores among themselves. As I picked up my box of samples mid November, I was a bit surprised at the size.  When I put it down on the table and opened it I was truly in awe and almost immediately a bit overwhelmed as I began to count how many samples I would be reviewing.

I had 30 days to nose/sample and score almost 60 samples. WOW!  I was extremely excited and started to plan how I would go about accomplishing this very large undertaking.  I had done blind tastings before, but never like this!  I set out and decided I would start by tackling a flight of 5 randomly chosen samples per night and give them an initial label of fail, poor, average, good, great or excellent.  That took 12 days.  Next level was to place the ones I thought were in the same category and put them in flights of five against each - another 12 days.  Some changed groups either moving up or down whereas some stayed the same.  Once I was convinced I had them in their proper groups I spent the next 7 days doing what I would consider speed rounds.  3 flights of 3 per day (nose/taste/spit/score) then a few randoms against each other as a final check.  So if I thought one ranked an 85, then I went back to my list and compared it against something else that I had ranked an 85.  Overall it was a tedious, long and in some cases very difficult job especially with "real life" always present and looming around.  Once done and happy with my methodology and scores I sent off my results to the head judge and then waited...

It's funny the things that went through my head after that.  Nervous/scared that I would make a fool out of myself; after all some of the judges had much more experience then I did and I was the new kid.  What if I didn't know anything at all?  What if my scores were way off compared to everyone else's? What if I was too harsh?  Too generous?  What if....?  I thought of them all, worried and fretted.  Why? Because I wanted to do well. Because deep down I needed to know that my nose is as good as I truly think it is.  I started to compare myself to some people that appear on American Idol or Next big star who really "think" they can sing and come to find out they are completely tone deaf.  OMG!?  I was torturing myself...  Back and forth. Then I simply let go.  Whatever happened, would happen.  I came to terms with it and realized that my nose is mine, my methodology works for me and that's what truly matters.  End of story. 
Christmas came, then the flu, then the new Year so it's not like I lost any sleep on finding out the results. A few days before the show I got "the email". Results were in and I sat staring at the unopened message on the screen sitting in my pj's drinking coffee.  With one click, all would be revealed.  Was I an idiot who couldn't sniff her way out of a paper bag soaked in Gibson's 18 or would I stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the judges? I scanned, looked across the spreadsheet and found my scores.  The names were not stated, so we don't know who gave what scores but I was able to compare my scores against the other 7 judges.  Elated, and relieved: I was ok.  There were very few areas where I was all by myself on a whisky.  One I noted I was almost 20 points below every other single judge and I know why.  I really didn't like that type of flavor profile, and I never do in any whisky that uses that finish style.  The rest, mostly, I was bang on or varied no more than 7 to 8 points away.  So with total relief and pride that I survived and wouldn't be the laughing stock of the Canadian Whisky World, I was ready for Victoria.  

The awards were very well organized and had a great turnout. It was truly an honor to meet the people behind the whiskies.  True pride in their hard work and product was demonstrated every time one of them accepted an award or medal. 

John Hall accepting Whisky of the year for Portwood Release

The atmosphere was jovial and there were many surprises. Now here is where my journey takes a strange turn into the deep.  I shook hands, I was there when pictures were snapped and I attended the after parties.  IT WAS AMAZING.  The dip into the deep and dark pool was the aftermath when I started tweeting and posting on social media about the CWA. I tweeted some photos, the website where the winners were announced, info about the process and judges, the whisky of the year and anything else that I was very proud of being a part of.  Ok Lassie spit it out what was the deep moment?

The dive into the deep end happened when I started receiving very negative comments on twitter and my facebook.  I still can't believe some of the things people either tweeted to me directly or indirectly as to how the awards were practically bogus, fixed, not warranted or that everybody seemed to win something.  I was a bit shocked that some of the comments were actually coming from people I would have considered "twitter friends".  BIG sigh...  

So try as I might to set the record straight for some nay-sayers:

1. NO JUDGES received any remuneration for doing this.  
2. NO JUDGES had their trips paid out to Victoria for the awards or anything related to the festival.  
3. NO JUDGES worked or represented industry or had any alliance with any distillery.
4. Samples were strictly kept secret, with nothing but a number on the bottle as an identifier. 
5. Nobody contacted me and I spoke to none about what I thought or scored, not even after the competition or awards.

How is it then possible that some of these "awards" or "medals" are so questionable?   I pondered how to handle this disappointment and what seemed like total disrespect from some people.  Then I realized something.  No other judge was saying anything to these people so what was I wasting my time for?  Well because I'm a newbie that's why and I let the negative people get to me. I may have a decent nose when it comes to whiskies but I have a lot yet to learn related to the other stuff that comes with the responsibilities of doing something which is my opinion is very important, being a good judge.  Canadian whisky is something to be proud of yet it's something most Canadians seem to be ignorant or ashamed of for some strange reason. "How can that whisky possibly win an award"? Really.........  ???

Mark Gillespie from Whisky Cast said it best when we did the virtual panel with him on January 20th. Canadians seem to have an inferiority complex when it comes to whiskies made in their own country. 

The virtual panel: http://www.whiskycast.com/files/WCVT/WCVT_0113.mp3 

Correct, it's not bourbon or scotch and I for one am glad it's not. Canadian whisky stands apart and I'm truly an advocate of that.  I had Canadian pride WAY before I was a judge (check this blog, Facebook or my twitter account), I especially had it during the Victoria Whisky Festival and I will have it FOR A LONG TIME TO COME.  Regardless of being a judge or anything else for that matter.  Canadian whisky is a passion of mine and if some choose to criticize instead of embrace they obviously don't see what I do.  There it was, the wow moment.  I "get it".  I am a true whisky geek, aren't I?  Not only is my nose in the right place, so is my heart.  How refreshingly and wonderfully ironic suddenly :)  **Lassie beamed! **

Being on the judging panel taught me that I had the capacity to accomplish this.  It reinforced that I should have faith and pride in my ability to nose the delicate qualities in some of our unique and beautiful Canadian made whiskies.  It allowed me the opportunity to stretch my boundaries and soar with some people I admire and very much respect:  Davin de Kergommeaux (THE Canadian expert and a Malt Maniac), Lawrence Graham - Malt Maniac, Mark Gillespie - Icon of the whisky fabric, and the rest of the judges which I didn't get to meet but share a common bond with now.  

The deep dive into the other stuff, well that's where the big lesson came.  I know not to take these things too seriously in the future and that nay sayer's and "haters" as my daughter would say are going to believe whatever they want even if you tell them the absolute truth.  I don't have anything to prove and in the long run my blog, my love and my passion for whisky will speak for itself.  I'm a true whisky geek and now I have the proof.  It was there all along I guess just needed to dive into the deep end to figure it out for myself. :)

I want to thank the Canadian Whisky Awards for entrusting me to be a judge this year.  It truly was a wonderful way to finish 2012 as well as start 2013.  

So, moving on...  Where does the whisky road take me next.. Tune in and find out, Victoria Whisky Festival blog is next and that will be a "Dram-hoot-t-nanny".  I'm pretty sure that's a word!


On the lovely, but freezing whisky trail (IT'S BLOODY WELL COLD HERE -23C with the windchill)...  

I remain the lovely, passionate but wiser Whisky Lassie 

Having the Blues isn't All Bad...He Says

He Said...The Master’s Class is an area of personal joy where you often get to hear straight from the people who make the whisky that we all revel in. So, as odd as this sounds, I’m going to take a moment to tell you about a whisky brand that we did not see represented during our recent trip to the Victoria Whisky Festival and a Master Class that I have never been to…no really.

I present to you Balcones. There is a reason why there has been a flurry of blog post about the whisky from this small Waco, Texas distillery. It’s really good! There is also a reason why they were not in attendance at the Victoria Whisky festival and I can only assume hit has something to do with the fact that Balcones is not yet available in Canada. I can only hope there is something in the works to change this and SOON! In the mean time let this heed as a warning to those of you in the United States and United Kingdom.  Balcones is coming to Whisky Live New York and London and you really should do yourself a favor and take any opportunity you have to speak to or attend a Master Class with Chip Tate, the Master Distiller for Balcones.

As an aside for a moment, I proofread my posts as I write. I go back, read things over sometimes editing, sometimes starting again.  Reading back over this post I am now fully aware that this reads like some sort of paid marketing for Balcones. I’m not paid by Balcones and I don’t care if that’s how it sounds. I am passionate about good whisky and I think this is good…moving on.

There are three main reasons that I like Balcones. 1) As I just said, its good - In my opinion, very good (my tasting notes will follow my ramblings). 2) Chip is a whisky geek…a proper nerd; the kind of whisky geek that you learn from. The kind of whisky nerd that is more than happy to share his knowledge, give you insight into the nitty-gritty of what it takes to make their product and what goes on behind the scenes. Through my research on Balcones the one constant theme that kept reoccurring was Chip’s love for what might be called “whisky geekery.” The in-depth discussion of aldehydes, acetates, and other esthers that make up the hallmark aromas that we know and love in our drams. I presume or at least hope that all Master distillers have the same level of understanding of what is actually happening as they mash, ferment distill and mature their product and where the aromas come from in the process. Chip is one of the distillers that takes you down this road and gives you the in-depth information…be prepared (for an insight into what I mean see this Master Class hosted by Chip, recorded by Whiskies of the World and posted on YouTube)! On a similar vein other bloggers have written about Chip’s love for the science of distilling, see Josh Feldman’s post from September 15, 2012 “Chip Tate's Mad Geeky Genius”.

The whisky industry is full of professionals but I think one of the things that make Balcones different from a consumer and blogger perspective is that Balcones is relatively new. They do not make their product the way they do because “that’s how it has always been made.” There is no Balcones tradition to follow, they are building that tradition as we speak. I had the opportunity to speak to Chip two weeks ago and we discussed this concept briefly. One of the impressions I have often received from other distillers in the early stages of creating a product is they don’t exactly know how their whisky is going to turn out. This is not the case with Chip. The impression I received is that Balcones products are turning out exactly how they planned, period. Every part of Baclcones’ process was specifically engineered and designed to create the “their” profile. 

The third reason I like Balcones is I love rooting for the underdog…the little guy; especially when the little guy is doing big things! So what’s next you ask? To begin with, they are growing, not just in popularity but in size as well. The first step in their expansion was acquiring new space that they are currently using for maturation with the intention of creating a second distillation site. The plans are in the works so stay tuned on that front. As I mentioned earlier about product availability, their market is expanding into the UK with an appearance from Chip coming up at Whisky Live in London. The Balcones product line seems to be constantly expanding and evolving as well. Currently they have a Texas Single Malt (careful examination of the back label will reveal different maturation styles between batches), four different Blue Corn Whiskies including a cask strength release and the much lauded and intensely smoky Brimstone. Stepping away form whisky they also have a distilled spirit line called Rumble and the cask strength version, Rumble Cask Reserve made from Texas honey, turbinado sugar and Mission figs. According to Chip they also have plans to release a rum, hopefully within in the next year.

So, on with the tasting. I originally chose these whiskies as part of the series I was doing about what I think you should be drinking for the winter months. These whiskies were a bit of a diversion from what I would normally associate with comfort on a cold evening.  I present to you Balcones Baby Blue, True Blue 100 Proof and True Blue Cask Strength. So, what makes these whiskies from the sun drenched state of Texas something you should be drinking on a cold winter’s eve? The word that comes to mind is comfort. For different reasons these three whiskies evoke a snugness associated with cooking on cast iron outside on a cold dark evening or the warmth of a hearth in a log cabin with your wool socks pointed toward the crackling fire.

I chose these three whiskies because I was intrigued by what I considered to be an obvious progression and made an assumption that it was a series based on the common blue corn theme with progressively higher alcohol by volume. I was surprised at how different a leap there was between the Baby Blue and the True Blue 100 until I spoke to Chip about the products. As it turns out the Baby Blue and True Blue releases were intended to examine the different ways the blue corn could be taken and examining the various possibilities in flavor profiles. In other words they are not about their similarities, but rather their differences.

Baby Blue - 46% abv

Color: Golden

Nose: Buttered Popcorn and then Caramel Candy Corn. This whisky is so sweet and silky on the nose I started to salivate immediately. There is caramel and vanilla as you might expect with barely a titch of cinnamon and fresh wood shaving in the background. With this whisky I can decide between going to the movie or the county fair?

On the pallet the buttery sweetness continues and finishes very fresh. This is a very easy drinking dram…a little too easy.

True Blue 100 Proof - 50%abv

Color: Amber to brown.

Nose: As the color deepens so does the flavor. More bold, more intense. Mexican Drinking Chocolate, the delicate combination of velvety chocolate, cinnamon and chilies.  Corn notes are still there but not nearly as pronounced as in the Baby Blue. More toasted corn as oppose to the round sweet corn.

Pallet: Some caramel, brown sugar with a touch of corn meets the bitterness of dark chocolate. Takes water very well to knock off the edges and round out the flavors.

True Blue Cask Strength - 60.1%

Nose: Mesquite BBQ.  Burnt Sugar and sweet corn bread. 

There is a petroleum note there as well (This smell takes me back to my grandfather’s workshop in the barn where he parked the tractor. The thick floorboards were soaked with oil, grease and diesel fuel. The smell was always a tug between earthy organic smells of wood, hay and soil and the industrial smell of the fuel. This may sound off-putting but it is actually just the opposite. Think of other organic, earthy or petroleum smells that appeal like worn leather, old furniture, old books and damp moss and you’ll have an idea of where I’m at here).

Pallet: Heavy hit on the pallet as you might expect from 60.1%. Water really brings out the bitterness of burnt sugar and BBQ but doesn’t eliminate the petrol as I might have expected.

Conclusions are that I love these three whiskies for three different reasons. They are not simply three of the same with progressively higher abv’s, they are three different drams to enjoy for three different moods.  If they are coming your way, do yourself a favor and give them a try. 

Review of Victoria Whisky Festival, she said...

SHE SAID:  I had hoped that 2013 would start off with a bang. Hmmmm, no.  It started with a loud whimper and that came from me.  I came down with the worst cold/flu I have caught since the kids were little and brought home every possible pestilence from school. "This" stopped me for almost two weeks. As the date of our flight got closer I began to worry that I would be in a horrible state for the Victoria Whisky Festival.  Let me back up the story just a bit.  For those that know me extremely well, they would tell you that as a person I am borderline obsessive when it comes to some of the things I do well.  Planning, is one of them.  I have short and long term goals that span from what I am eating for supper next week all the way to what boat I will own in 10 years from now when I'm almost retired.  Then there's the bucket list which is constantly checked for any opportunities that may arise between here and the end...  My calendar is mostly full and when friends want to do something with me, they know well enough to call me far in advance.  Ok, so back to Victoria Whisky Festival.  In the summer of 2012 I started planning my whisky calendar for 2013.  I wanted to do as much as I could within my budget.  I have done the east coast for years so I knew it was time to branch out.  Head west whisky woman, head west. There are some pretty good whisky events all across Canada and so the research began.  I made a few contacts, asked many questions and after speaking to quite a few key people in the industry I chose the following:

1. Victoria Whisky Festival, Victoria British Columbia - January
2. Celebrate Whisky, Halifax, Nova Scotia - March
3. Spirit of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario - May
4. Forty Creek Distillery Whisky Release Weekend, Grimsby, Ontario - September
5. New Brunswick Spirits Festival, Fredericton, New Brunswick - November

Although plenty others caught my eye, these 5 are what worked best for my budget and time off from my day job. After we were done the Victoria Whisky Festival Graham and I had a good discussion of what we thought about it and that's when the idea came to me to "rate" each event as I went along.  By the end of 2013, I'll have a winner so to speak and a final blog about all 5 experiences.  

Here are the parameters I have chosen to take into consideration: Cost (accommodations, events, classes, etc), Venue (locale, food, geographic location), Classes (Quality, type, time, etc), Main event (Availability of whiskies, venue, services, knowledge of the exhibitors, etc), Overall personal experience (People, Place, Whisky).

Scoring sheet:

A (90 - 100) Exceptional value
B (80 - 90)  Great value
C (70 - 80) Good value
D (60 - 70) Some value
F (FAIL) - No value

So let's begin:  The Victoria Whisky Festival has been in existence since 2006. It takes place on the beautiful west coast of British Columbia in Canada. It's a 4 day whisky festival that ran from January 1
7 - January 20.
Pro #1:  FOUR days of whisky fun!
Pro #2:  Tickets for out of towners available/released before local tickets.
Pro #3:  Proceeds to a local children's charity.
Pro #4:  Temperature never went below zero degrees Celsius.  

COST:
Accommodations:  Hotel had a special rate for the whisky event $130/night. Oddly enough the regular rate for a room was $129/night and if you were smart enough (like I was) to ask for their best deal, you got the $110 rate.  So, while others paid up to $600, I paid $506.  Savings of $94.00

Events:  Whisky Dinners ranged from $65 - $125 (Thursday, Friday, Sunday) Availability ranged from 25 to 50 tickets.  

Classes: Jim Murray's 2013 whisky bible winners $50, Grand Tastings were $45 and Master Classes were $28.

Consumer Tasting Event: (VIP ticket $155 - 175 available or Regular ticket $110 - 300 available)

** Packages available for bundling events/classes/main event - $156, $221 or $267 **

My total cost for my package - $360.00  That included The CWA & dinner, Grand Tasting on Friday, 4 Master classes on Saturday and the VIP ticket for Main Event.  

Total cost for Lodgings & Whisky festival = $866.00

For more details:  http://www.victoriawhiskyfestival.com/tickets.php#eventprogram

TOTAL COST SCORE: B

VENUE: 
The Grand Pacific Hotel is situated in downtown Victoria on the harbour front.  Well rated on Trip Advisor as well as other sites, easy access from airport or ferry and range of services available like wireless, spa, business center, etc.

Pro #1: Walking distance to just about everything.  
Pro #2: Modern, spacious facility.
Pro #3: Rooms nicely sized with a balcony.

Con #1:  Took a few days to find where we could get a decent cup of coffee, because it wasn't the hotel restaurant or little coffee shop in the basement.

Locale:  The hotel is well maintained, the service and staff exemplary, and very important to me:  the beds were super comfortable.

EBIZO - VICTORIA BC

Food:  There was a restaurant/bar onsite, a bit pricey I thought.  It was great for one or two meals but after day two we were looking for a bit of variety and more affordable choices.  It's hard on the budget if you are paying $30 for breakfast.  Everything else was within a 20 minute walk.  Found many great pubs, coffee shops and a fantastic Japanese Restaurant that was most affordable and DELISH. 

Location:  It was a great. Seconds from tourist attractions, museums, the Empress Hotel, 100's of great little shops, pubs and restaurants. Walk out of hotel, cross the street, fly out of Victoria on a float plane.  Doesn't get any better than that!  If you wanted to see the rest of the island, a quick car rental for a few days would have easily done the trick.

TOTAL VENUE SCORE:  A

Classes 
Quality/type: A Grand tasting should be something quite special, led by a high profile whisky persona (maker, owner, someone who is regarded in the industry as an expert). Some of the whiskies should be rare, old, very new or simply not available at the main showcase.

A Master Class should be led by someone with an elevated profile (brand ambassador, industry leader, certified Malt Maniac, published author, someone recognized by his peers as extremely knowledgeable). Whiskies could be their core range with an added bonus of something a bit different or new that whisky'ites have not tried yet.  

Using those definitions I would have to say that the the Grand Tasting I attended - Gordon & MacPhail with Michael Urquhart (Joint Managing Director) was exceptional.  Mr. Urquhart balanced a knowledgeable presentation with light humor.  We had our noses in the whisky within 10 minutes and the whiskies were lovely.  Four I had never had before including the Glen Grant 60, Queen's Diamond Jubilee ($12,555 US/bottle).  

The only downfall:  Time.  The class started at 7:00 and although he did his best to move along, there were many questions and of course 6 whiskies to enjoy.  I found myself rushing through some of them and not able to really enjoy the whisky.  This was particularly true of the the last one, the 60 year old.  I watched in horror as some participants shot it back like a jello shooter.  I wanted to savor it, really take my time with it.  I think we had about 5 minutes left.  Chances are I'll never taste that whisky again and that amount of time simply wasn't enough.  

I understand the show's organizers have to tear down and set up for the next event, I do.  However...  it was really disappointing not to have much time to talk or truly enjoy the whiskies.

My Master classes were hit and miss.  They ran on Saturday.  One hour classes, spaced with about 45 minutes in between.  I chose Tomatin with Stephen Bremner, BenRiach/Glendronach with J. Wheelock, Morrison Bowmore with Iain McCallum and Compass Box with John Glaser.

Tomatin - Exceptional.  Highlight, something new not yet on the market and their 30 year old. Stephen was very knowledgeable and when he didn't know the answer to my question, took down my info and contacted me within a week of being home with the answer.  IMPRESSIVE for me!

Benriach/Glendronach - Good Value.  There was only one whisky I hadn't tried, the Glendronach 25.  His style of presenting was good, he carried the pace along quickly and I could say that for someone who was new to the Benriach/Glendronach range he would have been considered very informative.  Issue for me, was I'm not new.  So nothing really stood out as new or additional information.

Morrison/Bowmore - Great value. The most entertaining of the classes I attended.  Iain had us in stitches for the full hour and still managed to get us to drink our whiskies on time.  Informative and knew his products.  Two whiskies I hadn't tried.  One was a HUGE miss.  I had to spit it out.  My glass stayed full.  Of all the presenters he was the best for me.  Later on, he stopped us at the Consumer event and chatted with us for almost 30 minutes.  Truly a great asset to that brand.

Compass Box - Good value.  Unfortunately, Mr. Glaser had to leave Victoria on Saturday and therefore he had a last minute step in to replace him.  Thankfully for the festival, Andrew Ferguson from Kensington Wine Market graciously helped out.  Although I was terribly disappointed that I wasn't going to listen to John Glaser, Andrew did a decent job especially for last minute decision.  He presented the core range, talked a bit and again we had noses in glasses within 10 minutes with open discussions.  I had tried all six.  Was a bit let down that Hedonism or something "special" wasn't there.  However, many people who were there was quite excited as they had not tried any.  So for a newbie, it was a great experience, I'm sure. 

TOTAL CLASSES SCORE: B-

Main Event:

We purchased VIP tickets which allowed us access to the rooms for an hour before the regular ticket holders arrived.  I liked that very much as we were able to go straight to some of the tables/people we wanted and talk at a level that didn't involve screaming.  Once the regular ticket holders arrived, that was a bit more difficult and in some cases quite I have to say, some people left me scratching my head.  We were at the Kilchoman table having a fantastic dram, speaking with Anthony Wills when a "knob" walked over to the table, stood beside us and tapped his Glencairn glass on the bottle that Mr. Wills was holding in his hand.  I was mortified!?  I know, not every person who walks into a Whisky Festival is a follower, geek or enthusiast, but that was just plain rude and obnoxious.  

Another strange "enigma" for me was the bottles hidden from the public.  They were kept under the table or behind a curtain.  I never asked, but I assumed they were meant for people who have a deeper appreciation for the whiskies?  I witnessed people stating they didn't want what was on the table, they wanted the "special" stuff.  I never asked for the hidden bottles however often enough they were offered and they were beautiful. It seems offensive to me to walk up to a table and say, just give me your best or oldest stuff.  Again, that's just my opinion.  I often found myself feeling bad for the people working the event.  

There were two rooms to wander about, plenty of space, over 200 exhibitors and one room filled with food that just kept coming and coming...   Plenty of water stations and spittoons.  The whiskies varied from regional, north american and internationally.  Independent bottlings, small craft distilleries to the big guns.  There wasn't one presenter who wasn't knowledgeable, courteous and friendly.  Truly a great show.  The best whisky surprise for me was the Glenlossie 1992, 19 year old from Duncan Taylor.  The 2nd place one was SMWS 63.27 - Jar Jar Binks in trouble again (Glentauchers 5 year old) and 3rd was the Kilchoman Single Cask Release Sherry Matured. I also had the pleasure of meeting the team from Highwood Distillers in Alberta, makers of Centennial 10 as well as one I really enjoyed and brought home:  Century 15/25.

TOTAL MAIN SHOWCASE SCORE:  B+

Overall Personal Experience:  This festival had something for everyone.  It was in a great hotel, the volunteers for the show were always helpful and very friendly.  The after parties were plentiful and it didn't matter who you were, if you were in the lobby when the yell went out, you were welcomed along.  One of the highlights for me was the caliber of people I got to meet, hang out and enjoy whisky with.  I'm not necessarily talking about the "big whigs", I'm talking about the locals.  The people I knew on twitter prior to going out there.  They were truly the best. They weren't just friendly, they were genuine.  Now some of the other very notable people I got to meet:  Mark Gillespie, John Glaser, John Hall, Tim Puett, Lawrence Graham, Oliver Klimek, Billy Abbott and Davin de Kergommeaux ( 5 of those are Malt Maniacs :) And I can't name all the others, but I did in tweets along the way.  Truly a fantastic whisky community on the west coast. 

The only true disappointment was how one particular "VIP" acted like a spoiled rock star.  I watched as he shunned some people, made fun of others and conducted himself in a way that was not very professional (he really needed sexual harassment training).  I didn't attend any of his events and if he's at any of the other festivals, I still won't.  

OVERALL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SCORE:  A-

So, it was the first one of the year.  It automatically sets the bar, and quite high for that matter.  There were many of great moments and few bad.  Just the way a well organized and good quality event should be.   My only recommendations to the organizers (if any are reading):  One hour is simply not enough time to truly enjoy a class.  I'd rather see 3 time slots where we would have 90 minutes vs 4 with only 60.  

OR:  For those of us who are there for the presenters and not necessarily the whiskies, give us the choice to attend a 90 minute class with them.  I'd pay a few extra dollars for a good quality class with Sam Simmons, Dr. Jim Swan or Rachel Barrie ANY DAY!

FINAL SCORE FOR VICTORIA WHISKY FESTIVAL

If you are west of Toronto, consider going for 2014.  If you are east, budget accordingly.  I can't wait to see what is next!  Hope you do too.

It's fabulous being the whisky lassie, the trail is starting to thaw...

Lassie