New York City Hosts WhiskeyFest 2014

Last week, my parents and I had a really fun evening attending "WhiskeyFest." This event is massive in the whiskey world and it's a place where distilleries from all over the world come together. When you arrive, you are given a tote bag stuffed with goodies, but most importantly, your whiskey tasting glass. Literally, you can bounce from distillery to distillery, taste a huge selection of whiskey, and you can even have as much as you'd like! 

Now, you may be wondering: why did you go to WhiskeyFest? As a 25 year old woman, people are often very surprised when I tell them that I love whiskey. They are even more surprised, and possibly impressed, by my intimate knowledge of whiskey. I know my Scotch, American Malt Whiskey, Rye, Bourbon, International Whiskey, etc… I know my flavor profiles (ex: peaty vs. smooth). I know what's good, what's average, and what I don't like. I always joke, that my knowledge of whiskey is WAYYY beyond my years (and possibly even my gender!)

So now you may be wondering: why do you know so much about whiskey? The simple answer is: I learned from my dad. My father is an avid whiskey collector, so I was raised with this stuff. We have a room in our house that we call "the drinking room" and we call it this because this is where my dad stores most of his whiskey collection. (I'd say a solid 80% are in this room and the other 20% is scattered throughout the house). My father takes great pride in his collection and he always boasts that every single bottle is open --- and it's true! As a family, we frequently hang out in the "drinking room" and have tastings. We will taste by country, by whiskey type, or simply try the new additions. It's a lot of fun. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that my father easily has at least 200 different kinds of whiskey in the "drinking room" and his collection is worth more than I care to reveal.... We put whiskey bars to shame.

Just to give you an idea of our whiskey selection

This is a very common sight in the drinking room. Our table is always covered with various whiskies.

Before I proceed, you may (or may not) be wondering why I have been saying "whiskey." This is a very deliberate word choice. Scotch, bourbon, rye --- they are all different kinds of whiskey. Technically, American Malt Whiskey and Scotch are from the same family, both are made from barley, however, like Champagne, only whiskey made in Scotland can be called "Scotch." Bourbon, which is mainly produced in the the American South, is made from corn, whilst Rye is made from rye. I personally like Rye because I find the taste smooth and I like the spicy after taste. Anyway, just wanted to provide that quick crash course to whiskey.

Bowmore is a very famous Islay Scotch Whiskey

Hillrock is a family favorite. This distillery is located in upstate NY and their American Malt Whiskey is fantastic!

Pappy Van Winkle is a very famous (and expensive) American Bourbon

Stillhouse Rye is very yummy and distilled locally in Brooklyn!

So, as avid whiskey fans, we were really excited to go to WhiskeyFest, although we later learned that my dad already owned about 80% of the bottles that were being sampled! Oh well, we still had a great time.

When we first walked into the giant convention center, it was a little overwhelming. I can't even begin to guess how many people were in attendance, but it was so crowded, you could barely move! Still, we made due and did our best to get to as many distilleries as possible and taste as much as possible. Luckily, the organizers provided you with a map so you could navigate through the crowd and locate the various distilleries. 

Welcome to WhiskeyFest 2014!

The distilleries were very eager to chat with people and pour samples

My parents and I, particularly my father, was excited to see the distillery "FEW." My father has known about FEW for some time, but was having difficult procuring a bottle of their rye. Lucky for him, he has a wonderful daughter who searched Manhattan and discovered that one of her local liquor stores sold the elusive FEW. He was so happy when I surprised him with a bottle a few weeks ago. (No pun intended). I have to say, FEW has quickly become a favorite of mine. I'm really only familiar with their rye, since that's what I bought and I prefer Rye, but I tried their gin and bourbon at WhiskeyFest and I was really impressed. I find FEW to be very smooth and easy to drink. For more information on FEW, check out their website here. 

Fun fact: when we visited the FEW table, I ran into a classmate of mine from Bryn Mawr College. We didn't really know each other in college, but that didn't stop us from socializing like old friends. It turns out that she works for FEW! What serendipity! 

FEW Distillery

The general set up

Laphroaig and Bowmore are two famous Scotch whiskies. They are both very smoky (peaty). 

Glenmorangie is a very smooth and mild well known Scotch

Talisker is another smoky and famous Scotch

Although I knew many of the distilleries, there were a couple new ones that I encountered. This "Catskill Provisions Honey Infused Whiskey" was a wonderful discovery. This whiskey comes from upstate New York and it is rye based. Currently, honey flavored whiskey has become popular and I see brands like "Wild Turkey" and "Jack Daniels" releasing honey flavored whiskey. I've tasted these and quite frankly, I think they are REVOLTING. They are sickeningly sweet and the whiskey tastes funny. When I saw this honey-infused rye, I was skeptical, but I kept an open mind. Mentally, I prepared myself for a sweet sugar rush though would leave me wrenching, but I was amazed to find that that was not the case. This rye was delicious! It maintains the pure and spicy flavor of rye and the honey is very subtle. I couldn't believe my taste buds! I got talking with the women who makes this rye. She too has a dislike for the other honey flavored whiskies, for the same reasons that I mentioned, but she is also a beekeeper. She wanted to incorporate her beekeeping into the whiskey, without creating something too sweet. Well madam, you certainly succeeded with that task! This "Catskill Provisions" is absolutely delicious and it was a hidden gem WhiskeyFest. 

Yum!

Julian Van Winkle, from the uber famous and expensive "Pappy Van Winkle" bourbon distillery, was present and pouring samples at WhiskeyFest

So many people in attendance! 

My father and I were also pleased to see another relatively new distillery that we have grown to love called "Tin Cup" present at WhiskeyFest. This Colorado based distillery produces a beautiful whiskey that is really smooth and mild. It also comes in a very cool hexagonal bottle and so you can start tasting as soon as you purchase, there is a little "Tin Cup" on the lid! Dad and I are crazy about this whiskey. Whilst we were at the "Tin Cup" table sipping, we got to chat with the master distiller, Jess Graber. He is such a gentleman and a true cowboy. For more information on "Tin Cup", click here. 

We love Tin Cup

To accompany all of the whiskey and to make sure everyone's stomach was kept full, WhiskeyFest provided quite a spread of food. The selection was certainly impressive, ranging from cold cuts to pasta to Asian food to chicken etc… but I get a sense that it was quantity over quality. The food was pretty mediocre, but then again, you don't come to WhiskeyFest to eat.

They have sitting areas so you don't have to stand and it

All in all, I had a really fun time with my parents at WhiskeyFest. Yes, it was wayyy too crowded, and yes, we have most of the whiskey represented, but you know what? It was still fun jumping from table to table and sampling what was on order. It was also wonderful to see how many other people are interested in whiskey, like us. Also, we did discover some new distilleries, some of which we really liked. 

Due to the level of insanity, the fact that we already have most of these whiskies, and the expensive tickets, I don't know that I would attend WhiskeyFest again, but I'm still glad I went this year. 

Panorama shot of WhiskeyFest from the second floor