WHISKEYLIVE D.C Review
The Story: WHISKEYLIVE is an event that features local and international whiskies, distillers, and representatives. It is sponsored by several of my favorite whiskey groups and restaurants in the area. The event provides tastings, classes, cocktails, and a large buffet from Jack Rose.
Experience I loved my evening, and as is my preference, the real star of the night was the whiskey. I have to give a shout out to the event coordinators for working around the wind storm that occurred that night to host such a lovely event. When I arrived, there was a long line but luckily it took less than five minutes for everyone to get through. The venue did a great job pushing the guests through the line quickly and getting everyone their glasses.
The main event was held in the ballroom. I went straight there because, you know, whiskey. There I finally got a face to face with a few of my favorite local whiskey lovers, Kelly Carmak (Bourbon Women D.C Branch Ambassador), Eric (of Scotch and Time), and Tonightspoisen (my fellow whiskey blogger). It was amazing to meet in person all of these fine people who have been encouraging me in my whiskey blogging.
The ballroom was laid out with all the whiskey you could want for an evening. This main area was really the place to be for the night! I absolutely loved talking with and learning from the distillers and representatives at the event. All of these wonderful people were extremely knowledgeable about their brand, as well as the story and history of the distilleries.
While at the event, I attended a grain-to-glass masters class taught by Dan Searing from the Winebow group. The class reviewed different ingredients used in whiskey around the world and their significance. We conducted a tasting of five different whiskies and learned the different distilling methods for each of these whiskies. This was a perfect class for beginners as it walked you through how to do a tasting, the flavors of the whiskies, and the significance of the mash in the flavor.
I stopped by the buffet to get some food after the class, and I have to take my hat off to Jack Rose. They did an amazing job catering the event. I had some of everything on the buffet and it was absolute perfection. It was exactly what I needed before going to sample more amazing whiskies.
I finally found the VIP lounge that was on the side of the ballroom and had a few rare pours before they closed down. Leave it to me to walk past the VIP room five times before realizing what treasures were in there! I spent the rest of the night meeting brand ambassadors and distillers while I sampled some absolutely wonderful whiskey.
Recommendation: I recommend this event for anyone that enjoys tasting various whiskies and wants to learn about the brands. It’s great to go and drink, but the ambassadors for the brands are what makes the experience truly special. The masters classes are perfect for beginners. If I had it to do over, I would not take the class again, because it took up about a third of the event. Unless there are whiskies you are dead set to try, I do not recommend the VIP pass either. The thirty minutes early entry was nice, but there was so much to do in the main area that I did not think it was worth the price.
Once again, I loved the event and highly recommend anyone who loves whiskey attends the WHISKEYLIVE in your area (or come see me at the D.C event next year). With that I’m off to yoga. Cheers!
Jos A. Magnus Tasting (Murray Hill Club, Joseph Magnus, Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend)