Whisky Live – Glasgow September 2010
Jim and Nicola headed off at around 11 am for the train into Glasgow for our third visit to Whisky Live. Thank you Pippa Tomson of Paragraph Publishing for your kind invite.
On our arrival at the Thistle Hotel in the centre of Glasgow we collected our tickets and bag of goodies.
Very soon after arriving we caught up with Pippa to say hello and thank her.
Our plan was to first take a leisurely walk around the hall to see all the well known Whiskies and bottlers.
Our first stop was at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and was met by Helen Stewart who let us taste and exceptional Arran Single Cask. This was the first time that SMWS has had a stand at this great festival. Their stand was continually busy and very professionally run.
We moved on to one of our favourite bottlers, Douglas Laing & Co Ltd., where we had quite a chat with Hugh Muir and Jan Beckers and had a wee taste of a couple of Provenance range, great drams.
Our next stand was at the Cooley/Kilbeggan where we enjoyed a wee Tyrconnel Single Malt Sherry Finish, Nicola really enjoyed this one.
We nipped over to the Bruichladdich stand (this was Jim’s favourite) and were met by Natalie Haran who let us taste a couple of drams from the fabulous range that this wonderful Distillery produce. We also asked her how Jim McEwan was getting on with his Islay Gin, and she told us that the old Lomond still was up and running , but they were still working on a bottle shape and a label.
A new stand at Whisky Live is Collectors Corner where we met Andrew Bell from McTears Auctions in Glasgow where we really enjoyed a long chat and exchanged one or two wee tastings, Jim’s flask had a 1996 Caol Ila Distillers Edition and Nicola had a Provenance Bottling of a 14 Year Old Single Cask Macallan,
We popped round to the stage area to see Richard Paterson who is Whisky Magazine’s “Whisky Ambassador of the Year” receive his cake which was quite appropriate as you can see from the picture.
We continued our tour of Whisky Live and enjoyed a few tastings from Isle of Jura ( The 16 Year Old was grand ) a new Port Wood from Glen Moray, a light Isle of Arran was very pleasant, one of Jim’s favourites of the day was a wee 18 Year Old Bunnahabhain.
Overall it was a well organised event, and very busy, we would not be disappointed if this was kept as Whisky Live’s Glasgow home.
From the press releases we were promised improved food, but that never happened. Last year we were served home made soup and sandwiches with our food ticket. This year we had a couple of choices but our food ticket only allowed one item. What we found to be over priced was if you were to buy something extra, eg. a Haggis pie they were charging £6 wow, oh dear. So this was our only disappointment of this great event.
Noticeable by their absence were Diageo, Pernod Recard, Edrington Group and Morrison Bowmore to mention just a few.
Noticeable by their absence were Diageo, Pernod Recard, Edrington Group and Morrison Bowmore to mention just a few….
Presumably you know that most of them are waiting to exhibit at Glasgow’s Whisky Festival on November 13. All tables sold (41) and a waiting list. You Boys bought your tickets yet?
Thanks for visiting our site, your comments are all welcome,
going to purchase tickets this week and will look forward to our first visit to the Glasgow Whisky Festival
See you soon