Willie Tait is quite a character
But don’t take my word for it; read A Round With… in Malt Advocate
magazine volume 17, number 4. He’ll happily tell you what’s worn under his kilt, and when asked if he was better looking than Bruichladdich’s Jim McEwan, this was his answer (in part):
Perhaps Jim is better looking, and even if he wasn’t, he could convince you he is.
But don’t let his sense of humor fool you. Willie’s involvement with Jura began 36 years ago when he took on the role of Tunroom Man. He moved on to Mash/Stillman, Assistant Distillery Manager, and Distillery Manager. Over the course of Willie’s career he has passionately crafted some truly special single malts.
We are pleased to announce that Willie Tait will be conducting a tasting seminar at both WhiskyFest™ San Francisco and New York. Come see what makes Isle of Jura unique, and meet the legendary Willie Tait.
Visit www.whiskyfest.com .
Parker Beam: Seventh Generation Master Distiller
The craft of making Bourbon is in his blood. For over a quarter-century,
Parker Beam has been practicing his family’s craft at Heaven Hill Distilleries of distilling, aging and selecting some of the world’s most critically-acclaimed Bourbons.
Park Beam, Parker’s grandfather and namesake, was the brother of James Beauregard Beam, better known as “Jim” Beam. It was Parker’s father, Earl, who was the first to ply his trade at Heaven Hill. Earl, in turn, then turned the reins over to Parker in 1975. In doing so, Parker became the seventh generation Beam to earn the title Master Distiller.
Bringing his family’s many years of experience with him, Parker will be presenting a tasting seminar at both WhiskyFest San Francisco and New York. It’s an opportunity you won’t want to pass up.
Visit www.whiskyfest.com .
Never attended a WhiskyFest™ Event?
Are you unsure what to expect? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions area
of the web site. We answer the most commonly asked questions about WhiskyFest. Attendees enjoy being among fellow whisky lovers, like to try whiskies they’d never otherwise have the opportunity to try, and no matter whether you’re new to whisky, or a true aficionado, there’s always something more to learn.
To visit our FAQ area for San Francisco, click here .
And for New York, click here.
Stay Close, for Safety’s Sake!
Room blocks are available for both WhiskyFest™ San Francisco and New York. Imagine this: WhiskyFest has just ended after a fun evening of seminars, meeting fellow enthusiasts, and tasting new whiskeys. Now all you have to do is take an elevator ride to your room, relax and reflect on all that WhiskyFest had to offer.
In San Francisco: Hotel reservations for the nights of 10/5 – 10/9 can be made by calling 1-800-228-9290 and mentioning the WhiskyFest room block. Or, reserve online at Marriott.com: San Francisco Marriott Marquis >> The rate is good until September 14, or until the room block sells out.
In New York: The room block is available on the nights of 10/31 and 11/1. Call 800-266-9432 and mention the WhiskyFest room block. Or, for reservations online: https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.domode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=
3327571&utm_source=1322&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=4672693
The room block is available until 10/10/11, or until the block has sold out.
You’ll want to make your reservations before the rooms are all booked!
Remember to Take Advantage of the Special Pricing
You only have 18 days left to take advantage of the Early Bird special pricing on 
WhiskyFest tickets.
Tickets make a great holiday gift, whether for the whisky lover in your life, or for yourself. We won’t offer a better deal on tickets, so remember to buy yours before the special ends on December 31!
Discounted WhiskyFest 2011 Tickets Now Available!
The 2011 dates have been announced and tickets are now available with an Early Bird discount. Maybe you’ll be putting WhiskyFest tickets on your holiday wish list. There won’t be a better time to buy them, whether they’re for yourself or someone else.
The WhiskyFest dates for 2011 are:
April 15 – Chicago
October 7 – San Francisco
November 1 – New York
Buy tickets through December 31, 2010, and receive a $15 discount.
WhiskyFest New York | Charity whisky update
A twenty dollar bill. It doesn’t go very far; but yet it takes only a few to amount to something valuable – like a bottle of your favorite whisky or a WhiskyFest™ admission ticket. But it takes just one twenty dollar bill to serve one person clean, safe water for 2o years. Malt Advocate magazine has joined the effort to raise funds for charity: water; a non-profit organization providing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations.
In a previous post we listed the donations offered to that point. We are thrilled to announce that more generous companies have joined our effort! Here are the additions since our last post:
The Macallan Sherry Oak 25 Year Old
DECADEnce from Compass Box
Black Art from Bruichladdich
Laphroaig 21 from Beam Global
Ardbeg Supernova
Glenmorangie Traditional
It is our hope that WhiskyFest New York attendees will consider participation in our effort to make a difference in the world. Enjoy a taste of a unique expression and know there is value in a twenty dollar bill!
WhiskyFest New York | Charity Tickets
WhiskyFest™ New York will be an evening to remember and an opportunity to make a difference. Malt Advocate magazine will be hosting a charity table with all proceeds benefiting charity: water. The non-profit organization, charity: water, provides clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations.
While some call whisky the water of life, there are nearly a billion people on the planet who do not have access to clean, safe water to drink. charity: water uses 100% of public donations to fund sustainable water solutions in areas of greatest need. A freshwater project costs $5,000 and can serve approximately 250 people. That’s $20 to serve 1 person with clean, safe drinking water for 20 years.
Please join us in our goal to make a difference. Charity tickets will be available for purchase at the Malt Advocate table at WhiskyFest New York for $20 each. That ticket will afford you the opportunity to taste a rare or exclusive whisky. In turn, that ticket purchase will offer someone fresh, clean water. We expect an expansive selection of whiskies will be available. Here is a list of what has been donated so far:
Glenfiddich Vintage 1975
The Balvenie Thirty
Gordon & MacPhail Balblair 1966 39 yr 43%
Dalmore 1874
BenRiach 25 Year Old
Glenlivet 1969 Cellar Collection
Evan Williams 23-Year-Old
Highland Park St Magnus 2
Thank you to the donors of these fantastic whiskies! Thank you in advance to all WhiskyFest New York attendees who support us in our goal to raise enough money to fund one well for charity: water!
WhiskyFest New York | The great whisky experience
Whether it is the Whisky List, the Seminars or both that have you psyched about WhiskyFest™ New York, you won’t be disappointed! This is the event that will take your whisky experience to a whole new level. In addition to the great line up of Speakers, the guest list for WhiskyFest New York also includes some other industry experts.
You just might have the chance to mingle with Jim McEwan of Bruichladdich, Alistair Walker of GlenDronach and BenRiach, Chris Morris – Woodford Reserve Master Distiller, Jeff Arnett - Jack Daniels Master Distiller, Dan Tullio - Director, Canadian Club, Scott Bush - founder and president of Templeton Rye, Marko Karakasevic of Charbay and David Pickerell of WhistlePig. The list goes on! Greg Davis of Maker’s Mark Master Distiller, John Campbell of Laphroaig, Jess Graber – Founder of Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, Tom Bulleit – Founder of Bulleit Bourbon, Julian and Preston Van Winkle of Van Winkle & Sons, Lorne Mackillop of Mackillop’s Choice, Lincoln Henderson of Louisville Distilling and Roderick Mackenzie, Director of Ian MacLeod Distillers, just to name a few.
One night. One room. Gather. Taste. Discover. Share.
WhiskyFest New York | Zero. Zilch. Nada. . .
That’s right, none! There are no WhiskyFest New York tickets available for purchase: no VIP tickets and no Regular admission tickets. We wish we could assist the mounting requests for, “just one ticket”.
We have to be honest, the reasons we’ve heard for not being able to purchase tickets earlier have run the gamut from funny to sad. We certainly admire your creativity!
The truth is, there are no tickets available for WhiskyFest New York 2010. But it’s never too early to start planning for next year. The 14thAnnual WhiskyFest New York will be held on November 1, 2011. Though tickets are not yet available for sale, they will be soon, so Save the Date, and sign up for WhiskyNotes to receive updates and announcements on ticket sales and more. You can also visit maltadvocate.com and yep, you guessed it, check here, on the WhiskyFest Blog.