Rob B’s 10 to 1 – Midlands Whisky Festival

Wherever my whisky life takes me, over land or sea or foam, the Midlands Whisky Festival will always hold a special place in my heart. Not only is it the first whisky festival I ever attended and the place where so much of my whisky education has taken place, but it also holds so many memories of good times and adventures with my friends. This year’s spring offering was arguably the best one yet, for many reasons, but mainly for a host of stunning drams at every turn. Below are my ten highlights, a list which took a lot of whittling down:

Midlands Whisky Festival – 3/17

It’s three am. Dressed in a bright white blazer I am dancing, alone, on stage, at my local goth/biker bar, to 90s rock legends hole. I guess sometimes you just really need to celebrate!

Midlands Whisky Festival @ Stourbridge Town Hall – 18.03.17

It’s 2am on a Sunday morning.

I have no idea how I got home.

My head’s pounding and there’s a strange buzzer ringing throughout the house.

What the hell happened?

Bushmills St. Patrick’s Day Tasting @ The Wellington, Birmingham – 16.03.17

We may both have red facial hair (and a slight penchant for alcohol), but neither Rob B or myself have an Irish bone in our body.
When it comes to St. Patrick’s Day though we thought it would be rude not to join in the festivities.

While being fairly inexperienced with Irish whiskey we were both aware of the current surge in interest and were looking forward to experiencing what the emerald isle had to offer.

Cask Strength or Weakness?

With whisky, as a general rule, I prefer higher ABVs.

I tend to find it imbues a richer character, more punch and an overall deeper experience.

With no other spirit is this necessarily true. Vodka, gin, rum and even cider do not usually taste better with a higher alcohol content. They become strong, spirity, and often-times bitter; you lose a lot of the flavour that the producers were no doubt trying to convey.

This can also be true with whisky and, despite my love for a high ABV, I don’t believe that high strength always equals high flavour/quality.

Penderyn – Welsh Hit or Complete Shit?

Ah, Penderyn.

Among my (whisky-informed) friends the name is almost a curse word.

“Welsh whisky!?”
“You mean Irish?”
“Keep that piss away from me”

That’s usually how the conversation will go anytime someone brings up the Welsh distillery.

So in light of it being St. David’s day last week I decided the time was right to bring out a 5 dram tasting set gifted to me by my missus’ brother for my birthday last year.

Rob B’s 10 to 1 – Whisky Birmingham

Whisky Birmingham: the first big whisky event in my calendar this year. Despite drinking whisky for a few years now, last year was my first time at Whisky Birmingham. Not only did I love it enough to return this year (despite being “hungover as fuck”, as Tomasz reminded me on Saturday), but it also convinced my to join The Birmingham Whisky Club and take whisky a lot more seriously. Needless to say, I had another great time this year. So, obligatory waffle over; here are my top ten highlights of this year’s festival:

Birmingham Whisky Festival – 4/3/2017

I have a picture on my phone.  It’s of me in an unknown location, wearing an unknown person’s glasses, looking miserable for an unknown reason. This can only mean one thing… Birmingham whisky festival 2017!

Whisky Birmingham @ The Bond, Digbeth – 04.03.17

Now in it’s 5^th year, WhiskyBirmingham, run by The Birmingham Whisky Club, is always going to be close to our hearts. As paid members of The Birmingham Whisky Club we’re big fans of Amy, Craig and Vicky and know they never disappoint.
Situated in Digbeth, a 10-15min walk from Birmingham New Street Station, The Bond is a fantastic venue with plenty of both outdoor and indoor space.

Upon entry we found 25+ exhibitors spread between 2 exhibition halls and an outdoor marquee, 2 food vendors situated in the courtyard with a covered outdoor seating area and a VIP room with some special drams and a seating area to take a break in.
As we walked in we were greeted by Amy, founder of the Birmingham Whisky Club, with a complimentary nosing glass, dream dram tokens and programme each.
We made a beeline for the coat racks before passing the VIP room and heading into the smaller exhibition hall.

Distilleries Firing Up in 2017 & 2018

With the current upswing in demand for Scotch whisky there have been a number of distilleries opening and re-opening as of late.

Here are the ones to watch out for in the coming year or so.