One of the highlights of every Expo to date has been the Master Classes, and this year’s sessions promise to be exceptional, with a series of amazing tasting sessions introduced by industry leaders and featuring some incredible once in a lifetime pours. Guests who have purchased Expo tickets will be eligible to attend at no additional cost.
Classes will be filled on a first-come basis.
Master Class #1 (VIP only), 6:45pm – 7:15pm,
The Lost Distilleries of Scotland
Chris Riesbeck – National Brand Ambassador, Gordon & MacPhail
While the whisky scene is booming worldwide, many of the oldest and finest distilleries in Scotland have closed over the years. Fortunately, Gordon & MacPhail (G&M), independent bottlers since 1895, continue to supply the market with single malts that they’ve carefully sourced and aged from many of these Lost Distilleries. This evening, G&M National Brand Ambassador Chris Riesbeck will lead us through a tasting of three of his company’s rarest bottlings: Imperial, Convalmore, and Dallas Dhu.
The Imperial 1991 15 Year Old Port Finish Single Cask Single Malt is a Speyside whisky whose distillery was demolished a few months ago. While the building, which housed the largest stills in Scotland, is now gone forever, the essence of Imperial still lingers in Gordon & MacPhail’s library.
Convalmore’s distillery still stands but produced its last spirit in 1985. Tonight, we’ll taste a 1984 22 Year Old. This whisky is a true expression of Convalmore, as it is a single cask, non-chill filtered, and cask strength edition. This truly is a rare and exquisite malt.
We’ll round things out with Dallas Dhu’s 1979 34 Year Old Single Malt Scotch. Despite closing in 1984, Gordon & MacPhail have a stock of Dallas Dhu that they bottle and release at the whisky’s prime; this 34 Year Old is a reflection of the care G&M puts into aging its rare and collectible malts.
Master Class #2, 7:30pm – 8:00pm,
Talisker: A Journey Through the Ages
Gerry Graham – Master of Whisky, Diageo Single Malts
Have you ever wondered how much age really has to do with the taste and quality of whisky? This class will be your opportunity to discover for yourself the difference a few years can make. Under the guidance of Gerry Graham, Master of Whisky for Diageo, we will take a tour of Talisker, one of the world’s most popular single malts, through 4 different age expressions.
Talisker is located on the Isle of Skye off Scotland’s northwestern coast, and is known for producing a peppery, smoky whisky. As we taste Talisker’s 12 Year Distiller’s Edition, 18 Year Old, 25 Year Old, and the rare 30 Year Old, Gerry will talk about the history of the distillery and explore how the spirit changes over time.
Master Class #3, 8:15pm – 8:45pm,
A Wonderful World of Whisky
Raj Sabharwal - Managing Director of Purple Valley Imports
One of the greatest things about whisky’s popularity surge has been the appearance of new styles of spirits from all over the globe. Raj Sabharwal, Managing Director of Purple Valley Imports, will host a blind tasting of whiskies from every corner of the earth. We can’t give too much away here (otherwise it wouldn’t be blind!), but Raj will take us from Australia to Europe, Asia to North America, and challenge us to confront bias and preconceptions about the world’s whisky producing regions.
While we taste, Raj will tell us about each distillery and what makes it unique. You’ll walk away with a newfound appreciation for the diversity and quality of whiskies you may never have heard of or tried before.
Note: Master Classes fill up quickly so be sure to get there early. Entrance is on a first-come first-served basis. Seating is very limited. There will be no admittance after doors close.
