Cape Town - Whether you’re a connoisseur or a novice – and it is, even according to the experts, an acquired taste – the Whisky Live Showroom at The Lookout in the V&A Waterfront is the place to be.
Over three evenings, from Thursday to Sunday (June 18-20), you’ll be able to taste more than 100 whiskies from around the world, and meet the men and women who not only drink the fine golden liquid, but live it. They will be there to share their whiskies and their knowledge, from newly available whiskies as well as tried and tested favourites, to a host of award winners, and a few rarities.
You’ll get to engage with people like Andy Watts who is the master distiller at James Sedgewick right here in Wellington where world-class whiskies are nurtured; and many men in kilts, like Distell’s whisky brand ambassador and Master of the Quaich Pierre Meintjies, also known as Mr Whisky. The title Master of the Quaich (a two handled drinking cup, pronounced “quake”) is bestowed only on those recognised for their outstanding commitment to the Scottish whisky industry
Watts became responsible for the company’s whisky portfolio in 1991 when it consisted of only the Three Ships Select. “We then went on to craft the Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish, Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old, the limited-edition Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt and Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky,” he says. “However, behind the scenes we are always looking at future possibilities and this is one of the more exciting parts of my work.”
At the festival Watts will share one of the rarest whiskies in the world, the Three Ships 10 Year Old single malt. Only 8 000 bottles were made and it’s no longer available for purchase. Among its many awards, the most recent was gold at the 2014 International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) in London.
No matter how much you think you know, these guys know more, so, as a prelude to the festival, I met with Pierre Meintjies at the Cape Grace hotel’s Bascule Bar – famous for its massive selection of whiskies – to learn more about the spirit. Unfortunately he wasn’t wearing his kilt but it was an intense, fascinating, and enjoyable two and a half hours of whisky education and tasting which could easily have gone on longer if we both didn’t have other places to be.
We began with Bunnahabhain 10, 18, and 25 year olds, which are notable for the absence of peaty flavours which are usually predominant in the single malts from Islay, and often intimidating for new whisky drinkers. The process began with nosing the whisky several times, breathing in through the mouth at the same time, before adding a splash of water to “release the serpent”. Meintjies then instructed me to take a mouthful and swirl it around for as long as possible before swallowing. Of course you’re probably not going to do this at home every time with your after dinner drink, but it’s the way to fully appreciate the characteristics of each whisky. It has the added advantage of preventing that intense alcohol “burn” you get if you toss back a shot.
We then moved on to blended whiskies – up to 30 percent single malts, and there can be as many as 30 different ones within that percentage which gives you an idea of the job of a master blender, with the balance made up of grain whisky. We tasted Scottish Leader Original, and its new Signature blend, both of which have been smartly repackaged yet remain incredibly affordable, proving you don’t have to be a snob to enjoy a good whisky. The brand’s new world-wide advertising campaign was shot on location in Cape Town. The last whisky in the tasting was Black Bottle, also sporting a sexy new look.
We finished with a couple of heavyweight Scotches from Meintjies’s private collection which are not available in this country, and there’s that wonderful moment when you realise you have become a true whisky drinker.
* Booking for the festival is advised and can be done online at www.whiskylivefestival.co.za.
The event takes place from 6.30pm-10pm, June 18-20. No under-18s will be allowed.
Designated driver tickets are available for R105 with a bottle of mineral water included in the ticket price. In partnership with Uber, first-time users will get a free ride to the value of R200 with the promo code WLF2015.
Weekend Argus