SMWS Top 5 Tips On Whisky Festivals For Whisky Month!

Whisky festivals can be fun but daunting!

Top 5 Tips on whisky festivals for Whisky Month

May is ‘Whisky Month’ in Scotland, with a host of events up and down the country including World Whisky Day on the 19th, Edinburgh Whisky Stramash (19-20th) and The Islay Festival of Music & Malt (Feis Isle) (25 May to 1st June).

Whisky festivals, especially for first-timers, can be daunting – so how can you make the most of your whisky event or festival experience?
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s ambassador John McCheyne travels the world attending and hosting whisky events – below he shares his top tips on how to get the best out of them.

Book in advance for the tasting events you really don’t want to miss!

1. Prepare!

Whether it’s a one-day event or a week-long festival, there are so many whiskies that you may get lost in the possibilities. Book in advance for the tasting events you really don’t want to miss, and take the time to fully enjoy a particular event, instead of rushing from one to another.

Islay Whisky Festival 2015

2. Start light, end heavy.

Don’t rush to the peated whiskies straight off the bat. You wouldn’t start a wine tasting with a bombastic Barolo, you’d start with a pinot gris.

Sample your drams properly and appreciate them!

3. Whisky festivals can get busy.

So taste your drams away from the madding crowd, sample them properly and appreciate them. Take some notes, then you’ll have a good appreciation of the whiskies you targeted.

4. Remember your ‘festival etiquette’.

Don’t be the person who stands at the front of the table for an extended period monopolising the ambassador and blocking the people behind from getting a dram. Be mindful of how busy the table may be and choose the right moment to have a word or two.

Don’t be the person who ‘hogs’ the ambassador!

Ambassadors will do their best to engage an enthusiast, but it’s important to be courteous to all the other people there trying to have the same experience.

5. Lastly, talk to the hosts.

They’ll have some fascinating insights into the drams on offer, the stories behind the distilleries, and the whole experience. Take your time, plot your course, don’t make a fool of yourself, and have fun!