TWE Whisky Show 2012 [Part 3]

This post continue from TWE Whisky Show [Part 2]

After almost six hours I have tasted 43 single malt whiskies, some of them transcendentally amazing. Now I had an extra chance of tasting something that I missed on TWE Whisky Show.

Extra day: The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show Trade day

Ok, just waked up for The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show Trade Day [wooa!, that’s long]. I have another nice and expensive breakfast for another whisky day that unfortunately I will not be able to enjoy fully as I have a plane to catch.

I am in the place one hour before it opens. It is raining. A lot. After asking them security guys say I can’t wait inside. Yeah, yeah, thank you very much… if you guys ever come to Spain I will make sure you get a nice seat to eat under the “nice and gentle” Spanish sun… arrgh!

There is a bridge near the show. I waited there for one hour. I hate this weather.
People is starting to queue on the entrance so I decide to risk getting cold and wet and queue with them. I find a small shelter to hide of rain.

It is already 12:05 and were are still outside. I will have to run through the show if I don’t want to lose my plane.

Great! I am inside.

Just 35 minutes left. I run for…

What would you have tasted if you had only thirty minutes left?

Ardbeg stand

Well, being a peat-head I run for a dram of Ardbeg Galileo. Very nice whisky, imagine a cask strength fruity 10 years old Ardbeg. Definitively very nice.

26 minutes left! I can’t believe I have been so much time tasting Ardbeg, time goes fast when you are enjoying it…

Bunnahabhain stand

My last run, what could it be… I have a hard time getting Bunnahabhain samples so I go for them. I taste Bunnahabhain 18 years old that it is an interesting sherry Bunnahabhain, althought I didn’t really enjoyed it…

Tasted them Bunnahabhain 25 years old. Definitively a huge step. This one is aged in oak casks ( aka refill whatever cask was around on the warehouse ) and is more complex with delightful notes of vanilla, peat and cinnamon.

Finally I have a bonus shot of Bunnahabhain 40 years old. Only 600 bottles from three casks and the oldest Bunnahabhain whisky to date. If I say that it isn’t good I will cheat you. It was simply mindblowing awesome. One of the best whiskies I have had and definitively the best I have tasted in the whole Show.
Unfortunately I learn that each bottled of it is worth around £2500, which make it totally out of my budget.

Bye bye! See you next year

WTF! I have been tasting Bunnahabhain for 35 minutes. I am late!.

I say thanks to everyone, I say bye. And I run. Run. I have already spent 10 minutes of my self imposed half an hour of extra safety time to catch my plane.

I arrive to Stansted without delays, run again. I have to pass security twice because I have some liquids on my luggage, perfume I said ( a superb sample of Flamming Heart 4th edition ) :P.

Time for some shopping.
WTF! Jameson Vintage is worth £250?! I should have paid more attention to it while tasting.
Oh! Look Chivas Royal Salute Jubilee… umm… £180. Nice. F***! It doesn’t enter in my hand baggage ( Thank you Ryanair ).
Oh! A Bowmore I don’t have… WTF! £149?!… uff… no way.
Opps! This one! Glenfiddich Millenium Malt 2012. Nice bottle and it is a Glenfiddich. It can’t be bad.

Time to board the plane. It has been a super weekend! And definitively an experience I would love to repeat in following years. I just need to make sure to get more time. So much whiskies to taste and so little time…

Be back tomorrow for the last part of the TWE Whisky Show post with things I wasn’t able to taste and the stuff I really recommend from the show.

Share your thoughts! comments written.