Southport Whisky Festival 2020
Massive thanks to everyone who attended the #SouthportWhiskyFestival 2020, information about each event and links to the YouTube videos of all the sessions are listed below for you to relive the festival… see you next year!
2020 will be the year remembered for Covid-19 coronavirus, causing a global pandemic which swept round the world. Locked down in our homes, with all the pubs closed, the Southport Whisky Club decided to get our friends across the whisky-world together for an online whisky festival.
Southport is a beautiful bustling Victorian seaside town, with broad boulevards, a wide seafront and lots of independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. When coronavirus recedes and we get back to normal, business will reopen, visitors will come back and the whisky club will meet again at Remedy.
Until then, from the Festival team: John, Max, Chris, Nigel and Tom, enjoy the festival and here’s to many more like it!
Sláinte, Victor Porter
#SouthportWhiskyFestival #StandUpForSouthport
Participants
We ran a series of virtual tasting with some of the biggest names in whisky. Showcasing some unique drams and presenting some festival exclusive bottles too!
Festival Schedule
| Date | Sessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 23rd July | 6pm Compass Box |
8pm Tomatin |
||
| Friday 24th July | 2pm Paul John |
4pm Spey |
6pm Glen Scotia |
8pm Loch Lomond |
| Saturday 25th July | 1pm Hunter Laing |
3pm Victor & George |
6pm Glengoyne |
8pm Glenfarclas |
| Sunday 26th July | 2pm Douglas Laing |
4pm Morrison & Mackay 6pm |
Distell 8pm |
Bimber |
Festival Sessions
Compass Box
Thursday 23rd July : 6pm
Hosted by Gill Boyd
Master whisky maker Jill Boyd is a regular visitor to Southport and her tasting events are always hugely entertaining and educational.
Jill is great, we love her and we love her whisky. Don’t miss this masterclass in whisky making.
- Hedonism
- The Spice Tree
- The Story of the Spaniard
- The Peat Monster
- Flaming Heart
Tomatin
Thursday 23rd July : 8pm
Hosted by Scott Adamson
Just south of Inverness, Tomatin describes its whisky as the ‘softer side to the Highlands’. Scott Adamson their Global Brand Ambassador graces Southport again via Zoom to present their whisky.
- 12yo
- Cask Strength
- 14yo
- 18yo
- Decades II
Paul John
Friday 24th July : 2pm
Hosted by Shilton Almeida
Hailing from the tropical shores of Goa, along the west coast of India, comes the Paul John single malts, a golden spirit of brilliance, from John Distilleries. Join Shilton Almeida as he samples some of the flagship range and select casks.
- Nirvana
- Oloroso select cask
- Pedro Ximenes select cask
- Bold
SPEY
Friday 24th July : 4pm
Hosted by Paul Dempsey
Paul Dempsey from Speyside Distillery takes us through this year’s special releases of SPEY.
- Spey Trutina
- Spey Spirit of Speyside Festival 2020 Single Cask (Bourbon casks)
- Spey 12 year old Tawny Port – this is the new one, and the bigger brother of the 10yo medal winner that was released early last year
- Spey 12 year old Peated
Glen Scotia
Friday 24th July : 6pm
Hosted by Iain McAlister
Master distiller Iain McAlister shares the drams from the Glen Scotia Virtual Malts Festival dunnage warehouse tasting…
Each year, Iain selects some of his favourite casks from our dunnage warehouse and invites guests to join in him in sampling these unique whiskies not available outside the walls of our original dunnage warehouse.
The theme for 2020 casks is The Casks of Campbeltown: whiskies matured in casks that have historically been used in Campbeltown. We will look at why these casks were used, the influence they have on the whisky and how the availability/use of these has ultimately shaped the modern Campbeltown style.
Each tasting set comes with a single 25ml sample measure of the following casks from the Glen Scotia dunnage warehouse, all bottled in 2020 at cask strength.
- Glen Scotia Victoriana – Cask Strength
- Cask no. 810 – First Fill Bourbon – Distilled in 2005
- Cask no. 486 – Refill Sherry Hogshead – Distilled in 2002
- Cask no. 2/359 – Bordeaux Red Wine – Distilled in 2009
- Cask no. 6/413 – Tawny Port Hogshead – Distilled in 2005
Loch Lomond
Friday 24th July : 8pm
Hosted by Michael Henry
Loch Lomond’s Master Blender Michael Henry introduces us to two of their 2020 new releases and some old favourites.
The first new release is the Loch Lomond Peated Single Grain and the second is the Loch Lomond 12 Year Old 2020 The Open Special Release which was distilled in 2007 and 100% of the spirit is from the same batch of casks as the incredible Single Cask #5834. It will be bottled at 46% and natural colour.
- Loch Lomond Peated Single Grain
- Loch Lomond 12yo
- Inchmurrin 12yo
- The Open 2020 Special Edition – 12yo
- Inchmoan 12yo
Hunter Laing
Saturday 25th July : 1pm
Hosted by Andrew Laing
Hunter Laing take us on a tour of Islay with samples of their whiskies.
- Islay Journey
- Hepburn’s Choice Caol Ila 8yo
- Scarabus
- Old Malt Cask Bunnahabhain 27yo 1991
Victor & George
Saturday 25th July : 3pm
Hosted by Victor Porter & George Michie
A blind tasting with a twist. Victor Porter hosts a panel of whisky industry cheerleaders George Michie – Soho Whisky Club, Jill Boyd – Compass Box and Ibon Mendiguren – Loch Lomond tasting ten ‘lucky dip’ samples
The drams will be wide and varied as will six dram tasting packs, no two are the same. Join the fun and challenge your tastebuds.
- Douglas Laing Cambus 26yo SWF Bottling
- Riverflow
- Deanston 15yo Organic
- Teerenpeli Portti
- Armorik Whisky Breton Single Cask #3298
- Box Dálvve
- Domaine Des Hautes Glaces Moissons Organic
- Herman Marshall Texas Burbon Whiskey
- Ayrer's Red Virgin Oak Small Batch
- Douglas Laing Rock Oyster Cask Strength
Glengoyne
Saturday 25th July : 6pm
Hosted by Gordon Dundas
Glengoyne’s Global Brand Manager, Gordon Dundas shares some exquisite highland drams including their latest limited editions.
- 10yo
- Legacy Series, Chapter 1
- 18yo
- Teapot Dram batch no. 007
Glenfarclas
Saturday 25th July : 8pm
Hosted by George Grant
George Grant, who is the 6th generation of the Grant family to own the Glenfarclas Distillery, will be hosting this event.
- 10yo
- 15yo
- 21yo
- 25yo
- 105
Douglas Laing
Sunday 26th July : 2pm
Hosted by Fred Laing and Jamie Williamson
Douglas Laing share their expertise with single grain whiskies as Fred Laing presents “Delicious Desserts”
- Old Particular Port Dundas 13yo
- Old Particular Port Dundas 15yo
- Old Particular Loch Lomond 22yo
- Garnheath 45yo 1974 XOP
Morrison & Mackay
Sunday 26th July : 4pm
Hosted by Niel Hendriksz
Niel Hendriksz takes us through some exciting new releases.
- Glenburgie 2011 Bourbon Barrel
- Caol Ila 2012 Sherry Butt
- Linkwood 2011 Bourbon & Rye Barrel
- Glentauchers 2010 Sherry Puncheon
- Tomintoul 1996 bourbon hogshead (Celebration of the Cask)
Distell
Sunday 26th July : 6pm
Hosted by Julieann Fernandez and Stephen Woodcock
Julieann Fernandez (Master Blender) and Stephen Woodcock (Master Distiller) from Deanston Distillery are hosting this session.
- Deanston 10yo Bordeaux red wine cask finish
- Deanston 2006 Madeira
- Tobermory 2007 Sherry finish
- Bunnahabhain Toiteach a Dhà
Bimber
Sunday 26th July : 8pm
Hosted by Matt McKay
Matt McKay of Bimber takes us through a cracking set of samples, including an upcoming release, an unreleased single cask and our very own Single Cask #127 bottled for the festival.
- Ex-Bourbon Small Batch
- Ex-Bourbon #127
- Peated Finish Small Batch
- Port Single Cask
The festival exclusives...
The festival in numbers...
The Festival Team
Huge thanks to the team for all their hard work behind the scenes to turn the idea of the Southport Whisky Festival into a reality...
Victor Porter (The Boss)
Southport Whisky Club
Ringleader, the brains behind the festival and the guy who makes thing happen.
southportwhisky.co.ukChris Lodge (Distribution & Logistics)
Managing Director Manor Lodge Food
30 years experience in wholesale food distribution. No real favourite distillery but a big fan of old grains.
manorlodgefood.comMax Gilbert (Hosting & Infrastructure)
Software Engineer
Loves developing, exploring and drinking Glen Scotia whisky.
thewhiskyexplorer.co.ukNigel Misson (Back End Development)
Head of Software Development at CloudM
When not creating great software, I love drinking whisky, cooking curry and travelling to India. Ideal job is CTO (Chief Tasting Officer) for PaulJohn in Goa.
LinkedInJohn Watkinson (Crayon Crew)
Graphic Designer & Whisky Photographer
Lives to be creative. Huge fan of Glen Scotia and Bunnahabhain
thewhiskyimage.com