Whiskyfest Richmond 2014

Ten friends get together in a kitchen with about thirty whiskies and some plates of nachos, cheddar cheese, maybe some taquitos.   Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.  For the third year running, my friends and I got together for what we like to call Whiskyfest Richmond.  The rules are simple - everyone brings a whisky for us to try.  Try something you've never tried before.  Take your whisky home with you (although I sometimes wish people would forget number 3).  The rule about "whisky" has been pushed every year, in a good way:  Romanian palinka, Plum Moonshine, Skate:

I mean, my daughter helped me with the category signs, but seriously, what is that????

We also sampled a really nice whiskey from our college friend, George Ruotolo's label, Tom Lawless:

Every year, we've voted on the best in show and a lot of those whiskies are now regulars in the rotation: Glenlivet 15, Bulleit, Hudson Rye, and this year, Compass Box Spice Tree.  But it's not only about the winners - people tried Japanese whisky for the first time.  Some made a maiden voyage to Islay.  Personally, I got my first real taste of Makers 46 and Angels Envy Bourbon and was impressed with both.




Really, there were no bad whiskies (even Skate, when you have it late enough in the evening, is fine), maybe some expressions people liked more than others, maybe some tastes were expanded a little.  But it was really about whisky, friends, and taquitos - what could be better than that?