The Los Angeles Magazine Whiskey Festival was back at it again this year, pouring some of the best masterfully distilled spirits under one roof. This year the roof happened to be none other than the beautifully interesting Museum of Flying, located in Santa Monica, California, across the street from the famed Barker Hanger. If you have ever attended a Los Angeles Magazine event, you know how precisely maintained, and expertly laid out they are. This year’s Whiskey Festival did nothing but exemplify their event hosting prowess, even down to the most minute detail. Let us dive into this year’s event, and see what they had to offer, that way you know when this event comes around next year, your calendar will be marked for the day tickets are available.
From midwest bourbons, and ryes, to the highland originated scotch offerings, this whiskey festival was adorned with some of the best bottled spirits you could possibly hope to try. From very wood, and smoke forward flavor profiles, ranging to spiced, and fruity emissions, this festival had some serious range. Though, let us talk about the venue in itself first, as it offered quite the neat experience for the event. Outside upon walking up sat one of the coolest planes, the Blue Angels dressed F4 right near the door of entry. Inside was set up fantastically, as the center offered space which was easily navigated by the crowd. This was due the outer edges of the area being lines with the tasting stations, a definite nice touch to cater to those who enjoy their space, very well thought out.
As I stated, Los Angeles Magazine events are fantastic, I am always glad to be in attendance to them when the opportunity arises. While the way it was ran, from the setup, to the execution was fantastic, they managed to bring some amazing brands under one roof, and that certainly placed this event as a must attend every year. The hors d’oeuvres were certainly complimentary to the whiskeys being poured, and served as a great balancing touch throughout the night. As for the whiskeys, I do certainly have my preferences, and what would an article about a whiskey event be without speaking on the highlight of the entire event, the whiskey.
Whistlepig was my first stop of the night because, well, I really enjoy Whistlepig as one of my personal favorites. The 15 year, along with the Old World were the bandits stealing the show that night, the easy finishing Old World was a vanilla, subtly nutty experience that took my taste buds for a ride through flavortown, only to have a velvet smooth finish to compliment. The 15 year was, and is always my personal favorite, those maple syrup notes just coat the mouth in rich oaky decadence, excuse me while I take a quick napkin to my mouth.
Another absolute star of the night was a whiskey I was actually tasting for the first time ever, the sleek, stylish, Corsair Small Batch Triple Smoke. I picked up a wonderful balance of smoke, and sweetness, a marriage you do not often see function politely together. The vanilla was immediate up front, the mouthfeel was chewy, and I personally picked up some cherry hints from it that just transitioned into the smoky weighted back end like a sprinter handing off the baton in a 4×100 relay. This shined incredibly well for me, and I am certainly going to pick up a bottle of this liquid magic as soon as possible.
Now, I naturally planned accordingly, and arranged for proper safe transportation homo, as I hope many of the attendees did as well. Plan ahead for next year, grab your tickets early, set up your chariot to your palace, and come enjoy some of the best whiskeys in the business, all under one roof. Stay tuned for more fantastic Los Angeles Magazine events, you will not be sorry for attending, ever. Thank you again for allowing my attendance. CHEERS!