THE £100,000 WHISKY CHALLENGE

[@Dan-hn1lx]

You cheeky bastards sampling all the goods!!!! Incredible line up of drams and I'm sure you were in whisky heaven!!!

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

absolutely Dan, it was an amazing event. and we didn't want any of the whiskies going to waste now did we!

[@Dramdiary]

The maddest thing about this episode is I only tried one of these drams that you did and I still managed to get insane value from the show. Superb event can’t wait for next years buffet.

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

so many choices! I pretty much missed the buffet all together this year which was gutting - those duck boa buns looked insane

[@christinecamley]

Fabulous video!!

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

thanks Christine! what's your dream dram from the ones we tried?

[@chazchilly9697]

Pays to be The Whisky Baron 😉👍🏽

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

pays to go to The Whisky Event - the majority of these were available to everyone!

[@TimHoekstra]

That is quite the challenge. Hope you enjoyed it! Having said that, some of these bottle prices...what a joke. 6.5k for a 27yo bushmills? That makes the 25yo Ardbeg look like a steal.

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

it was an incredible event Tim, had a great time thanks. you're right, some prices are punchy and it's funny leaving an event and thinking "that £500+ bottle is great value". just goes to show the value of attending though! have you been before?

[@TimHoekstra]

@@TheWhiskyBaron This event was new to me to be honest 😅 Learned something new.

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

@@TimHoekstra glad we could share it with you bud! sláinte

[@YurySimplyaboutwhisky]

👍Nice one!

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

appreciate the support as ever Yury! have you had the opportunity to try any of the drams featured?

[@YurySimplyaboutwhisky]

@@TheWhiskyBaron Unfortunately not

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

@@YurySimplyaboutwhisky well worth getting down to The Whisky Event next year if you can then - they never disappoint

[@timpowles7514]

Ahh the challenges you undertake on our behalf Jake. Legend..

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

I make the sacrifices so you don't have to Tim! in all seriousness though, The Whisky Event is well worth attending if you haven't already

[@timpowles7514]

Haha sure will Jake.

[@richardkilley6838]

Posh isn't going to be happy you tried those highland parks without him!

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

I was glad to share them both with him off camera - otherwise I may have been in trouble!

[@chewymeister88]

I hope Kavalan was showcased in the world of whisky stands. My favourite distillery, and the vinho barrique is my favourite whisky! @TheWhiskyBaron happy to share a sample with you, these guys don't get enough word of mouth here in UK.

[@Dramdiary]

Not sure Kavalan was at the show but they get a lot of love in the UK. We have done a tasting with them before and local bar has a few of their releases by the dram. If I recall correctly there was an excellent port finish we had as well as the Fino!

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

I don't think they were unfortunately. it's a great distillery but unfortunately not all that accessible here in the UK. have you attended The Whisky Event before?

[@whiskyamateur]

How are you still standing by the end of it, absolute whisky champ!!

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

just staying hydrated and ensuring I don't overindulge. not easy when you have such incredible drams being passed to you, but I was sure to share them around with the team. what was your favourite dram from the show?

[@whiskyamateur]

@TheWhiskyBaron I actually didn't try to many drams, but the one that stood out was a 28yr Glenburgie, I whisky I don't think I've tried before or would have, but I'll now keep an eye out for more whiskies from the distillery

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

@@whiskyamateur love Glenburgie. was this G&M?

[@whiskyamateur]

@@TheWhiskyBaron yeah, it was a corker!

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

@@whiskyamateur smelled amazing

[@richardkilley6838]

Drinking a shit load of amazing whiskies, that's a challenge I can get behind!

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

it's a tough old life, but someone has to do it!

[@richardkilley6838]

@@TheWhiskyBaron you're a real trooper big man.

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

@@richardkilley6838 appreciate the support Richard - I hope to see you at an event soon! sláinte

[@ironmantran]

how lovely . . . but my bitcoin aint going up that fast . . . but, THAT is living.

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

get down to a whisky show - you won't need to cash out your crypto but you can try some seriously cool juice

[@Pablo.Bluebird]

Highland Park the best !!! 😉

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

definitely a strong contender on the day. what's your favourite expression of theirs?

[@Pablo.Bluebird]

cask strength no 3 so far 🤓

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

@@Pablo.Bluebird lovely stuff! sláinte my friend

[@andrewbutler7681]

As a former attendee of The Whisky Exchange's Whisky Show Old & Rare, I'm curious: how much would those drams have cost for a non-industry 'standard' punter like me? (I think the most I paid for 1cl was the Old Orkney from Stromness Distillery thought to have been bottled in 1910...)

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

99% of the drams were free of charge - there were a couple of paid drams but none of the ones we showcased. not including the masterclasses of course which were only £125/ticket

[@bobsander4589]

Some truly special drams there Jake. Were they available to everyone or did you have a special pass?

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

the masterclass tickets were £125 a piece and there were a couple shown which were 'under the table' drams. Mostly these were available to all though and even the hidden drams become accessible if you're friendly enough and show an interest with the reps!

[@hoodwiser7652]

Those master classes look well worth a go, I mean realistically how else will us mere mortals try such deified drams? I’m curious, given the price point, would any of the whiskies you tried make it on your all time top 5 list?

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

the masterclasses are always insanely good value at TWE - £125 a ticket and you get so much value. we did them last year also and they were equally insane. great question HW. I think the 54 Singleton was well up there for me, but I tried it towards the end of the night so my palate wasn't as fresh as I would have liked it to be. Equally, the 45 Talisker was insane and probably one of my favourite Talisker expressions to date. though to say for sure if any were in my top 5 of all time though - that's a list I don't add to lightly!

[@erwinweening709]

thats some special whisky's. you can't get the at whisky festivals and events in the netherlands. but i'm very much enoying my berry bross glen elgin 2013. and that for me is a expensive bottle .

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

I think festivals/shows are always a great opportunity for everyone to tuck into things they mightn't usually go for or even that they can't afford. we do get some great access here in the UK but international shows are always improving so keep your eyes peeled. enjoy your Glen Elgin in the meantime though Erwin - sláinte!

[@erwinweening709]

@@TheWhiskyBaron thanks i did enjoyed it. and already planning to go to a few festivals in the autum/winter,

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

@@erwinweening709 🙌

[@Isthatabeerinyourpocket]

Now that was a tasty challenge and one I think the average punter would give their right arm to try. I'm off to the Bristol whisky festival next month and I'm going to try something similar but with a lot lower price threshold. I'm thinking £10k is ambitious but fingers crossed. So on an important note, is there any chance you would swap out the Bowmore 30 for the 12?

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

someone has been watching Uncut! the 30 is seriously good and showcases how incredible Bowmore truly is. let us know how you get on at Bristol! sláinte

[@seanzealony9499]

Would it be worth buying a bottle of any of those you’ve just featured if available for an investment? Obviously out of reach for most mortals but there must be people who could afford these really vintage whisky’s and just keep them for selling on in a few years. I was reading about Port Ellen whisky and not much of it left in the World nowadays. I wonder how much has been drank and how much is still unopened and being kept for future. I’m yet to attend a whisky event but looking at the Birmingham one later in the year. Is it worth paying extra at these events to taste really vintage drams or are there really good drams available with just a standard ticket. Great content as usual.

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

thanks for tuning in Sean and glad you enjoyed it! tough to say regarding investments. £25k for a bottle is crazy to most people but compared to the 50Y/O Macallan (4 years younger and ~£50k), the Glen Ord could have some legs there given that it's Diageo's oldest release to date. I'd say always double check what you're getting at the additional tastings, but generally they're very good value for money and you can often try things you'd never have the chance to otherwise

[@seanzealony9499]

@@TheWhiskyBaron That’s great advice and I think I’d just stick to normal ticket. Having a mega old whisky at an event would be wasted on me at present as not experienced many of the older drams over 15yrs old. My palate has not got good enough to appreciate excellence. But hoping to improve in near future. As for £50k a bottle I’ll take a rain check. Just watched you live podcast and must say the 4 of you bounce off each other. Keep up the class vlogs.

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

@@seanzealony9499 I'd disagree with your point about appreciating excellence - I'm not an art critic but I know what I like and the more time I spend in a museum/gallery the more I'll learn. as such, the same can be applied to whisky and events are a great way of expanding your experience on a budget. thanks for being such a valued part of our community Sean, sláinte my friend

[@jimmyjazz4605]

Uh, the Glenfiddich 12 is missing 🤔

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

I know, gutted I missed that one!

[@MattBu]

An interesting £100k challenge might be Ian vs Jake, one of you gets Diageo and Edrington brands, the other gets every other brand, who finds it easier to hit £100k?

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

I'm definitely up for it!

[@edfriday7709]

Not sure if we punters without your contacts would be offered such expensive drams, at least not in those quantities…

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

the masterclasses were £125/ticket which is exceptional value for what you're getting IMO. with regards to the rest of the stands, we definitely got a few special treats as we were working in collaboration with the event, but you might be surprised as to how many of the drams we tried were on the stands for all to try

[@Dramdiary]

Concur with WB. I was just an average punter and got offered most things after chatting with the reps. The 34 Laphroaig was just out on the table not even an under the counter pour and things like a 96 Ben Nevis, 1988 Scapa etc were offered to me. I just missed the 1988 HP though! Well worth going to this event if in the UK.

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

@@Dramdiary it was an epic event wasn't it! I missed so many great bits as we were working towards this target so some more price accessible drams remained untouched as I didn't want to overindulge. glad you enjoyed it DD! any other events on the docket for 2024?

[@kyletaylor13]

Loving this content. But I cannot take you seriously in that shirt…

[@TheWhiskyBaron]

thanks Kyle, I appreciate the support! what's wrong with the shirt though?! maybe it's because you don't get to see the matching shoes I was wearing.. or would that have made it worse for you 🤣