Whisky Business

By Paula Rossi

WhiskyLIVE China is back for its fourth consecutive year and promises to be bigger and better than ever before. Talk Magazine sat down with event owner Stephen Notman (pictured, right) and talked about this year’s event. 

“It derives from the old language of Scotland, Gaelic, uisec beatha, which literally means ‘water of life’,” says Stephen Notman, talking about his favourite drink. And a short conversation with Notman reveals the passion in his hobby, that on whisky, he’s someone who truly knows his stuff. An important figure in the whisky import/export industry, Asian representative of the World Whisky Awards and also Whisky Sommelier at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai, there’s perhaps no better candidate than Notman to play host to this year’s WhiskyLIVE China event. 

And he’s enthusiastic about it coming round again this year. “We’re expecting a turnout of over 4,500 people,” says Notman, who has been actively involved in WhiskyLIVE since it first came to China in 2009. “It should attract the largest amount of whisky lovers [in Shanghai] that we’ve ever seen.” Taking place at Le Royal Meridien, this year’s event is a must for any whisky lover to have on their bucket list of things to do in September, with over 40 different exhibitors showcasing their offerings of whisky from all around the world. Visitors can expect to see and sample old favourites, such as Johnnie Walker and Ballantines, but also try some new and lesser known brands, like the Swedish Mackmyra. 

“There’ll be a lot of the same attractions that were extremely popular from last year,” says Notman, “such as the education zone: the area where people can nose and taste different brands. There’s also the blending zone, where people can learn about such complex arts and create their very own blended scotch whisky. We’ve got some experts on hand there to provide private tutorials and show the process of whisky making in practice. 

“We’ve also brought back the whisky passport system, which was very successful last year,” he says. This allows visitors a fun and interactive introduction to the distilling regions/nations of the world by collecting stamps after enjoying a drink from that specific region.

Of course, there are also a lot of new experiences at this year’s event too, which Notman is looking forward to seeing put into action. “People are becoming more and more interested in knowing what food pairs well with their drink; that’s why we’re bringing in the Johnnie Walker lounge, where visitors can sample food pairings alongside their whisky. There’s more for experts this year as well; we’re developing the education zone to provide more in depth knowledge about the process.” 

Still, what will be the highlight at this year’s event, and what Notman is particularly enthusiastic about, is the complete vertical set of antique Macallen whisky being showcased, with bottles dating across 1946-1980. “It’s a real show stopper,” Notman says, “and one that true whisky lovers will be falling over themselves to try. We’ll be opening up some seven/eight year old bottles. Whisky, unlike wine, stops maturing once it is placed in the bottle. The 2012 collectors zone will provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to taste whisky that was actually bottled some 40 years ago.” 

Many of the whiskies being showcased at this event are available to buy, and prices range from an affordable RMB 300 to a staggering RMB 100,000, with limited edition whiskies available, such as the WhiskyLIVE Cask strength Glenfarclas 10 year old. 

Tickets for the event are RMB 150, however for an extra RMB 600 VIPs can enjoy access to the WhiskyLIVE VIP Lounge, where privileges include being able to sample drams (measurements of whisky) exclusive to this area, gaining fast track access into the festival and securing priority seating for the master classes. To commemorate this day, each VIP ticket holder receives a bottle of the WhiskyLIVE limited edition to commemorate their experience.

Tickets are available on www.mypiao.com

Whisky Live Shanghai 2012. 14 – 15 September, 2 - 7pm. RMB 150 (regular ticket); RMB 850 (VIP ticket). Le Royal Meridien Shanghai, 789 Nanjing Dong Lu, near Xizang Zhong Lu. Tel: 6438 5820. Web: www.whiskylivechina.com