Getting Ready for Whiskies of the World Seattle
So, I heard about this Whiskies of the World thing happening over in Seattle. Sounded like a decent way to spend an evening, you know? I like whisky well enough, not an expert or anything, but definitely enjoy trying different kinds. Decided pretty quick I should check it out. Got my ticket sorted online a week or so before.
Heading Over and First Look
The day came, and I made my way to the venue. Finding parking wasn’t too bad, surprisingly. Walked in, got my wristband and the little tasting glass they give you. Place was already buzzing. Lots of tables set up, representing whiskies from all over, just like the name said. Scotland, Ireland, Japan, the US, Canada… pretty much the whole gang was there.
It was busy, definitely a crowd, but not so packed you couldn’t move. People seemed pretty chill, mostly just wandering around, looking at the bottles, figuring out where to start. The noise level was up there, lots of chatter and clinking glasses, but it felt like a good atmosphere, excited.
The Tasting Experience
Alright, time to get down to business. I didn’t really have a plan, just started walking and stopping at tables that looked interesting or didn’t have a huge line. First few sips were mostly Scotch. Tried a couple of smoky Islay ones – always gotta try those – and then something smoother from the Highlands.
Then I wandered over to the American section. Plenty of Bourbon and Rye. Talked to one guy at a booth for a bit, he was explaining their process. Pretty interesting stuff. Tried a rye that had a nice spice to it. Also sampled a few Bourbons, some were sweeter than others, as you’d expect.
Made sure to hit the water stations often. Gotta cleanse the palate, right? And stay hydrated. They had some little crackers and stuff out too, which helped.
Here’s a rough list of the kinds I remember trying:
- Scotch: Peated stuff, some Speyside, maybe a Highland.
- American: Bourbon, Rye.
- Irish: Tried one or two, generally pretty smooth.
- Japanese: Sampled one, quite delicate I thought.
- Other World Whiskies: Think I tried a Canadian one too.
Some were great, really hit the spot. A couple were… well, not really my thing. But that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Figuring out what you like. I wasn’t taking detailed notes or anything, just enjoying the moment and the different flavors. Lost track of exactly how many I tried after a while, but I paced myself.
Wrapping Up the Evening
Spent a good few hours there, just soaking it all in. Talked to a few other folks milling about, shared opinions on what we’d tried. It’s always cool to see what other people think. Some folks were really knowledgeable, others were like me, just exploring.
Eventually, things started winding down. The pours got smaller as bottles emptied, and people started heading out. I grabbed one last sip of something I’d enjoyed earlier and decided to call it a night.
Overall? Yeah, it was a good time. Definitely worth going. Got to try a bunch of whiskies I probably wouldn’t have bought a whole bottle of otherwise. Good way to discover new stuff. If they do it again next year, I’d seriously consider going back. It was just a straightforward, enjoyable tasting event. No fuss, just whisky.
