Whiskey Aficionados Rejoice At The WhiskyX

@TheWhiskyX

On June 8th, we trooped it to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook to attended a whiskey lover’s paradise “The Whisky X” .

With over 60+ whiskies, you couldn’t help but feel taken in as you walked into the huge open spaced terminal, while trying to decide where to begin. Guests flocked to the first station which drew their eyes, which for me it was Hudson Whiskey. The gentleman educated us on the different types of whiskey they distilled. Being a purist myself, The Hudson Single-Malt Whiskey was my favorite. It was the first whiskey to be distilled in the Hudson Valley. It was 92 proof with a rich color and distinctive vanilla and caramel notes. Being that it was a Thursday evening that first drink tasted like the weekend. Every drink that followed was splendid and delightful.

Whisky X was more than your average tasting event. We spent our evening making our way from station to station sampling many of the world’s most noteworthy whiskies. Which included Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Dewar’s, Highland Park, Bushmills, Wyoming Whiskey, and Crown Royal just to name a few. The tastings are led by expert brand ambassadors and distillery representatives, who schooled us on the processing methods, the different flavor profiles, barrel casting, and sourcing that made their whiskey have it’s distinctive flavor. Some were sweet while others were smoky. Some tasted strong while others were super smooth. The over all tasting event felt like a well overdue educational happy hour, with a kickass after party.

In addition to all the tastings, there was plenty great food. Some of Brooklyn’s best gourmet food trucks were parked in the outdoor courtyard. We enjoyed our meals while watching the sunset facing downtown Manhattan. After our bellys were full, we returned to engage in the rest of the activities. The Johnnie Walker “Red Lounge” offered a fabulous, create your own cocktail bar using Johnnie Red Label Whiskey and an assortment of garnishes, allowing you to follow their recipes or make a free style cocktail. Blind Barber set up a mini barber shop where you were served your favorite whiskey cocktail while getting an expert cut. Women Who Whiskey Club, as well as The McCallan had exclusive tasting lounges offering special reserved whiskies. There were whiskey inspired virtual reality stations, complimentary cigars were offered within Club Macanudo’s cigar lounge, and a collaboration station between Bulleit Bourbon and Guinness beer served up refreshing boilermakers.

Just when you thought your night couldn’t get any better the back doors opened up, leading you into a massive concert hall. Nine-time Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Dan Auerbach, who is also the lead singer of the Black Keys performed just for us! This was a treat indeed. Dan performed nearly every song off of his new solo album, Waiting on A Song, which is his love letter to his Nashville home, filled with songs of sin, dangerous women, beautiful tarnished losers, undying love and equally undying friendship.

Maybe it was all the whiskey, maybe it was the high of being in a crowd full of real fans singing along with me, but this was one of the best events I’ve attended in 2017. This was The Whisky X first year presenting this event and I’m looking forward to those to come.