Kokova Magazine

Every year we hope to find something new at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show; a stand-out-from-the crowd tipple that will hold us deep in conversation; something to convert a brandy drinker into a possible enthusiast. And this year that title fell to the Bruichladdich Octomore.

"It started out as a late night "What if?" idea after a few drams. What if we distilled the most heavily-peated barley humanly possible, in the tall, narrow-necked Bruichladdie stills?"

We met the delightful Claire, who walked us through the available range, from The Classic Laddie right through to The Octomore, including a sweet little side-step via The Botanist Gin.

For a whisky so heavily peated we found The Octomore exceptionally palatable, even for those who prefer something a little less Islay. It had an exceptionally smooth ride from lips to hips, and an added warmth that didn't burn. If this had been the first pour by way of introduction for anyone to the world of whisky then they would have started at the top.

We loved it so much we bought the 'white one' to take home; to enjoy at our leisure as the darker nights approach.

The Whisky Show gave us another chance to reacquaint ourselves with some familiar favorites. The Dalmore 15 being firmly in our top five from the very first time we attended at Vinopolis in 2012, and Ardbeg with their 'smoky' liquid drinks on offer this year.

If you really think you can't tolerate a hard, peaty whisky it is worth bearing in mind the need to hold onto your glass, allow the liquid to warm a little and let go and relax in the glass, before you make your judgement. Personally I have avoided a straight Ardbeg most times but while standing watching their smoky sensation I allowed mine to fill out slightly in the glass, leaning towards a softer edge when I went back to try it again.

It was a pleasure to see The Mixology Group from Brighton at this year's show. If you are ever getting into the party spirit then be sure to invite them along to mix it all up in spectacular fashion.

For 2015 The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show moved location to Old Billingsgate, an iconic building on the north bank of the Thames, built in 1875 and it previously housed Billingsgate Market, once the world's largest fish market. It is now a state-of-the-art event space.

While the new location allows for more room and movement around the stalls, the distinct lack of a separate pairing level, and the atmosphere created in Vinopolis did not quite carry over to Old Billingsgate. However being able to dine and still see what was happening down below in the main hall did have its advantages, so it remains to be seen how well this move carries through to 2016.

For more information visit https://www.whiskyshow.com/

To see a small selection of our images from the day visit Flickr