The Champs are back for 2018!
You’ve possibly seen it in Outturn, you might have bumped into me talking about it already, but the rumours are true: the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship is back in 2018 after a massive 2016.
For those new to the format, it’s ridiculously simple: we give you a list of nine whiskies, you sit down in front of eight whiskies, and in the space of precisely 30 minutes, you have to match them up! No SMWS or limited-edition single malts are used, all the whiskies are commercially available, and are all malt whiskies (single and/or blended malts). The person who guesses them correctly wins 1st prize, which will be revealed soon, and the honour and bragging rights of being the whisky champion of Australia. For reference sake, last year we sent the winner on an all-expenses paid trip to Japan to visit and stay at our Park Hotel Partner Bar… that’s how big it is….
The Champs have been running in Australia now since 1989 almost every second year like clockwork, and the SMWS took over the operation of the format back in 2002. A big fun night out, it’s also a fun way for guests to dress up, taste whisky, be given the answer sheet where your task is to work out the correct order, then party into the night afterwards!
In 2016 at Madame Tussauds in Sydney, thanks to the special support of The Oak Barrel and the SMWS, some serious prizes were on offer, the after-party was just as important as the Championship itself, with special support from William Grant & Sons with their Glenfiddich Bar, the SMWS Single Cask Bar, the Sydney Cocktail Club Sensory Bar, Gage Roads Brewery serving fresh from the tap, and the Dane Laboyrie Quartet got the crowd dancing! All included in the ticket price.
The Prizes on offer for 2018 are:
1st Prize: A double return airfare to the Vaults in Scotland complete with private bespoke tasting at the Vaults!
2nd Prize: A Cask Strength Survival Kit comprising of a rare Society bottle AND a hand-signed Balvenie 21 PortWood from David Stewart himself!
3rd Prize: A huge $750 store credit to The Oak Barrel in Sydney.
Taste whisky, win experiences, and have fun doing it. It’s not a serious nose-deep-in-the-glass kind of night, it’s a lighthearted championship with some heavy prizes on offer to be announced soon. For 2018, we’ll be in No.1 William at the Australia Museum right in Sydney city, on Saturday 28th July 2018.
Tickets will be released as follows:
SMWS Member/Partner Competitor Ticket: $139 (Available from 9th March until 6th April)
Spectator Party Ticket: $99 (Non-competing party-only ticket)
Special rate for SMWS Group of 4: $499
Special rate for SMWS Table of 10: $1,250
Members have one week first dibs on competition tickets!
General Release Competitor Ticket (Non-Members – All Welcome): $149 (Available from 6th April)
Go to: www.amwtc-smws.com for full details.
Below is the pre-list of fifty (50) malt whiskies for the Whisky Champs this Saturday. Eight (8) of which will be in front of you come this Saturday, plus the one red herring! Full rules here. All age statements included below. Any whisky not carrying an age statement is assumed a ‘no age statement’ whisky (NAS) and isn’t labeled accordingly. Best of luck this Saturday!
The Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship 2018 PRE-LIST
Aberfeldy 12yo
Aberlour 12yo
Aberlour A’bunadh
Amrut Single Malt
Ardbeg 10yo
Auchentoshan American Oak
Aultmore 12yo
The Balvenie 12yo DoubleWood
The Balvenie 17yo DoubleWood
Benromach 10yo
Bladnoch Samsara
Bowmore 12yo
Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie
Bunnahabhain 12yo
Caol Ila 12yo
Cardhu 12yo
Clynelish 14yo
Cragganmore 12yo
Craigellachie 13yo
The Dalmore 12yo
The Dalmore Cigar Malt
Dalwhinnie 15yo
Edradour 10yo
Glen Grant The Major’s Reserve
Glen Grant 10yo
Glen Moray Classic
Glendronach 12yo
Glenfarclas 12yo
Glenfiddich 12yo
Glengoyne 10yo
Glenlivet Founders Reserve
Glenmorangie The Original
Hellyers Road 10yo
Highland Park 12yo
Johnnie Walker Green Label
Kilchoman Machir Bay
Lagavulin 16yo
Lagavulin 8yo
Laphroaig 10yo
Ledaig 10yo
Longmorn Distiller’s Choice
The Macallan 12yo Double Cask
Monkey Shoulder
The Naked Grouse
Oban 14yo
Old Pulteney 12yo
The Singleton of Dufftown 12yo
Starward Wine Cask
Teeling Single Malt
Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve
