Seminars
Below are the seminars from our 2022 event.
7:00 PM
Where: Nob Hill A-B
From the Peak of Mt. Fuji to Your Glass – Taste the Gifts
Jota Tanaka
Master Blender | Mt. FUJI Distillery | BIO
Join Master Blender, Jota Tanaka, Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame Inductee 2022, and Icon of Whisky Award Winner 2017, for a tasting of the precious gifts from Mt. Fuji Distillery, the closest in all of Japan to the sacred mountain. The distillery exclusively uses Mt. Fuji snowmelt water in all phases of production, crystal clear and uniquely soft, it takes a 50-year journey from the peak of the mountain to the distillery. Across a nearly 50-year history, the distillery has focused meticulously on Japanese craftsmanship with Scottish, American, and Canadian whisky-making technology, crafting pure and mellow expressions, with the FUJI whiskies launched in the US in the fall of 2021. The tasting lineup will showcase three expressions, including an exciting new release, and a special barrel selection showcasing Tanaka’s vision for Japanese whisky excellence. Expressions: Japanese Whisky, Single Grain Whiskey, and the third expression will be a special Single Grain Whiskey From the Barrel.
7:00 PM
Where: Salon 3-4
Intro to Oak Maturation of Spirits
Isaac Winter
Blending and Distilling Manager | High West | BIO
Join Isaac Winter, High West’s Distilling and Blending Manager, as he presents the Intro to Oak Maturation of Spirits. This will cover why oak is a perfect material to make spirits barrels out of, a bit about oak chemistry and its effects on spirit quality, with a tasting of Double Rye, Rendezvous Rye, and A Midwinter Night’s Dram.
7:00 PM
Where: Salon 5-6
East Meets West – When Kentucky Met Japan
EDWIN CRUZ
American Whiskey Ambassador | James B. Beam Distilling Co. | BIO
Join the James B. Beam Distilling company for a rare opportunity to explore the boundaries of the bourbon world. Through a deconstruction of the cask finished whiskeys that make up Legent, we will explore the impact that wood and finishes have on Bourbon and how the Japanese art of blending lead to this, first of its kind, collaboration between two Whisky/ey legends Fred Noe and Shinji Fukuyo.
7:45 PM
Where: Nob Hill C-D
Heaven Hill Distillery’s Heritage Collections
Jack Choate
West Coast Whiskey Ambassador | Heaven Hill Distillery | BIO
Our new Heaven Hill Heritage Collection comes from a special stock of barrels that have been patiently aging in our rickhouses for many years. We released the first of these extra-aged, premium releases with our Heaven Hill 27yr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This was followed by the release of a special 85th Anniversary bottling in 2020. The success of these releases inspired us to create an annually released collection that’s complimentary to our existing more experimental counterpart, the Parker’s Heritage Collection. Together, these offerings form the “Heritage Collection.” Releases from both product lines offer a glimpse into the long-term plan across Heaven Hill’s American Whiskey stock and commitment to quality, craft and innovation.
7:45 PM
Where: Salon 1-2
The Art of Blending: A Deconstruction of Hibiki Japanese Harmony
Jonathan Armstrong
West Coast Brand Ambassador | House of Suntory | BIO
Please join the House of Suntory for an extraordinary opportunity to discover and explore the depth of Japanese whisky. Tasting a selection of whiskies from Chita, Hakushu and Yamazaki distilleries, we will discuss the history, craftsmanship and terroir of the House of Suntory. Through the Art of Blending we will examine the influence of American oak, Spanish Sherry casks and Japanese Mizunara Oak barrels and share the subtle, refined and complex nature of Hibiki Japanese Harmony.
8:30 PM
Where: Nob Hill A-B
Cask Exploration with Glen Moray
Iain Allan
Global Brand Ambassador | Glen Moray | BIO
With a long tradition of experimentation within cask finishing, join us for a trip through “the woods” with some whiskies which have been released and some whiskies still in cask as a work in progress.
8:30 PM
Where: Salon 3-4
The Original Tennessee Whiskey is Back!
Andy Nelson
Co-Founder and Head Distiller | Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery | BIO
Come experience the tale of Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, home of the Original Tennessee Whiskey. From its heyday before Prohibition all the way up to the modern day, this seminar charts the ups and downs of the company and its founder, Charles Nelson, all told by Charles’ great-great-great grandson and current Head Distiller and (re)founder, Andy Nelson.
8:30 PM
Where: Nob Hill 5-6
Exploration of Wood Finishing with Maker’s Mark
Tommy Quimby
Diplomat | Maker’s Mark | BIO
Maker’s Mark 46 hit the market in 2010 with it’s innovative use of virgin oak staves to finish fully mature Maker’s Mark. Since then, the door to endless flavor possibilities has been open, as evidence by the one of a kind Maker’s Mark Private Selection program. Beginning in 2019, Makers’ innovation and maturation teams have taken that exploration of flavor to the next level with our first national limited release of RC-6, kicking off the Wood Finishing Series which continues to build excitement year over year. Join Maker’s Mark Diplomat Tommy Quimby as he takes you through a historical tasting of the entire lineup of Wood Finishing Series to date, exploring how the ability to isolate flavors within unique oak staves and carry them into each distinct expression of Maker’s Mark.