It was a night that had it all. A $40 blend derailing a Rolls Royce single malt, a jaw-dropping shocker of a mystery whisky and an ode to a fart… what more could you ask for!I’ve facilitated a few of these now and thought I had seen it all… but there’s never a dull moment with whisky. It keeps you on your toes and often when you think you’ve got it sussed, it does something strange.Ok, let’s be fair, it wasn't the lineup we would have picked at the start of the year if we’d had our way, but there...

Last September saw 8 stunning mystery whiskies tasted blind at Regional Wines. They were an eclectic set - generally big and broody, a mixture of peat and unpeated, old and young and they kept people guessing to the very end.  In the spirit of mystery spirit - here’s my cryptic write up of the whiskies - see if you can match the tasting notes to the whiskies! Answers on a postcard - or email to john@regionalwines.co.nz The lineup… 1) Glen Garioch 17yo Renaissance 3rd Chapter 50.8% 2) Signatory Clynelish 1995 22yo 56.3%3) Dalmore King Alexander III 46%4) Old Particular Craigellachie The...

Golden Brown - GlenDronach with Daniel Bruce McLaren - Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 September For $110 you'd probably expect a platter of haggis, neeps and tatties to accompany your whisky tasting, but on this occasion, it was the price that secured a seat at the table with the brown and gold Gods of whisky - whisky that most of us mere mortals will never get to taste. This was the much anticipated GlenDronach vertical spanning the 8yo Heilan through to a 27yo Single Cask, Vintage offering from the latest Batch #16 release, and pretty much everything else in between. I’m...