My First Whisky Fest – Whisky Fest Las Vegas 2023 The event: On the first weekend of this month, I was able to go with Greybeard to my first Whisky fest. Whisky Fest Las Vegas 2023 is put on by Whisky Advocate. They set up at the Resorts World event center. Each year, there are 4 to 5 Whisky Fest events across the United States and whiskey sections at some events like Big Smoke Miami. There are General Admission and VIP tickets as well as press passes. With a VIP or a Press Pass, you are able to go in an hour early for pours of the most special or anticipated offerings. Our press passes were provided for free by Whiskey Advocate. Check-in Experience: As we had a press pass, I could only go by the early check-in, which was a simple list with a number of tickets. We checked in together, got a normal VIP bracelet to show we could join the early pours and a goody bag with our Glencairn glass for tasting, and walked into the event with no muss no fuss. The Main Event: After a while, I found two main rooms, several food lines, and sodas and desserts. There were also several hot water stations to rinse your tasting glass. The layout was quite roomy, and for the most part, you had room to mingle and talk in-depth with the distillers at each booth. Booth design ranged from the provided black draped partitions to oversized barrels, industrial style shelving, fully enclosed to free and open, and a bit of everything. It is quite interesting to see who engages in pageantry and finery or is just there to let their whiskey speak. One of the most enjoyable booths for me was actually an Irish whiskey distillery…
The San Antonio roast by H-E-B demonstrates two things in a coffee. One is why you should try different roasts of coffee. H-E-B considers this roast as a medium, whereas I would want to call it a dark roast. Another attribute of this particular coffee is the ability to stand alone or with a creamer, such as a heavy cream. I enjoyed this coffee made two ways, as usual, French Press and a Pour-over. Now let’s take a peek through the filter. Some commonalities between the two share the same smoke, cinnamon, and chocolate flavors. This makes it perfect for pairing with sweets like cinnamon rolls, pancakes, and French toast. The finish was almost burnt taste. This coffee has no acidity, which is easy on the stomach and palate. The French press allowed the flavors to be louder than the Pour-over; thus, the tongue’s weight was more. This is where this coffee is best but also where it needs minute adjustment to be the best. This is where the heavy cream comes in. It tones down the cinnamon, noting a tinge but muting the burnt aftertaste together. The creamer is not a make-or-break deal with this roast but adds to the much-appreciated experience. Now the Pour-over version of the San Antonio roast, as is typical with Pour-over, was slightly lighter, making a slight difference. The smoke and cinnamon stayed the same, and the burnt aftertaste was somewhat toned down. This version is ok, but I prefer it less than when made in a French Press. The Pour-over is too muted and does not allow the same adjustments as the French press, which keeps it from being the optimal version of this coffee. This coffee would be great early in the morning or as an evening social coffee. Again a great…