A rundown of Whisky Live festival

Your ticket price includes 16 tasting vouchers (one unit of whisky will set you back between two and six vouchers) and a bottle of water – but each stand will also have ice and water available.

Now, before you run along and use all your vouchers on the most inexpensive whisky available to get the most whisky in your glass, what sets the festival apart is the fact that many visitors are not there to get lit. Rather, they want to talk to some of the stand purveyors about potential whiskys to add to their collection. It’s also a place to get information on small batch or even unfamiliar whiskys new to the South African market. If information is your thing, make sure to ask questions and chat.

Those manning the stands are actually there for your convenience. The major reason you shouldn’t spend those 16 vouchers at one stand is simple. It’s all about discovering new malts. If you can’t pronounce the name of a whisky you see, that’s the whisky you should try next. All the whisky up for tasting will also be available to purchase, usually at factory prices.

The festival can become extremely crowded, and that’s the reason there’s not a lot of seating available – it’s a way to get visitors to leave a little quicker. Go share your new whisky discoveries with friends and open the floor for new visitors to experience the best whisky.