Rare and popular whiskey makers from around the world descended on the Marriott Marquis in New York City’s Times Square for Whiskeyfest 2022! Wine and Spirits Journal was there to taste and lend a helping hand with the most popular pours for New York City.
With hundreds of distilled spirits available at Whiskeyfest, the most difficult part is choosing which ones to taste. Trying every one would be impossible – so the best strategy is for attendees to select the ones they or their friends find most interesting and focus on them. Many attendees structure their choices around a single style, like scotch, bourbon or Japanese whisky, while others choose to focus on what’s new.
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We did our best to keep score, measured by the number of booth referrals, requests for brand backstories, repeat visitors and last but not least – sample pours.
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Judging by the empty bottles at booth number 9, the Iconic Japanese Spirits company, including their Teitessa single grain whiskies, Shunka Shuto blended seasonal expressions, the exquisite Awayuki strawberry infused Gin and newly released OMAGE XO California artisanal Brandy from Brand House Group were all popular pours at Whiskeyfest NYC 2022.
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Discovering your new favorites at Whiskeyfest can be a bit overwhelming if you don't have a plan walking in.
Our Most Popular Pours At Whiskeyfest NYC 2022
JAPANESE WHISKY
Teitessa Single Grain Japanese WhiskyÂ
The vast majority are made from a combination of four grains (barley, rye, wheat and corn). But the truth is you can make whiskey from just about any grain, and there are plenty of whiskey makers defying convention.Â
Teitessa stands alone on what it means to be called 100% real Japanese whisky!
OMAGE XO
COGNAC-INSPIRED ARTISANAL BRANDY
The taste of OMAGE XO appeals to whisky connoisseurs and Cognac lovers alike. Nicknamed “California Cognac”, following the French méthode de fabricaiton, XO is aged six years in lightly toasted American bourbon barrels.
Handcrafted from a combination of Colombard and Mission grapes selected at their prime of ripeness.,
JAPANESE STRAWBERRY GIN
 AWAYUKI GINÂ
STRAWBERRY INFUSED JAPANESE GINÂ
How do you produce a Japanese gin made with the most expensive Japanese strawberries on earth? Simple, make friends with the farmer!
JAPANESE BLENDED WHISKY
SHUNKA SHUTO
BLENDED JAPANESE WHISKY – SEASONAL EXPRESSION
These magnificent Japanese blended whiskies are made from a combination of corn, barley and rice, blended to express the feeling of each Japanese season.
But no need to worry, these four seasonal expressions are available all year long.
Rounding out our list of favorites from Whiskeyfest 2022…
