trade & press MAIN STAGE timetable
MAIN STAGE Room (ground floor)
Trade-only main stage sessions are available to approved trade and press pass holders only.
Attendees will have to pre-book their seat via the dedicated link in their ticket confirmation email, which will be sent out on Tuesday afternoon, 24 February.
12:30 - 1pm - BEAUTY BEFORE AGE (Free)
Age is no longer the primary marker of quality in modern whisky. Instead, a new generation of distillers is prioritising balance and flavour from day one - designing spirits that are ready when they’re ready, not when they’ve reached a predetermined age.
This panel discussion explores how distilleries are building flavours earlier through distillation choices, cask management and the impact of climate on maturation, and how their distilleries are built differently than those in the 1800s to accommodate this.
1:30 - 2pm - JAPANESE WHISKY: FACTS AND FICTION (Free)
Japanese whisky is one of the most misunderstood categories in the drinks world – shaped as much by myth, marketing and assumption as by whisky reality. In this session, globally respected whisky expert Dave Broom separates fact from fiction, equipping you with the insight to speak about Japanese whisky with confidence and credibility.
Cutting through the noise, the talk explores what Japanese whisky truly is today: how it’s made, how the industry is structured, what the new labelling regulations mean, and why it tastes the way it does.
2:30 - 3pm - THINK YOU KNOW YOUR WHISKY? (Free)
Think you know your whisky? This fast-paced pop quiz puts that to the test.
Working in pairs, you’ll tackle blind tasting alongside quick-fire questions - from what’s in the glass to how well you know whisky history and trivia. Are you sure you know what the Pattison Crash was? How many distilleries are there in the USA right now? What about the ingredients in a Rapscallion? Taste blind, think fast, and see how you stack up. The prize… a bottle of Chichibu!