Since 2011 KWA has gone abroad in order to experience whisky in other countries.
We´ve tasted many excellent brands and in connection to that also met a lot of wonderful people, who helped us making our journeys life -long memories.
2011, KWA on Speyside
In 2011 KWA visited Speyside , by most people considered to be the most important region for Scottish Whisky. We stayed in Grantown on spey at the fabulous Westhaven B & B where our wonderful hostess Val served us delicious Scottish Breakfast. Our driver Grant took us to Aberlour as well as Strathisla Distillery. Nice experiences! We also stayed some nights in Elgin where we among other things spent our time watching football, and visiting Glen Moray Distillery. On our way home we stayed a couple of nights in Edinburgh, a city we´re very fond of and hope to come back to very soon.
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2012, KWA on Islay
“Trains and boats and planes” (to quote Bacharach/David) took us to the peaty and smoky whisky region of Islay in April of 2012. Felt almost like Christmas Day for KWA! Staying in Port Ellen at the wonderful “Troutfly Inn” we started each morning with a training session followed by a well tasting Scottish Breakfast” made by our hostess Mary McKay, who by the way makes the “world´s best coffee”. During our session on Islay we got to see Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagvulin and Bowmore. Lovely distilleries, in some ways alike, but also each one with their own style. Our favorite came to be Lagavulin with the dedicated whisky expert Marjorie.
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2013, KWA on Irland
“These gentlemen know how travel in style” somebody wrote on Facebook referring to a photograph of KWA visiting the Cobblestone Pub in Dublin. Thank you for those kind words! But, let´s start from the beginning! After arriving in Dublin on the 1st of April in 2013 KWA the very next day travelled to Northern Ireland, where we on the first night stayed at “Portcaman House” in Bushmills. Of course we visited Bushmills Distillery as well as the historic treasure Giant Causeway. On our way back to Dublin we stayed two nights in Belfast, where we visited the Titanic Museum, Huge! We also spent a lot of time walking around the beautiful city of Belfast, so full of ancient and terrifying history but at the same time so modern! Interesting, indeed!
We stayed three days in Dublin, visiting Guinness Brewery and Jameson Distillery as well as Trinity Library College, the world´s largest historical library! Nights we frequented many of the fantastic pubs in Dublin, such as the Long Hall, Cobblestone and Gravediggers.
2014, KWA in Kentucky
“Great expectations” is not just a novel by Charles Dickens, it´s also a way to describe how the members of KWA felt deciding to visit the very heart of bourbon i.e. Kentucky, USA. A journey from Kalmar via Stockholm and Chicago to Louisville in Kentucky on Holy Thursday ended in Jockey Silks Bar at the Galt House Hotel, tasting 9 year old Knob Creek Bourbon. As Robert Palmer once sang: “Some guys have all the luck”. And that luck just kept going for about a week! Visiting Frankfort, Versailles and Bardstown this was a trip never to be forgotten. Besides seeing distilleries such as Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Woodford Reserve, Barton Brands, Heaven Hill, Makers Mark, Jim Beam and Willett we also spent a day at the fabulous Mammoth Caves and had a wonderful evening at The Trapeze House in Bardstown under the guidance of hostess Margaret Sue Masters. Excellent food, exciting new bourbons and nice company – what could you possibly more ask for? Well, could eventually be seeing Green River, but we did that as well! USA, can´t wait to see you again!
2015, KWA going to Northern Highland and Orkney
Back in Scotland KWA for the first time since 2012, after having landed in Edinburgh, KWA followed the advice of British musician Richard Barnes, who in 1970 sang: ”Go north”! So, that’s exactly what we did. Starting off with train from Edinburgh to Inverness on our way north we visited distilleries such as Balblair, Glenmorangie and Clynelish. Great experiences with wonderful hosts and hostesses and delicious tastings.
A special experience was Orkney Islands where we came to meet the wonderful tour guide James at Highland Park who introduced us to a wonderful afternoon including an interesting tour as well as a fabulous tasting.
On our way back south we had two wonderful days in Wick, staying at the Nethercliffe Hotel with hostess Helen Hill and visiting Old Pulteney under the guidance of Deborah Mitchell. On our fifth day of this journey our train reached its final destination; Glasgow, a most exiting city where we spent three lovely days!
Here we visited Fred Laing at Douglas Laing Company. Fred, whom we had met in Linköping at Whiskyexpo 2015 is a person who seems to know everything worth knowing about whisky. Fred had the kindness to let us stay in his “dangerous room” for a couple of hours where he entertained with his deep wisdom and treated us with excellent whiskies such as The Clan Denny: Strathclyde 25 yo, Director’s Cut: North British 50 yo 1962, Old Particular: Miltonduff 20 yo 1994, Old Particular: Craigellachie 18 yo 1995, Scallywagg, Rock Oyster and Timorous Beastie. Our deepest thanks to you, Fred and we hope to see you again soon!
2016, KWA going to Campbeltown and Lowland
Only two (Campbeltown and Lowland) of the Scotch whisky regions left for KWA to visit so that´s what we decided to do in Eastertime 2016. Starting off from Kalmar in the dark hours of Easter Sunday night we reached Campbeltown in the southern parts of Scotland late in the evening that same day. So; rise and shine the next morning before a guided tour at Springbank and Glengyle. At noon we had a tasting at Cadenhead’s with host Frazer Milloy who guided us through a range of good whiskies such as Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn. After a delicious lunch we continued with the “Warehouse Tasting” led by Mark Watt. This was a tasting we´ll never forget. Fantastic whiskies combined with a skilled and entertaining guide; a wonderful experience indeed! Before leaving Campbeltown the next day we spent a couple of hours at Glen Scotia with host Callum Frazer who kindly took his time for us on very short notice! Next stop would be Glasgow where we spent our first day almost entirely at Auchentoshan. And it was worth every second and every pound we spent there, especially when Mr. Stevie Deeley took us on a two hour long tour including a marvelous tasting. Just imagine how many excellent whiskies you could find around the world! Some of them we had at Auchentoshan. Our final destination was Edinburgh where we amongst other things visited Glenkinchie and the Scotch Whisky Experience (the world´s greatest collection of different whiskies). Nights we frequented the pubs and also tasted real Scottish haggis, delicious by the way. Going back to Sweden, we´re already planning the KWA journey of 2017. Tennessee! Or Tasmania? Or Japan? Or? You know the old saying: Good things come to those to can afford to wait! Sure, hope so!!
2017, KWA in Tennessee
After visiting Kentucky in 2014 we just couldn´t wait to go to another great whiskey state in the U S, i. e Tennessee. Therefore, when our journey on Holy Thursday started with our airplane, before taking off, crashing a seagull at Kalmar Airport forcing us to change our travelling plan it felt a little troublesome. Anyway, we reached Nashville late in the evening that same day. Next day, Good Friday, we visited the Johnny Cash Museum and spent the entire evening at the Grand Ole Opry. Did I hear anyone say ”Musical History”? You bet it is! In Nashville we also had a wonderful visit at Nelson´s Green Brier Distillery with host Jeff and a lovely evening at the Whiskey Kitchen eating smoked salmon and tasting a ”whiskey flight” consisting of three different Old Foresters. We also rented a car and went out ”in the country”. Staying at the lovely place Cascade Hollow in Normandy we spent some hours at George Dickel where or guide Mick took really good care of us. Next stop was Lynchburg, a town which seemed to be taken out of a movie from the 1940`s. Came to think of Bedford Falls in ”It´s a beautiful life”!. Anyway, we were there, of course, to see the Jack Daniels Distillery. And that we sure did; with a lot of help from our guide Dale. And so on to Prichard´s Distillery in Fayetteville where Laura helped us around the place, which used to be a school. Tenn South Distillery in Lynnville with hostess Sharon also was a nice distillery to visit before we spent an afternoon in Columbia, staying the night at The Inn at Bigby Creek. Back in Nashville we left the car and took the Greyhound to Memphis. Beale Street, Sun Records, STAX Museum are places you´ve read about but never imagined you would have the luck to see in real life. Not to the mention Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. Had to pinch my arm to check out whether I was awake or dreaming! In Memphis, as well as in Nashville, we also spent a lot of time in bars, drinking wonderful whiskey, listening to wonderful music and meeting wonderful people. Our favorites came to be The Whiskey Bent Saloon in Nashville and Belle Tavern in Memphis. And, after a wonderful stay in Tennessee, now it´s time to make plans for our next trip, where we are going ”down under”! Australia and Tasmania, can´t wait to see ya, mates!!
2018, KWA in Australia with Tasmania
In 1981 the Australian band Men at Work sang” Do you come from a land down under?” The reply from KWA could be:” No, but we went there on February 9th”. So, we started our visit in Australia spending four days in Melbourne, a beautiful city we´ve never seen before. There, at the Rod Laver Arena, we attended a concert with Roger Waters, which proved to be a fantastic experience, with a fabulous mix of sound and light! We also visited Starward Distillery and had the pleasure to spend some hours in the company of David and Andrew Baker at Bakery Hill Distillery. A really nice tasting in the company of good friends! On the 13th we continued our journey by flying to Tasmania where we rented a car and drove north. Amongst others, we visited Belgrove Distillery and had the luck to meet owner Peter Bignell in person. Here we also had a tasting of rye whisky not to be found anywhere else. Freycinet National Park with Wineglass Bay also was a marvelous experience where it felt like you´ve been teleported back in time. Back south again to Port Arthur where the Historical Site really was an astonishing experience, which also can be said about our visit at the McHenry Distillery where owner William McHenry devoted a lot of time to us. Thanks for a lovely day at your beautiful place, Bill!
From Port Arthur we drove to the lovely city of Hobart where we frequently visited Lark Cellar Door who offered us a range of well tasting” whisky flights” and we also went to sea on ”The Iron Pot Excursion” under the guidance of skilled and entertaining boat driver Hugh. Our next spot came to be Sydney with the Opera House and Harbor Bridge! Does it get any more beautiful than this? Doubt it! We also had the time to watch rugby when New South Wales Waratahs played against Cape Town Stormers and to visit Archie Rose Distillery. After eighteen lovely days, a long way from home we send our greetings to all you lovely people on the other side of our planet, sayonara and Thank you, mates! Next journey Japan?..
2019, KWA in Japan
Ever since I, as a little boy, heard the worldwide hit Sukiyaki (sung by Kyu Sakamoto) I´ve been imagined about going to Japan. And, when you´re a member of the board of KWA, your dreams could come true!
So, on April 13th we left Copenhagen Airport for Tokyo and started our trip around this fantastic country. We start at the legendary distillery Chichibu in the Saitama Prefecture. And what a start it was! Together with Jason from the US we had a couple of really nice hours when our host Soma guided us around the distillery and served us with a variety of the legendary Ichiro´s Malt Whiskies. Then we moved on, by train of course, to Kobuchizawa and the gorgeous place Pension Field where owner Kosuke took really good care of us. We spent our days there with onsen bathing, morning jogging, eating a delicious breakfast and finally visiting Hakushu Distillery to which our host Kosuke so gently took us by car. Our next goal was Lake Yamanakako, located 14 miles northeast of Mount Fuji (or Fuji-san in Japanese) the highest peak in the volcanic chain in central Japan and the country’s highest and most beautiful mountain. Almost perfectly round, the very symbol and emblem of Japan, the often snow-capped. Mount Fuji can, on a clear day, be seen from as far away as Tokyo. Here we spent two days and amongst others visited Chureito Pagoda (a long bicycle trip to that place!) On the 17th we went by bus to Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery where we tasted some wonderful whiskies and then moved on to Kyoto and Yamazaki where we ofcourse visited Yamazaki Distillery. On the 20th of April we entered the Shinkansen train heading north, where we spent some days in Sapporo and Yoichi, there of course we also visiting Yoichi Distillery, before we returned south towards Sendai where we had booked a tour and a tasting at Miyagikyo Distillery. This came to be one of the greatest experiences during our trip; so, thank you Kazuyuki and Ross for some wonderful hours at your distillery.
Finally, we spent four days in the wonderful city of Tokyo where we among other things visited Robot Restaurant, had a walk in the Emperors Park, went up in the Tokyo Skytree and tasted a lot of delicious dishes from the ”japanese cuisine”.
So, our love to all wonderful people we met during our stay in Nippon.
Sayonara and hope to see you again some time!!