Sydney Whisky Fair has sold out in 2018, the sixth straight time it has done so.

The Oak Barrel crew would like to thank everyone for their support around the event and we’re going to have some exciting news to announce in the coming weeks.

If you need an even bigger whisky fix, head over to our page of Masterclasses. These events will run in the lead-up to the Fair itself, providing an opportunity at the intimate, sit-down whisky events that run all through the year at The Oak Barrel.

Keep WhiskyFair.com.au bookmarked for news in the coming weeks and then for recourses for the event in the week prior.

See ya at The Oak Barrel soon. Dram on.

In Case You Were Wondering…

…The first release sold out in under two-and-a-half days.

…The first and second sessions sold out in under a day after the final release went on sale.

…While the rate in which tickets sold by quantity is below the record, the rate in which orders came through is a new record. This largely has to do with the members pre-sale, which requires a paid-up Oak Barrel membership per ticket sold. As a result, orders of one ticket dominated the first 24 hours, slowing down the quantities and giving more people a chance to access tickets.

…A spike in traffic on oakbarrel.com.au crashed the website (via the ‘/shop/event’ pages) at 11.54am – six minutes before the final release went on sale. As our hosts allocated more server space, it meant we were unable to put tickets live directly at midday. The site reappeared at 12.16, tickets updated at 12.17 and the first order came through at 12.18.

…Session 1 (Friday) was the most popular in 2018, so far, ahead of Session 2 (Saturday arvo) and Session 3 (Saturday night). This is a change from the previous two years, when Session 2 was the quickest-selling slot.

An Islay classic, an Oak Barrel favourite and a distillery we haven’t featured on its own for way too long, we’d like to invite you to a very special night of Ardbeg this August at The Oak Barrel.

Digging into the archives, we’ll bring the smoke and stories from this Islay distillery dripping in history and innovation.

Given how prominent the Ardbeg brand is worldwide, it’s easy to forget just how new the current regime is. Following a few decades of uncertainty, Ardbeg – then under the ownership of Hiram Walker – closed in 1981. When the parent company was acquired by Allied, they decided to re-open the distillery and production resumed in 1989, right at the end of one of the most tumultuous decades in Scotch whisky history.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, however, and Ardbeg was closed in 1996 and put on the market by Allied. The following year Glenmorangie picked up the distillery for £7 million. Although people assumed one of Scotland’s best-known distilleries knew what they were doing, that figure raised more than a few eyebrows as being well above what Glenmo’ should have paid. In 2018 and with plenty of hindsight, it’s considered one of the great bargains in whisky.

With a new approach and game plan, Glenmorangie went about turning Ardbeg into one of the great Islay staples of our time. The Committee global fan club was founded in 2000 and experimental releases appeared from the pre-acquisition stock. Some of those releases, like Uigeadail, are now staple expressions.

The new owners were still driven to showcase their own distillate and a series of releases – Very Young, Still Young and Almost There – culminated in 2008 with the release of a limited-edition cask strength ten-year-old Renaissance. It was the DNA of what became the classic 10-year-old, the whisky which has cultivated an army of cult fans and made the Ardbeg logo one of the most distinctive of all Scotch whiskies.

We’re pleased to confirm a very special Ardbeg tasting night as part of our Sydney Whisky Fair Masterclasses. Hosted by long-time Australian ambassador Garth Foster, we’ve dug into the Oak Barrel archives to put together a tasting with the Renaissance expression, some of the more recent Committee releases and the new Grooves and An Oa. The Oak Barrel’s Scott Fitzsimons will also dig out a very special single cask expression bottled by North Star for the night, an exceedingly rare example of an independent bottling allowed to carry the distillery name.

In the lead up to Sydney Whisky Fair 2018 The Oak Barrel will be hosting a number of ‘Fair Masterclasses’. These will provide an opportunity to get up close and personal with brands and distilleries, with plenty of time to mull over drams and ask plenty of questions. We run them as satellite events so you’re not drawn away from the tables during the main event and so you have plenty of time with each whisky without the allure of other shiny things!

Strictly one night only.

What we’ll be tasting:

WHAT: Ardbeg Night Tasting
WHERE: The Oak Barrel, 152 Elizabeth St, Sydney 2000
WHEN: Wednesday 15 August, 6.15pm for a 6.30pm start
PRICE: Members $65 / Non-Members $75
TICKETS: [MEMBERS] [GUESTS]

SEE ALL WHISKY FAIR MASTERCLASSES HERE

Line-up subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.

The first release of tickets to Sydney Whisky Fair 2018 have sold out.

The second and final release of tickets will go on sale to Oak Barrel members Tuesday 3 July at midday. The remaining allocation will be released to the general public Wednesday 4 July at midday also. Please refer to this article on how to score yourself some of the last tickets available for the 2018 event, which is shaping up as one of the best yet.

Click here for the ticket sales page.

The Oak Barrel would like to thank everyone who’s bought tickets so far – without your support and shared passion for whisky the Fair just couldn’t exist as it does! We’d also like to remind anyone who hasn’t got tickets yet, and wants to come, please take heed of the dates and times above. We won’t have space for any more attendees once the event sells out!

We are also at approximately 80 percent capacity of our first Whisky Fair Masterclass of the season, the Creative Whisky Company’s Launch Tasting. We’ll have single casks from Laphroaig, Ardmore, Dailuaine, Glen Keith and more…

In Case You Were Wondering…

…The first release sold out in under two-and-a-half days since they went on sale midday Tuesday.

…While the rate in which tickets sold by quantity is below the record, the rate in which orders came through is a new record. This largely has to do with the members pre-sale, which requires a paid-up Oak Barrel membership per ticket sold. As a result, orders of one ticket dominated the first 24 hours, slowing down the quantities and giving more people a chance to access tickets.

…A spike in traffic on oakbarrel.com.au crashed the website (via the ‘/shop/event’ pages) at 11.54am on Wednesday. As our hosts allocated more server space, it meant we were unable to put tickets live directly at midday. The site reappeared at 12.16, tickets updated at 12.17 and the first order came through at 12.18.

…Session 1 (Friday) has been the most popular in 2018, so far, ahead of Session 2 (Saturday arvo) and Session 3 (Saturday night). This is a change from the previous two years, when Session 2 was the quickest-selling slot.

…The sold out sign for the third session went up at 7.34pm Thursday. That’s about 55-and-a-half hours, or exactly 3,304 minutes, since they went on sale (including the pre-sale).

…Over 50% of the overall allocation of tickets were sold in the first release – overall and for each session.

Tickets to Sydney Whisky Fair 2018 are now on sale to Oak Barrel members.

As announced last week, Oak Barrel members receive a 24-hour window of pre-sale before general public tickets go on sale in 24 hours time.

VISIT THE TICKET PAGE

The full breakdown of the ticket timeline is here:

• Tuesday 26 June, 12pm: Oak Barrel members pre-sale
• Wednesday 27 June, 12pm: General release, if allocation is not exhausted

Tickets will remain on sale until first release allocation is exhausted.

• Tuesday 3 July, 12pm: Second and final release Oak Barrel members pre-sale
• Wednesday 4 July, 12pm: Second and final general release, if allocation is not exhausted

Sydney Whisky Fair is excited to announce the first swathe of distilleries set to showcase at this year’s event, with tickets set to go on sale tomorrow.

Our first announcement features a range of Australian distilleries from across the country, with a record number of local producers confirmed to showcase. Excitingly, South Australia’s break-out cult loved Fleurieu Distillery (still pictured above) will make their Sydney Whisky Fair debut, as will Tasmania’s Old Kempton Distillery (formally Redlands) who finally have enough mature whisky to supply more than just their island.

Tim Duckett will also be introducing his new label Tasmanian Independent Bottlers for the first time in a Fair environment.

A number of distilleries will be returning with their latest releases, some of which have been absent for quite a while. Whisky Fair is rolling out the carpet to welcome Belgrove, Black Gate, Iniquity, Lark, Limeburners, Overeem and Timboon back into fold for 2018 with their latest and greatest.

With ten distilleries in this first announcement – and there may be other locals announced – there’ll be the most diverse selection of Australian whisky on pour that we’ve ever seen. From big port and sherry casks, to delicate American oak expressions and heavily peated whiskies.

As exact line-ups are confirmed (we’re in the hands on the maturing gods and bottling schedules in some cases) we’ll feature select distilleries here on the website. Expect news on the Scottish and other international showcasers in the coming weeks.

Keep checking the Confirmed Exhibitors page as we add names.

SYDNEY WHISKY FAIR 2018 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT

Belgrove (Tasmania)
Black Gate (New South Wales)
Fleurieu (South Australia)
Iniquity (South Australia)
Lark (Tasmania)
Limeburners (Western Australia)
Old Kempton (Tasmania)
Overeem (Tasmania)
Tasmanian Independent Bottlers (Tasmania)
Timboon (Victoria)

The Sydney Whisky Fair have again frozen prices for 2018, with the prices confirmed a few days before tickets go on sale.

Remaining the same they have been since the 2015 event, Oak Barrel members tickets are priced at $90, guest tickets at $110. They will go on sale Tuesday 26 June with members enjoying a 24-hour exclusive on-sale window before guest tickets are made live.

The full break-down of the ticket on-sale timeline, and what members need to do to access their discount, was explained earlier this week.

There will be three sessions for the 2018 Whisky Fair across Friday 24 and Saturday 25 August.

It was announced last week that the Fair will be returning home to The Oak Barrel proper in 2018, with the classic, intimate atmosphere of the event’s formative years. As a result there will be a reduced capacity, tickets set to be the most exclusive ever.

The first announcement of confirmed exhibitors will be revealed Monday 25 June.

Tickets for Sydney Whisky Fair 2018 will go on sale to Oak Barrel members midday Tuesday 26 June.

To be held onsite in our tasting room and warehouse space, the 2018 event will be one of our most exclusive. A strictly controlled capacity to ensure we host the most exciting exhibitors and interesting whiskies, this event will sell out.

There will be three sessions:

Session 1 – Friday 24 August 5pm-8pm
Session 2 – Saturday 25 August 1pm-4pm
Session 3 – Saturday 25 August 5.30pm-8.30pm

VISIT THE TICKET PAGE

If you’re coming in a group, it’s wise to plan your desired session early as it may not be possible to move sessions once the event has sold out.

Your ticket includes access to the Fair, all samples from the exhibitor tables and a take-home Glencairn glass.

Tickets will be released in two batches, the initial release and then a second and final release a week later. In both cases, Oak Barrel members will have an exclusive 24-hour window to purchase pre-sale tickets.

There will be no tickets on the door and while we will keep a waiting list, history has shown that not many people surrender their tickets!

MEMBERS PRE-SALE

For the first and final ticket releases, members will be required to log into their accounts at oakbarrel.com.au to access tickets during the pre-sale.

All you need to log into your account is the email associated with your account and your password. If you do not remember your passwords, or feel you have not been issued one, head to oakbarrel.com.au/members/forgot to reset it.

We advise making sure you can log into your account before tickets go on sale, as there may be delays in responding to requests during the high traffic periods.

The pre-sale will last for 24 hours, then the general release tickets will be made available – if there is any left in the first release allocation.

We are an independent, family owned bottle store with a CBD location and a small staff that regularly give the impression of a much bigger company. We love what we do and are mindful that it’s not possible without the support of our customers and members, who support us throughout the year in store and at our weekly tastings. A 24-hour pre-sale window for our biggest event of the year is a small way to say thanks for 62 years of The Oak Barrel.

TIMELINE

• Tuesday 26 June, 12pm: Oak Barrel members pre-sale
• Wednesday 27 June, 12pm: General release, if allocation is not exhausted

Tickets will remain on sale until first release allocation is exhausted.

• Tuesday 3 July, 12pm: Second and final release Oak Barrel members pre-sale
• Wednesday 4 July, 12pm: Second and final general release, if allocation is not exhausted

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions in the lead-up to the tickets going on sale, feel free to message us on Facebook, call us on 02 9264 3022 or email scott@oakbarrel.com.au.