Each year, WhiskyAdvocate puts on several festivals surrounding whiskey in Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco, and New York.

WhiskyFest Chicago 2018 was once again held at the magnificent Chicago Hyatt.

The setup was similar to last year’s, with few exceptions. However, what wasn’t the same was the quality of the food options. That stood out to me as the largest improvement over shows of the past.

As always, some of the world’s best whiskies were presented by their representatives, including:

• Stillhouse Black Bourbon
• Blood Oath Pact No. 4
• Buffalo Trace
• Pappy Van Winkle
• Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

It was an incredible evening put on by some incredible folks and it’s one of those shows we look forward to going to every year.

UPDATE: If you’re interested in attending this year’s WhiskyFest, buy your early bird tickets HERE

Click through to see some of our photos

While we really love bourbon, one of our favorite drams is the Glenmorangie Signet and we usually head right over to that booth upon arrival. This year’s batch did not disappoint.

Stillhouse Spirits is a newer group. They have an interesting tin can (that is surprisingly well-engineered) and their display was easily one of the best.

Stitzel-Weller had a very authentic looking display that highlighted some of their bourbons, including Blade & Bow.

Sazerac’s Thomas H. Handy Straight Rye is easily one of my favorite ryes. This was a nice spicy treat after several bourbons.

Old Elk Distillery presented at the show, with a blended straight bourbon and a very tasty bourbon cream.

Show participants were able to visit the Jack Daniel’s booth–which never disappoints–to receive a signed partial barrel stave.

Thanks again to the WhiskyAdvocate team for putting on yet another great show. Onward to 2019!