An Experience For Connoisseurs & Collectors
Wynn Las Vegas will become the center of the luxury whisky universe during the week of April 15th. That’s when the Nth Ultimate Whisky and Spirits Experience returns to the resorts.
Created 15 years ago by whisky lover Mahesh Patel for people like himself, “who are connoisseurs and collectors of whiskies and fine spirits,” the event will last five days and offer experiences priced between $595 and $12,000 per person.
“The audience that we’re targeting is a fine connoisseur or a person who really appreciates fine spirits and the luxury of it all,” says Patel. “And we enhance the experience [of] a rare bottle of whisky. We take it somewhere special. We bring the whisky maker along. And we’re doing it in a very luxurious setting.”
Patel’s company, Universal Whisky Experience, hosted its first event at Wynn and has since hosted experiences in Bermuda, Dubai and Singapore. They’ve even hosted a whisky tasting at The Grand Canyon. Beyond luxurious settings and amazing spirits, those events have another thing in common: education.
“We bring in [top-level] spirits and also the people and families who make them. So you’re learning with the whisky makers and understanding the product—not just going into a high-end bar and buying it and drinking and not knowing what you’re drinking.”
The Levels Of Luxury
This year’s main attraction is the Main Tasting on Friday, April 19. Admission is $595, and guests will sample fine spirits, Champagnes and wines as they chat with representatives of the brands that produced them. As a souvenir, they’ll also take home a cut-crystal Glencairn whiskey glass.
For those who want a bit more, there’s a two-day package for $2,995 that adds a Thursday Night High Roller Dinner and access to four master classes on Thursday and Friday, as well as a real treat: the High Roller Lounge.
“In the High Roller Lounge, you get to experience what we call super-pours — anything that’s up in age, rarity or uniqueness,” Patel explains. “The bottles, in value, are mostly north of $1,000 a bottle. And this year we have close to 50 bottles that are coming in for that experience.”
If that’s not enough for you, there are two more options. A three-day experience ($4,495) adds a Wednesday Legends Supper at Wynn’s Jardin restaurant, where about 10 top producers will present unique bottles to the diners. And for those who want to sip all week, there’s a five-day Ultimate Experience package for $12,000. It includes a Louis XIII Cognac Tasting Dinner at SW Steakhouse on Monday and a private tasting of a 50-year whisky from Scotland’s Benromach distillery.
