We reviewed Whisky Live last year and were very mixed on it. Sure, the new venue was spacious and bright but the offering of the show hadn’t kept pace with the other London competitors. With Whisky Live London now in its 25th year the organizers promised big things to celebrate this milestone – unfortunately it hasn’t lived up to that promise.

Last year Whisky Live London moved from the halls of the Honourable Artillery Company in Moorgate to the Fireworks Factory in Woolwich, a massive upgrade in terms of space and in my opinion a better venue despite the less central location. Everything is well spaced out, it’s not too loud, and there’s plenty of spots to relax with a good whisky.

However, Whisky Live London in 2025 was fraught with small disappointments and we’ll begin with what matters most – the drams. There’s roughly the same number of actual distillers or independent bottlers present at the show, it’s not in any way worse than last year despite feeling like it. That feeling comes from the Gin, Cognac, Rum, Baijiu and Liqueurs popping up in greater numbers. Filling out a whisky show with other spirits isn’t a bad thing and some of this bonus content is great, but it’s not what people are paying to see. The other big shows like Whisky Event and The Whisky Exchange Show offer vastly more to try for a small increase in asking price. Smaller shows like Croydon Whisky Festival and Summerton Whisky Festival are cheaper and tightly curated opposition too.

Whisky Live’s organizers, Paragraph Publishing, also run the World Whisky awards that take place right before this festival and they maximise this link. There are loads of bottles from these awards readily available at the show for you to try. Many you simply cannot buy and given the various niche categories of the awards there really is something for every palate. The other benefit of tying the show to the awards is that many whisky industry names will be in London and also attending Whisky Live. A great example of this is the masterclass I attended.

Whilst my premium ticket was provided by Whisky Live I love Canadian whisky so happily put down about £15 of my own money for a masterclass from whisky writer, Davin De Kergommeaux. It was a delightful little talk that went behind the scenes of some of my favourite Canadian whiskies. There was a surprise guest speaker too, Dr. Don Livermore of J.P. Wiser’s, who walked us through his Lot 40 ryes. It was a highlight of the show for me, although not without its problems. What soured the otherwise lovely masterclass was the organisation. Days before Whisky Live these Masterclasses were offered for free via email to guests and on the day there was no security or ticket checking meaning anyone could just wander in. I spoke to some whisky enthusiasts who told me they did just that for a much more expensive class, as there were empty spaces and no one managing the area. 

Food options were more diverse than last year and all had some dishes that were free of charge for premium ticket holders. There’s a food market just outside the venue on Saturdays that means standard ticket holders don’t have to go far. However, it’s worth noting that in previous years all food was included with the standard “Classic” ticket price. My premium ticket also got me access to a lounge with lots of seating, a refreshment station and the coveted Premium bar. I got two tokens for this selection which included some really rare items and some not so rare ones that might stand out to you like sore thumbs in the picture below.

What’s most confusing about this bar is that the bottles rotate and this wasn’t made clear to consumers. After using my tokens earlier in the day when my palate was fresh I popped back to take some pictures only to find a dream dram of mine had shown up! I wasn’t going to expect them to give it to me for free so I asked around but no one had any idea how I could buy more tokens. Once your tokens were gone, they were gone. An hour later a member of the Whisky Live team took me aside and thrust two premium tokens into my hand, but that’s not the solution I was after. A festival’s premium offering should be an informed decision and drinks that are enjoyed at leisure, not a gamble.

A surprising area where Whisky Live goes wrong is keeping guests healthy and hydrated. A good chunk of the stands either did not have spittoons at all or had hidden them.  Being able to pour a dram out you don’t like (even if few people actually use them for spitting) is essential to moderation. Water was an unexpected challenge. Whilst some stands had bottles of water most directed me to the coolers dotted around the show. It’s nigh impossible to add a few drops of water to a cask strength whisky from a cooler and it’s also a pain to have to dash off and rinse your glass, especially at crowded stands. The final awkward moment came 20 minutes before the end when I wanted a big glass of water before I headed home. All but one of the coolers in the main hall had had its tank removed. This is the exact time you want to be plying your guests with water to help ensure they get home safe. We will always be banging the health and safety drum at All But Drams because, whilst everyone is responsible for their own health, these steps ensure everyone has a good time.

Now we come to the biggest elephant in the room, the growing presence of whisky investment firms at the show. I believe that any company that has relevant consumer product for whisky fans should be allowed to buy space and shoot their shot. If you’re not a fan of bar-top barrels, glassware, non-alcohol “malternatives” or whatever else that crops up then that’s okay, there’s probably someone at the show who loves it. The same goes for foodstuffs. I come home from a show with cheese, charcuterie and chocolate just as often as I do whiskey.

However, investments aren’t consumer products, they carry huge financial risk and the sector is unregulated. A blanket ban on anything investment related isn’t necessarily the solution as some cask traders are established Independent Bottlers too – Mythical Beasts, Dràm Mòr and The Whisky Baron are examples that come to mind. Whisky 1901, an investment firm at Whisky Live brought a range of delightful cask samples and were focused instead on the samples they had and what casks they were considering bottling for consumers. (This was my experience, I would love to hear from anyone who got the sales pitch instead).

Allowing investment companies to attend with consumer bottlings requires trust, but trust is what the legitimate whisky investment business relies on to do business so who decides where the line is drawn? Whether any whiskies bottled by investment companies are well priced and good quality is subjective and some faith has to be placed in consumers. UK retail is competitive and discount driven, even on luxury products like whisky, so we should trust enthusiasts to vote with their wallets. That said, if investment firms give you the ick, then avoid Whisky Live.

This investment issue might dent the London edition of Whisky Live but the brand is global and in many other countries it represents the “must visit” festival for enthusiasts. London sticks out as the market where the competitors have long since overtaken it. We are spoiled for choice. If you are a world whisky fan and want to try a huge range of things that you won’t find outside of the secondary market then Whisky Live is okay value on a Classic (£72) or Taster ticket (£51).

However, if you want to actually buy a bottle of what you’re drinking then every other show in London will be better for that. The same goes for single malt Scotch purists, there’s just not enough here for you. Whisky Live has certainly differentiated itself from the pack, but at such a high entry price the perks are hard to justify for all but the most ardent whisky fans. The premium ticket at £103 just isn’t good enough versus other London shows, even if there’s lots of value adds stuffed in.

If you want to try rarer pours in London then check out The Whisky Event. The most popular stand at Whisky Live, Vintage Bottlers, used a sign-up system for their premium offerings that required you to register interest and come back at a particular time. Those same bottles I was told would be free-pouring at The Whisky Event. On the flipside, if you’re budget conscious then Croydon Whisky Festival and Harrow Whisky Festival will give you an incredible range for less cash than Whisky Live demands, whether you’re north or south of the river.

[A complimentary premium festival ticket was provided by Paragraph Publishing. All other costs including the masterclass were covered by All But Drams.]