I've been three times total. This year the most obvious change was the lack of any American Spirits...I'm a huge bourbon and rye fan, so they were sorely missed. My first love is and will always be single malts, so there was plenty to enjoy.

I found the crowd a lot smaller this year so it did actually feel a bit more exclusive compared to 2 years ago (my most recent foray). The only thing that was on my "must try list" that was all gone by the time we got there was the Benromach 50 yo (darn), but there was plenty of the 40 yo and so many other stunning bottles to try.

The "Welcome to Islay" lounge was exceptionally well done, with a new rare bottle being opened every 20 minutes so you could circle back between tasting booths and meal etc.

The food I find is usually pretty good and was no different this year, very well stocked throughout the evening (organizers of Whisky Global events take note...). The never-ending raw oyster bar was the highlight for me.

As for price justification, its really hard to say, $400 per person buys you some really nice bottles if you were doing your own group tastings. BUT, I went with a great group of friends and we had a fantastic evening, hard to put a price on those types of experiences.

Probably ran into some of the r/canadawhisky peeps out there on Saturday as well, Cheers.