The 2026 Johnnie Walker Uganda Open may have been decided on the golf course, but for some of the players and guests, another lesson unfolded at the 19th hole one that had less to do with putting and more to do with appreciating premium whisky.
As golfers gathered over the weekend to celebrate the conclusion of the month-long Johnnie Walker Uganda Open 2026, Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) Reserve Brand Ambassadors Melanie Kaita and Steven Baguma took them through a different kind of course: the art of appreciating whisky.
Rather than simply pouring drinks, Kaita and Baguma turned the tasting into an exercise in observation, taking golfers table by table and showing them how to properly hold a copita glass, swirl the whisky, bring it to the nose and consider its character before taking a sip.
The intimate mentorship sessions added to the excitement and pomp of the evening as one expression followed another, giving golfers and guests an opportunity to notice how dramatically whiskies from the same house can differ.
Gold Label Reserve, for instance, offered what many described as a softer introduction, with honeyed sweetness, creamy textures and hints of vanilla and spice.
Johnnie Walker Double Black took the tasting in a different direction, delivering a deeper smoky character and a fuller, more intense profile.
The golfers also tasted Green Label, which offered another lesson in whisky-making. The 15-year-old blended malt is made entirely from single malts and carries a balance of smoky, woody and herbal notes.
Blue Label, meanwhile, represented the more rarefied end of the experience, built around rare whiskies with a smooth character, rich fruit, honeyed sweetness and balanced smoke.
For Kaita and Baguma, the exercise was less about telling golfers what they should taste and more about teaching them how to taste and enjoy whisky better.
The nosing, swirling and slow sipping became a way of helping consumers understand why age, blending, maturation and individual whisky character matter.
It was a fitting accompaniment to a tournament where patience and attention to detail are everything.
And then there was the result.
Ronald Rugumayo emerged as the first Ugandan in 12 years to lift the Uganda Open title.
The coincidence was hard to miss: 12 years is also the age statement associated with Johnnie Walker Black Label.
On a weekend built around precision, patience and an appreciation of craft, the symbolism almost wrote itself.
While Rugumayo was making history on the course, Kaita and Baguma were giving golfers another reason to slow down and pay attention this time, one dram at a time