Gin Tasting Experience, Sanctuary Ale House, Hartshill, 18th September

September 1, 2017daviddistilled Leave a comment

We are really looking forward to our gin tasting at Sanctuary Ale House in later this month (18th). This is a cracking wee micro pub in Hartshill in the heart of the Staffordshire Potteries. This fantastic venue owned and managed by Caroline and Steve is home to a wonderful range of tasty craft and real ales, ciders and of course an ever expanding range of wonderful gins from around the United Kingdom and further afield.

We host gin tastings in Staffordshire and throughout the UK. We also host gin and whisky tastings for private parties and at corporate events.

Gin Tasting Experience 18th September

During our Gin Tasting Experience, guests will taste 6 gins neat before preparing the perfect serve gin & tonic with garnishes as suggested by the distillers. Our events are fun and informative and are enjoyed by those both new to the wonderful world of gin and by seasoned enthusiasts!

There are only a few tickets remaining for this exclusive tasting experience, please click here to grab yours!

Please share this post with your gin loving friends and scroll down for more information about what to expect at our gin tastings.

Our Gin Tasting Events

When you join one of our gin tasting events you can expect it to be a little different. Having worked in the distilling industry for many years, we know that the distiller who has painstakingly crafted the gin before you, wants you to be able to taste the spirit and to appreciate the difference between their gin and those produced by their competitors. The spirit is the heart and soul of any distillery, whether it be destined for a fine single malt whisky or for a premium London dry gin.

Nosing and Tasting Gin

At the beginning of our tasting I talk guests through the rationale of the choice of glassware that I like to use in comparative spirit tastings. I then demonstrate how to nose, taste and evaluate spirit. I then ask guests to spend a few minutes nosing the neat gins, and to make a note of any aromas that they detect, there are no right or wrong answers, what one person gets will be completely different to the next.

We nose each of the gins ‘blind’, I don’t reveal the brand name of the gin until later, we then go on to having a taste of each neat gin, again to see if guests identify any particular flavours. We then prepare the gin and tonic using garnishes as suggested by the distiller and enjoy our first drink.

The Gin Garnish and Tonics

I prepare the garnishes as suggested by the distillers for the ‘perfect serve’ for each gin. I always suggest to guests that they should perhaps taste the gin and tonic before garnishing. I believe some garnishes can totally over power the flavour of the gin. I don’t see the point in spending £40 on a special bottle of gin only to mask its character by adding heavily flavoured garnishes or tonic. I think it is similar in a way to how we drink single malt whisky. There is nothing wrong with adding a large dollop of coca cola to your £50 single malt whisky, it’s just that the end product will taste exactly the same as it would if you had used a £12 blended whisky from the supermarket.

I adopt a similar approach with the choice of tonic for my tastings. There are many tonics on the market to choose from and It is great that people have their own favourites and that it is encouraging consumers to explore the gin category. During a tasting however, it is important that each spirit is tasted in exactly the same way, using the same glassware, some would argue without garnish, and if tonic is being used, exactly the same product for each serve. More often than not, my choice of tonic for my gin tasting events is good old straight forward Fever Tree tonic water.

Once each gin & tonic has been prepared and tasted, I talk about the gin brand and the history of the distillers who make it. I’ll also talk about the production process and botanicals, both traditional and local, used to make each gin.

We hope that you will join us at the Sanctuary Ale House, or at one of our other forthcoming gin tasting events. We are also hosting a gin tasting at Spout Brew House in Leek on Halloween, 31st October, so if you want to avoid the tricks and enjoy the treats, click here to buy tickets!

Tickets for the gin tasting at Sanctuary Ale House, Hartshill, 18th September can be purchased here.

We hope to see you at a tasting soon!

Chin chin

David

Gin Tastings Near You!

August 21, 2017June 13, 2023daviddistilled Leave a comment

We are looking forward to a busy period of gin tastings in the next few weeks, all of which feature awesome craft gins from Scotland and England. We hope that you will join us on one of our gin tasting events, we can also arrange gin tastings in your own home for you and your friends.

Our Gin Tastings

Our gin tastings are a little different. We talk about gins from a distillers point of view. We are not bartenders, mixologists or brand ambassadors. We’ve worked at the coal face of spirit distilling, we understand the industry, the history and the production processes that make our spirits, whether they be wonderful craft London Gins or very special single malt whiskies.

Here is what to expect at our Gin Tasting Experiences:

A demonstration of how to nose and taste spirit
The benefits of careful choice of glassware
A short explanation of the history of the gin industry
A look into how gin is made
You’ll enjoy a virtual distillery tour
Guests taste 6 craft gins neat before mixing the perfect serve gin and tonic with garnishes as suggested by the distillers

The Rise of Craft Gin

The craft gin business is booming right now. Every venue that we visit to host tasting events has dozens of beautifully designed bottles on their shelves. Many of the gins have their own glasses to show off their particular gins, with their very own perfect serves. In our local pubs on a Friday and Saturday night, many more people are making a gin and tonic their tipple of choice.

During the last 20 or so years, when it comes to alcoholic drinks, as consumers we’ve been much more willing to explore flavours, especially strong and different flavours. We are much more willing to spend a little more on premium luxury drinks products, we are entertaining more at home, and we are enjoying sharing these with friends, whether they be classy single malt whiskies or premium craft gins.

The whisky industry is flat out in production, never before has the UKs number one food export been in such demand. New craft distilleries are opening all over the United Kingdom and are distilling gin as well as whisky. By law, Scotch whisky must be matured for a minimum of 3 years in oak casks, which can have a serious cash flow implication particularly if your lovely new build distillery has just cost you £20million pounds to build. As soon as your distillery is built and your stills in operation, gin can be distilled, bottled and off to market within days, and cash can reach the till almost from day one of your new adventure whilst your whisky casks sleep in their warehouses.

Forthcoming Gin Tastings

We host gin tastings all over the UK. Every month there will be gin tasting experiences on our tasting and events page. Please click here to see our forthcoming events including gin tastings near you.

Gins

We always show 6 gins at our Gin Tasting Experiences. Guests taste them all neat before mixing the perfect serve gin and tonic. Having worked at distilleries, we know that distillers want you to be able to taste their spirit, we will be mixing their suggested perfect serve whilst ensuring that we don’t over garnish or use tonics with over powering flavours. The spirit, whether it be gin or new make spirit for whisky, is the character and soul of the distillery and it is always important to ensure that it is not lost.

All of our gins in the near future will feature One Gin, Cadenhead’s Old Raj Saffron Infused Dry Gin (55%abv) and The Botanist Islay Gin. We lived and worked on the Isle of Islay in Scotland and Botanist gin is very close to our hearts as it is distilled on this beautiful island!

If you would like any further information about our scheduled tasting events or if you would like to discuss the possibility of us hosting a tasting in your own home, at your party or at your corporate event, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Cheers!

Whisky Tastings For Special Birthdays – With Distilled Events

August 8, 2017July 23, 2023daviddistilled Leave a comment

Whisky Tastings for Special Occasions

If you are looking for a very special gift for your whisky loving partner, maybe for their 40th birthday celebration or a 50th birthday party, what better way to celebrate than with a whisky tasting masterclass for your guests?

Private Whisky Tastings

We host whisky tasting events and masterclasses all over the UK and can arrange a private tasting for any group size at your home, party venue or business address. Our whisky tastings take many formats from regional whisky tastings to rare whisky tastings and we also host whisky dinners.

Your host, David Wood has worked in the whisky industry for many years, recently he worked at both Lagavulin and Caol Ila distilleries on the Isle of Islay and more recently was distillery manager at Caol Ila Distillery. David’s tastings are as authentic as can be. Whilst most whisky tastings are hosted by sales reps or brand ambassadors or even people who have never visited a malt whisky distillery, David has worked at the coal face of whisky production making an ideal and extremely knowledgeable host for your guests.

Our tastings are fun and informative, they are suitable for the newcomer to the wonderful world of single malt whisky and for the seasoned enthusiast.

Regional Whisky Tasting

Our regional whisky tastings are an imbibing journey around the whisky producing regions of Scotland. Guests enjoy a whisky from the regions of Highlands, Speyside, Lowlands, Islands, Campbeltown and Islay. During this tasting David demonstrates the diversity in whisky profiles produced by many distilleries in Scotland.

As part of the regional malt whisky tasting, guests will learn how single malt whisky makes the special journey from field to table. David often takes guests on a virtual distillery tour so that he can offer an in-depth explanation about the whisky making process.

Islay Whisky Tasting

We have lived on Islay and still work on this beautiful island. There are no less than 8 iconic malt whisky distilleries in production on Islay at the moment with a 9th, Ardnahoe Distillery being built right now and rumours of more in planning process. Islay distilleries produce an incredible array of whisky profiles from rich and sweet drams to smokey, medicinal, phenolic, big peaty monsters. There is a dram for everyone on Islay, the whisky isn’t all about the peat. Given our experience at the coal face of whisky production on Islay, we offer a real insight in to what it is like to live and work on the island and an in-depth look at each distillery and the whiskies made there.

This tasting is a must for anyone who is thinking about visiting the magic Isle of Islay. Like all of our tastings it is fun and informative and suitable for the newcomer to single malt whisky and for the seasoned enthusiast.

Rare Whisky Tasting

Our rare whisky tastings showcase whiskies that are hard to find. They may be drams from distilleries that no longer exist, they might be extremely rare distillery only bottlings or limited editions. Often drams in our rare whisky tastings are from single cask bottlings most of which are bottled at natural cask strength.

Whisky Dinner

If you are planning a dinner for your guests we can match each course with the perfect dram. Usually David will talk about the history of Scotch whisky and how whisky is made before dinner and then will introduce each whisky before each course. David will explain why he has paired that whisky to that particular course before guests enjoy their dram with the

Contact Us About Your Whisky Tasting

If you are thinking about having a whisky tasting at your party, business meeting or corporate event, please call David on 07875 405 980 and he will answer all your questions, recommend a package and discuss costs with you.

Get in touch with us today if you would like us to host a very special whisky tasting at your event.

Slainte

David

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Guided Islay Experience Podcast Interview – The Yorkshire Gent

August 4, 2017August 8, 2017daviddistilled Leave a comment

I was hosting a whisky tasting event at a lovely venue in Leeds in March where I had the pleasure of meeting Rob from The Yorkshire Gent website. Rob is a keen whisky enthusiast and a fly fisherman so he was keen to hear all about Fly Fish Islay as well as understanding exactly what we do at Distilled Events.

We have hosted Guided Islay Distillery Experiences for many years but myself and my good friend Glen Pointon also take anglers, especially anglers who appreciate single malt whisky, to Islay on week long fly fishing trips. Rob has kept an eye on Glen’s antics on Facebook over the years and was keen to interview us both whilst we were on Islay in April hosting our first Guided Islay Fly Fishing Experience of 2017.

The interview took place very late one evening as the guests were relaxing in front of the spitting fire with large glasses of Bunnahabhain and Laphroaig single malt whiskies. Rob had originally suggested that we record the interview over skype but the weather had turned very stormy and our internet was disrupted to we had to record it over the phone, which I think adds to the remote feel.

During the interview we talk about why Islay is such an amazing destination for the whisky and / or fly fishing enthusiast. We talk about how we came to set up Fly Fish Islay and how guests join us on a Guided Islay Fly Fishing Experience. Glen talks in-depth about what to expect from the fishing and what tactics he finds to work best as well as offering a comparison between Scottish loch style fishing and English stillwater fishing. I also talk about how I ended up living and working on Islay in the whisky industry.

Pour a dram and enjoy.

Please click the logo below to go to the podcast:

Join Us on a Guided Islay Experience

We would love to host your trip to Islay, whether it be to enjoy the fishing, to visit distilleries, or maybe for a little bit of both! If you are interested in joining one of our guided experiences or if you would like us to arrange a bespoke trip for you and your friends or colleagues, please call David on 07875 405 980 or get in touch via our contact page.

The Islay Whisky Festival

August 1, 2017March 28, 2018daviddistilled 1 Comment

The Islay Whisky Festival

The Islay Whisky Festival comes around once a year and falls on the last week in May. During this fantastic celebration of all things Islay whisky, thousands of excited enthusiasts make their way to the magic Isle of Islay for a week of whisky events, tours, tastings and masterclasses. It is difficult to measure how many extra visitors, and how much extra income, the island gets due to the festival but it is commonly thought the island population rises from 2000 to over 10000 during the Festival week, in no means insignificant for the economy of the island.

Each of the 8 malt whisky distilleries and Jura distillery too, have their own dedicated festival day. There is some overlap, Bowmore day is also Bridgend Square day and Islay Ales and the other businesses there also arrange events and enjoy a busy day of music, drams and general merriment. We love the Islay Whisky Festival and as well as hosting whisky and gin tastings and events in Leek, Staffordshire and throughout the UK, we will always host Islay whisky tastings at the Islay festival in the years to come.

Islay Whisky Festival Distillery Days

Each distillery publishes their festival events and releases tickets a few weeks before the Feis week. Most put on extra tours, special tastings and masterclasses and also other activities such as fast RIB boat rides and special guided water source walks. As the festival has become more and more popular, tickets tend to sell out faster, especially at the Kildalton distilleries of Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig, it is not unusual for all tickets to sell out on the first day of release. So if you are looking to attend an event, you’ll need to be quick!

Islay Whisky Festival Bottlings

To celebrate the festival, each distillery has a special, limited release whisky bottling. In recent years, because the festival has become so well attended, these releases are not as small batch as they used to be. Only 5 or 6 years ago, distilleries were able to release single cask bottlings which enthusiasts would snap up and quite often sell at a profit on auction sites. Now distillers have decided to increase the size of the releases in an attempt to ensure that there are enough to satisfy the demand of visitors. There are still a few gems to be discovered though. During Feis Ile 2017 Bunnahabhain released a run of only 1596 bottles.

The peated spirit was distilled in 2004 and matured in American oak and then transferred to port pipes for a short finishing period. The resulting whisky, ‘Bunnahabhain Moine Port Pipe Finish’, as well as being a beautiful dram, was also a real small batch rarity for festival visitors to buy, and very good value at £95.

As well as official distillery bottlings, it is now not uncommon to find festival releases from independent bottlers who arrange events during the festival. Quite often visitors arrive on the island during the festival only to find that all the distillery events are full. The independent bottlers, who only promote Islay whisky during the festival, are often able to accommodate these visitors on their tastings and masterclasses and therefore offer a valuable addition to the Festival.

I became Distillery Manager of Caol Ila Distillery in 2013 but before that, in 2008, I began releasing my own Islay Festival bottlings for the Queen of the Moorlands Single Malt Whisky brand which I owned at the time. The first was this delicious 1982 26 year old Caol Ila single cask whisky, which was to be the first ever independent Islay festival bottling.

Whisky Masterclasses at The Islay Whisky Festival 2017 – Distilled Events

In late Autumn 2015, I decided to leave Caol Ila and to start my own customer facing whisky events company, Distilled Events. This year this gave me the opportunity to arrange my own events at the whisky festival, and with the help of friends on Islay, we held two very well attended masterclasses at the Gaelic College in Bowmore.

I was incredibly surprised and pleased at the support that my friends in the whisky industry were willing to give me. Guests were treated to ‘As We Get It Islay’ from Ian Macleod Distillers, an incredible pair of drams from Wm Cadenheads in the form of a 26 year old single cask Caol Ila and a 16 year old single cask Bowmore. Port Askaig Malts supplied us with a great young peaty dram, Port Askaig 8 year old, and just like ‘As We Get It’ the cat was really amongst the pigeons with guests arguing about the provenance of these tasty whiskies. From Chorlton Whisky we had an awesome 23 year old single cask Bunnahabhain which, just like all the other drams on show, went down a treat with our guests.

Islay Whisky Festival 2018

We are already making plans for our events at the Islay Whisky Festival 2018, the months will slip away and before we know it we will be enjoying festivities once again on Islay. Keep an eye on our tastings and events page and also on our Distilled Events Facebook page and you will then be able to buy tickets online once they are released.

We also arrange bespoke Guided Islay Distillery Experiences throughout the year, taking groups of enthusiasts to Islay on 5 or 7 day whisky trips packed with tours, tastings and masterclasses and enjoying all that Islay has to offer. If you are interested in joining us on a trip or if you would like more info about our bespoke Guided Islay Distillery Experiences, please click here.

Here are some pics from our events at the Islay Whisky Festival 2017. Enjoy.

Slainte

David