Corporate Whisky and Chocolate Pairing in Scotland
We were delighted to be asked to host a whisky and chocolate pairing by a Glasgow company who were looking after a group of 50 guests in the Loch Lomond area, keeping them entertained with lots of different activities in the hills and glens of the southern Highlands.
The Silver Dolphin
The whisky and chocolate pairing took place on board The Silver Dolphin which is a cruiser operated by Sweeney’s Cruise Company. I arrived at the ferry landing at Balloch in plenty of time to set up my glasses and pour the drams before we set off to collect our guests from Cameron House on the shores of Loch Lomond.
Whisky and Chocolate Pairing
During the tasting our guests enjoyed 3 single malt Scotch whiskies perfectly paired with 3 beautiful handmade chocolates from The Highland Chocolatier in Grandtully, a small village that sits between Aberfeldy and Pitlochry in the Highlands. Each of the chocolates were created by Ian Burnett to pair specifically with each whisky. Here are the pairings that we decided to show:
Auchentoshan 12 year old Lowland single malt whisky – Orange with a hint of clove velvet truffle
Bunnahabhain 12 year old Islay single malt whisky – Espresso velvet truffle
Caol Ila 12 year old Islay single malt whisky – Lemongrass and lime velvet praline
Whisky Tasting in Scotland
If you would like us to host a whisky tasting in Scotland for your corporate event or private party please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Each of our tastings are bespoke and are created to work perfectly with our client’s itineraries.
If you would like more information or if you would like to check availability please give David a call on 07875 405 980 or complete the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
We host whisky tasting events in London and surrounding areas. Our clients in London require different whisky tasting solutions for different occasions so when you book us we will design and host a tasting that fits perfectly with your needs. If you are arranging an event, meeting or conference our whisky tastings are a great way to entertain guests or delegates, we engage with people bringing the world of single malt whisky to life whilst they network with suppliers, customers or colleagues.
Our Whisky Tastings in London
As well as working in the whisky industry for many years, we have worked at the coal face of whisky production. Our experience comes from operations management in iconic Scottish distilleries such as Caol Ila Distillery, Lagavulin Distillery and Kilchoman Distillery on the island of Islay in the Hebrides. When we host a whisky tasting for you, you can be sure that it will be as authentic as can be. We’ll not only bring the world of single malt whisky to your corporate event in London, but a little bit of Scotland too.
What to Expect!
Our hosts are knowledgable, experienced, and passionate. They’ve worked in iconic malt whisky distilleries in Scotland.
We hand pick single malt whiskies from around Scotland chosen firstly for their quality but also they are always drams that are close to our hearts.
As a delicious optional extra we can pair the whiskies with beautiful handmade chocolates from The Highland Chocolatier from Grandtully near Pitlochry in the Scottish Highlands.
All glassware is provided.
We’ll liaise with you and the venue to ensure that we deliver the perfect whisky tasting for your guests.
Enquire About a Whisky Tasting In London
If you would like more information about a whisky tasting in London for your meeting, conference or corporate event please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Please call David Wood on 07875 405 980 or complete the contact form at the bottom of this page and we will be back to you very quickly.
Contact Us
If you are interested in more information about our whisky tastings in London please complete the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Alternatively please call David on 07875 405 980.
I was delighted to be invited to co host a very special single malt whisky tasting at a large solicitors premises in London last week with the very talented patissier and chocolatier William Curley. It was a pleasure working with William in preparation for the event, especially the bit where I got to taste a lot of chocolate with a lot of great whisky!
Whisky and Chocolate Pairing
Finding perfect pairings of chocolate and whisky is great fun. At most of the whisky tastings that I host there is always a bar or two of dark chocolate being passed around, it is perfect with dark, sherry matured drams. Rather than a contrast, when pairing chocolate and whiskies it is more often similar flavours that complement one another that you are looking for. People are often surprised when I talk about pairing whisky with food, it isn’t just great with chocolate, there are drams our there that are great with cheese, great with puds and you only need to try Talisker with haggis or Caol Ila with shellfish to really to start to appreciate the versatility of Scotland’s gift to the world.
William’s career began when he worked as an apprentice at Gleneagles Hotel which lead him to train with some of the country’s greatest chefs including Pierre Koffmann, Marco Pierre White, and Raymond Blanc. His ambitions lead him to become the youngest Chef Patissier in the history of The Savoy Hotel.
Since opening his business over thirteen years ago, William has achieved numerous accolades including four times winner of Britain’s Best Chocolatier by The Academy of Chocolate and a gold medal at The Culinary Olympics. In 2012 William became a member of Relais Dessert International the most prestigious association for Patissier – Chocolatiers. He also achieved the Master of Culinary Arts by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. This is the highest accolade awarded to chefs in the UK.
Our Whisky Pairings
During this very special corporate tasting, our 50 guests enjoyed 6 wonderful single malt whiskies perfectly paired with William’s exquisite chocolates. The whiskies had a wide range of flavour profiles beginning with a light style from the Lowlands of Scotland, we then brought the guests together at the close of the evening to taste a heavily peated, cask strength, single cask whisky from the Highlands.
A fragrant citrus infused dark chocolate ganache with flavours of lemon, grapefruit, blossom and vanilla.
Auchentoshan is a Lowland single malt whisky from Glasgow. This bottling, the 12 year old is matured in both American and European oak. There are aromas of toasted almonds and caramelised toffee and the whisky is smooth and delicate on the palate.
A rich, dark vanilla infused caramel, encased in Toscano 70% dark chocolate. There are flavours of molasses, butter and vanilla.
Deanston is distilled on the banks of the River Teith near Stirling in the Highlands and is matured in American oak. The nose is reminiscent of days of haymaking with flavours that are creamy sweet with honeyed spiciness, vanilla and cloves.
A tayberry pate de fruits, topped with a dark fruity ganache.
This is the classic island whisky from the Isle of Skye, matured in American oak. Peat smoke and sea saltiness accompanied by red fruit and an explosion of pepper in the mouth.
A crispy base of roasted almond praline and feuillantine wafer, topped with vibrant orange infused ganache. Flavours of toasted almonds and orange zest.
Bunnahabhain (Foot of the river) is distilled in an extremely remote location on the beautiful Isle of Islay in the Hebrides. The whisky is rich and sweet with creamy vanilla and cinnamon with the faintest waft of peat smoke.
A smooth pure dark ganache made with Richmond Park honey. Flavours of meadow flowers and earthy woodland notes.
American oak maturation and slow distillation gives this smoky, oily, maritime whisky from the Isle of Islay gooseberry, lime and smoky flavours alongside aromas of tar and wet fishing nets. A natural choice given I was once the Distillery Manager.
Fraoch Mòinteach Edition IV Highland Single Cask Single Malt Whisky with Beurre De Sel
A punchy salted caramel, pure dark chocolate ganache. Flavours of vanilla and butterscotch, seasoned with a burst of sea salt.
Fraoch Mòinteach Edition IV by The Moorland Distiller, Highland single cask single malt whisky is a limited release straight from a bourbon barrel and bottled at 59.8%. This whisky is all about rich caramel sweetness along with masses of peat smoke.
Contact Us
We host corporate whisky tastings in London and all over the United Kingdom. If you are interested in learning more about our whisky tastings, or if you are interested in having a whisky and chocolate pairing please call David on 07875 405 980 or complete the form below and we will reply very quickly.
Would you like a whisky tasting at your office or a whisky tasting at home? We host private whisky tastings for corporate events and for private parties anywhere in the UK.
Private Whisky Tastings
Our whisky tastings are different to those hosted by our competitors. Our whisky tastings are authentic. We’ve lived and worked at the coal face of spirit distilling. We’ve managed iconic malt whisky distilleries in Scotland, so when we talk to you about whisky, it is with passion and experience. We are not trying to sell you anything other than Scotland and its gift to the world, Scotch whisky.
We don’t work for any big brands, we are not sales representatives and we are not brand ambassadors but what we are is passionate about good single malt whisky. When we host your whisky tasting we’ll present to you whiskies that we love.
What to Expect From Our Private Whisky Tastings
Hosted by either David Wood former Caol Ila Distillery Manager and whisky bottler
A tasting of at least six single malt whiskies from around Scotland
You’ll hear about the history of the Scotch whisky industry
A look into whisky production
How to taste whisky and choosing glassware
A fun and factual event exploring Scotch whiskies whilst avoiding the usual anecdotes
Enquire About A Whisky Tasting
If you would like more information about our private whisky tastings, or if you would like a quote or to book us for your private whisky event, please don’t hesitate to call David on 07875 405 980 or complete the contact form below and we will get back to you very quickly.
Join us at our favourite venue in Sheffield, Picture House Social for our Single Malt Whisky Tasting Experience. This exclusive whisky tasting in Sheffield will be hosted by myself, David Wood.
Whisky Tasting in Sheffield
The whisky tasting will take place at 6pm on Saturday 8th September at Picture House Social, Abbeydale Road, Sheffield. Picture House Social is a great venue with an awesome cocktail bar. There is also a pizza bar serving delicious pizzas and there is are table tennis tables so you can ping pong the night away after the whisky tasting!
During the tasting I will present six quality single malt whiskies from around Scotland. I’ll talk all about the history of Scotch and how it is made.
Here are the topics we will cover during the tasting:
The history of Scotch whisky
Nosing, tasting and comparing different spirits
The importance of glassware
Water, ice, coca cola and other controversial subjects!
Categories of whisky including the definition of single malt whisky
The whisky producing regions of Scotland
Barley malting process and peat
Mashing and fermentation
Distilling and the importance of copper and spirit cut
Maturation and wood policy
Ages statements vs no age statements
Scotch whisky brands
The Scotch whisky boom and new distilleries
Whisky and food matching
Whisky Tasting in Sheffield Tickets
Tickets for this exclusive whisky tasting are available here:
Bespoke Single Malt Whisky Tastings 