A Very Special Whisky Tasting at Loch Lomond

March 5, 2024March 5, 2024daviddistilled Leave a comment

Whisky Tasting for the Scottish Football Association

I was absolutely delighted to by the Scottish Football Association to host a whisky tasting at a dinner at Boturich Castle on the banks of Loch Lomond in Scotland last week. Our guests had been attending the 138th International Football Association Board Conference at Cameron House on the other side of Loch Lomond as well as taking the time to attend a local football match, St. Mirren vs Aberdeen.

Delegates at the dinner at Boturich Castle where we hosted the whisky tasting were from all over the world. There representatives from the Scottish FA, English FA, Irish FA, Welsh FA, and along with Premier League referees. The event was attended by many famous faces from the football world. It was a pleasure to meet them and to host a whisky tasting for them.

Whisky Tasting Loch Lomond

During this very special event our guests were served a wonderful meal specially prepared in the Pavilion at Boturich Castle. The Pavilion is a recent addition to Boturich Castle and is perfect for wedding gatherings and corporate events. It is beautifully furnished and big enough for very large gatherings. Boturich Castle is superbly situated just outside Balloch on the A82. It is 45 minutes by car to Glasgow city centre and 30 minutes to Glasgow Airport.

At the tasting my guests enjoyed:

Talisker 10 year old single malt whisky 45.8%abv – served with haggis
Bunnahabhain 12 year old Islay single malt whisky 46.3%abv – served with chocolate pave
Caol Ila 13yo Islay single malt whisky bottled by Gordon and Macphail 43%abv
Glenfarclas 10 year old single malt whisky bottled for Master of Malt 55%abv

Loch Lomond Venues

We have worked at multiple venues on Loch Lomond. There are many choices that make the perfect venue for all sorts of events. Here are a selection of venues and links to their websites:

Contact us about a Whisky Tasting at Loch Lomond

We would love to host a whisky tasting for you. I was Distillery Manager at Caol Ila Distillery on the Hebridean island of Islay so my tastings are as authentic as can be. Each of our bespoke tastings are designed to fit perfectly with your event whatever that may be. We are totally independent so we can serve and talk about any whiskies that either we or you like from around Scotland, and there are many fantastic drams to choose from.

If you are interested in us hosting a whisky tasting for your special event, whether it be at Loch Lomond or anywhere else in Scotland please complete the form below or contact me (David) on 07875 405 980. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Burns Night Supper in Glasgow

December 14, 2023January 30, 2024daviddistilled Leave a comment

A Very Special Glasgow Burns Night Supper

I’m delighted that I will be hosting a Burns Supper in Glasgow on Friday 26th January 2024 at the wonderful Singl End Cafe and Bakehouse in Renfrew Street, Garnethill.

During this very special event our guests will enjoy a seven course tasting menu each paired with classic single malt Scotch whiskies from around Scotland. In between each course I’ll be talking all things Scotch including a brief history of the industry and how whisky makes the incredible journey from field to table.

Seven Course Tasting Menu in Glasgow

Here is the menu for the evening!

Arbroath Smokie on sourdough toast with charred leeks – served with Caol Ila single malt whisky

Scotch Broth – served with GlenAllachie single malt whisky

Stornoway black pudding Scotch egg with a whisky and hollandaise sauce – served with Arran single malt whisky

Haggis, neeps and tatties wrapped in filo pastry serve with whisky sauce -served with Talisker single malt whisky

Venison Fillet with turnip and potato dauphenoise – served with Bunnahabhain single malt whisky

Sticky Toffee Pudding served with ice cream and a whisky toffee sauce – served with Glenfarclas single malt whisky

Isle of Mull Cheddar served with homemade oat cakes and chutney – served with Tobermory single malt whisky

Tickets for our Glasgow Burns Supper at Singl End

Tickets are now on sale for this exclusive event and would make the perfect Christmas gift for the whisky lover in your life. Tickets are priced at £70 per person.

If you would like more info about this event or to purchase tickets, please click here!

Contact Us!

If you would like to get in touch with us about this event or if you would like us to host a private whisky tasting in Glasgow or anywhere else in the UK whether it be for a party or corporate event, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the form below or call David on 07875 405 980.

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Whisky Tasting at Rossdhu House, Loch Lomond

August 14, 2023January 30, 2024daviddistilled Leave a comment

Whisky Tasting, Loch Lomond, Scotland

It was a pleasure to be asked to head to Loch Lomond to host a whisky tasting on Friday night last week where 200 guests arrived from all over the world for a drinks reception at the beautiful Rossdhu House at Loch Lomond Golf Club, as part of a 3 day destination wedding at this wonderful venue.

We decided that we would present four different Scotch whiskies each of a different flavour profile so as to guide our guests through a wee journey around Scotland. We provided all of the glassware for the whisky tasting at Loch Lomond.

Our tasting was very informal and whilst the guests enjoyed music from a live local traditional band they would join us for a chat about all things Scotch whisky and to learn a few facts about the history of Scotch, and how it makes the incredible journey from field to table.

The Whiskies at Rossdhu House, Loch Lomond

During our whisky tasting we presented the following whiskies:

Auchentoshan Three Wood Lowland Single Malt Whisky, Auchentoshan Distillery, Clydebank, Glasgow.

I particularly wanted to present this whisky as it is a local dram from just down the road in Glasgow. This is an extremely approachable dram. The spirit produced at Auchentoshan Distillery is triple distilled in the traditional lowland and Irish style making it incredibly light and fruity. This spirit is then matured in three different types of cask, American Oak, Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and oloroso sherry casks making the resulting dram wonderfully rich, sweet and very enjoyable indeed.

Glen Garioch 12 year old Highland Single Malt Whisky, Glen Garioch Distillery, Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire.

When I host my Guided Speyside Distillery Experiences for groups of visitors each year I always like to stray out of Speyside a little to take them to this awesome, historic and beautiful distillery in Old Meldrum. The owners are investing heavily in the distillery and have recently reinstated the old traditional malt floors. The 12 year old expression is bottled at 48%abv and is a heafty, fruity dram with honey and pears on the palate with growing oloroso sherry influence on the finish.

Bunnahabhain 12 year old Islay Single Malt Whisky, Bunnahabhain Distillery, Islay.

I present a whisky from Islay in the vast majority of my tastings as I have lived and worked there for many years and it is very close to my heart indeed. Rossdhu House sits near to the road that I have travelled on thousands of occasions to and from the Islay ferry terminal at Kennacraig an Islay dram was to be a definite in this flight of whiskies. Bunnahabhain 12 year old is matured almost exclusively in ex oloroso sherry casks and I always describe it as Christmas Day in a bottle. It is all about raisins, coffee, cinnamon and rich sweetness alongside maritime notes which are the result of the casks being matured on the shores of the sound of Islay. As the Angel’s Share of evaporated alcohol leaves the breathing cask, the air it is sucked back in, sometimes having a wonderful influence on the whisky. Provenance, placeness and terroir is something I place a lot if importance in and it is what, for me, makes a single malt whisky good.

Fraoch Mointeach Edition XIV Blended Scotch Malt Whisky

I presented a Blended Scotch Malt Whisky from the Moorland Distiller which was very well received indeed. This whisky was the result of a marriage of two casks of heavily peated spirit from two iconic distilleries both from a place famous for making smokey whisky. The bottles were individually numbered and signed by the bottler. The labels were something very different indeed. The illustration for the label was designed by Matthew Sharp of Dr Curly’s Toothbrush illustrations using nothing but a toothbrush. This whisky was also bottled at 100 proof AKA 57%abv and so made for a fine end to the tasting.

Would You Like a Whisky Tasting at Loch Lomond?

If you would like us to host a whisky tasting in Loch Lomond either at an event or on boat on the loch itself, or anywhere else in the UK please complete the form below and we will get back to you very quickly. Alternatively give David a call on 07875 405 980 for more information or to check availability.

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Hen Party Gin Tastings

January 7, 2019January 30, 2024daviddistilled Leave a comment

Hen Party Gin Tastings!

We host gin tastings for hen parties throughout the UK! We also host gin tastings for private parties and at corporate events. We host gin tastings for hen parties and corporate events at venues all over the UK. Often our tastings take place in large self catering holiday houses or in private homes.

Gin Tastings Anywhere in the UK!

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

We provide everything needed to ensure that your guests will thoroughly enjoy the tasting:

A range of wonderful gins including craft gins
Garnishes for each gin and tonic as recommended by the distiller
Tonics to accompany the gin
All glassware
Tasting notes
An industry expert to host the tasting

We specially select the gins that we present at our tastings very carefully. We present authentic gins that we believe have been made properly by passionate distillers who have integrity, knowledge and skill. Above all we present gins that we enjoy and that truly speak of their provenance and placeness due to careful selection of botanicals by the distillers.

Gin Tastings For Hen Parties

As well as our regular scheduled gin tasting events around the UK, we arrange private gin tastings for private parties, stag parties, hen parties, corporate events and for special birthdays. We can host a private tasting for you and your guests in your home.

Please contact us here if you would like more information or to book us for a private tasting event. Alternatively please call David on 07875 405 980.

To enquire about a gin tasting anywhere in the UK, please call David on the number above or complete and submit the form below and we will get back to you very quickly.

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Whisky and Chocolate Pairing in London with William Curley

November 21, 2018July 23, 2023daviddistilled Leave a comment

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 Curley

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.

Auchentoshan 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky with Yuzu

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.

Deanston 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky with Muscovado Caramel

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.

Talisker 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky with Tayberry Toscano

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.

Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky with Orange & Almond

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.

Caol Ila 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky with Richmond Park Honey

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.

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