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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Whisky Tasting Aboard The Silver Dolphin, Loch Lomond

September 13, 2022January 30, 2024daviddistilled Leave a comment

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.

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Exclusive Whisky Tastings in Glasgow

June 8, 2022January 30, 2024daviddistilled Leave a comment

We host whisky tasting events in Glasgow, Edinburgh and surrounding areas. Our clients in Glasgow and Edinburgh require different whisky tasting solutions for different occasions so when you book with us we will design and host a tasting that fits perfectly with your needs. If you are arranging a private party, 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.

Whisky Tastings in Glasgow

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.

What to Expect at a Whisky Tasting in Glasgow

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 Glasgow or Edinburgh

If you would like more information about a whisky tasting in Scotland for your private party 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.

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.

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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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Whisky Tastings

October 22, 2018January 30, 2024daviddistilled Leave a comment

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.

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