Whisky and Art Experience in London

I was delighted to be asked to host a Single Malt Whisky Tasting Experience with a difference in Savile Row, London recently. I hosted a whisky tasting at the wonderful Cad & The Dandy a couple of years ago and I was blown away by the whole experience so I was delighted when Creative Director Oliver Mumby asked me to come back.

Cad & The Dandy provide beautifully crafted bespoke suits. Offering the finest in construction, intermediate toile fittings and detailed hand finishing. Cad have premises in Stockholm, New York as well as Savile Row, London. After I’d hosted the first whisky tasting in Savile Row, I loved how lots of their social media and video media reminded me so much of the look, feel, and craftmanship that I associate with malt whisky distilleries especially when I saw youtube videos.

I enjoyed the experience so much that I decided that I must have my own bespoke Cad & The Dandy suit tailored for me to wear at events, you may have seen me in it on my own social media and on my website. I love it.

Dr Curly’s Toothbrush Illustrations and Whisky

I was joined in London by my good friend Matthew Sharp otherwise known as Dr Curly. Curly is a very talented artist. He is an artist with a difference. All of his illustrations are executed with nothing other than his trusty set of toothbrushes.

For many years Curly has painted the illustrations for my occasional Fraoch Mòinteach Single Cask Single Malt Whiskies. The finished labels look very different to what you usually see on the front of whisky bottles. They are quirky and fun but also have been designed with lots of love and skill.

The good guys at Cad & The Dandy loved Curly’s artwork and they asked us to procure a small batch of single cask whiskies for them, with their own design of course. The whisky would then be served at special events and fittings for guests and clients alike.

Whisky Tasting in London….with Cheese!

During the experience I presented 4 single malt whiskies from around Scotland. These were each served with cheeses. The cheeses were beautiful and all supplied by the wonderful Paxton and Whitfield just a few minutes walk away in Jermyn Sreet. There were two particular favourites of mine, Montgomery’s Cheddar from the vale of Belvoir and a Stilton style blue cheese from Nottinghamshire called Stichelton.

The Whiskies!

Here was the set list of whiskies which our guests at the whisky tasting experience in Savile Row, London enjoyed:

Bunnahabhain 12 year old Islay Single Malt Whisky, Bunnahabhain, Isle of Islay, Southern Hebrides. 46.3%abv

Bunnahabhain Distillery was built in 1881 and sits on the North West coast of Islay overlooking the Sound of Islay (which is where Caol Ila gets its name from). The distillery is famous for its dunnage warehouses that sit right by the sea and where ‘The Angel’s Share’ has a dramatic effect on how the whisky matures. Alcohol vapours evaporate and leave the cask to the angels, and the cask then breathes in the maritime air that surrounds it and passes it on to the spirit an resulting whisky.

Bunnahabhain 12 year old is matured in a mixture of ex Bourbon hogsheads an ex Oloroso sherry casks. It is bottled without chill filtration and it has completely natural colour. I often include Bunnahabhain as it is where I was taught most of what I know about Scotch whisky by the fantastic team at the distillery.

Master of Malt Craigellachie 10 year old Speyside Single Malt Whisky, Craigellachie, Moray, Scotland. 50.5%abv

Craigellachie Distillery is owned by John Dewar and Sons and produces just over 4 million ltrs of spirit each year, mainly for the blended Scotch whisky sector. They do have a range of Single Malt Whiskies which are very highly regarded. Craigellachie often pops up in independent bottlings and this is a cracking example. I’m often asked which types of casks are my favourite to use to mature whisky and the answer is easily refill Oloroso sherry casks.

When ex sherry casks arrive in Scotland they will have recently been emptied. The first fill of spirit destined to be whisky therefore is heavily influenced by the sherry and often this can be overpowering to the resulting product. Once that fill has been emptied, the cask can be refilled. The resulting whisky when matured this way is therefore a lovely balance of distillery character derived from the day one new make spirit that has come off the stills after at least two distillations, and subtle wood influence. This bottling is a good example.

Fraoch Mointeach Blended Islay Malt Whisky 57%abv

Fraoch Mointeach Blended Islay Malt Whisky is a blast from the past. I wanted to present a whisky that was heavily peated, very smokey and as a contrast to the other whiskies. This fit the bill very well and paired perfectly with the Stichelton blue cheese.

A blended malt whisky is one that has been produced using barley exclusively, just like single malt whisky but unlike single malt whisky it has been produced at more than one malt whisky distilleries. Single malt whiskies are either single casks or more often than not a marriage of 2 or more casks (usually hundreds to achieve consistancy) but from one distillery.

Cad & The Dandy Single Malt Whisky Glentauchers Distillery, Speyside 60%abv

The whisky tasting would not have been complete without the Cad & The Dandy limited edition single malt whisky. This awesome dram has been bottled from a single refill sherry cask (again, my favourite maturation) and bottled at the natural cask strength of 60% abv AKA 105 proof in old money.

The whisky itself was matured in the cask for just over 14 years and has taken on subtle sherry cask influence, which comes across in this case as having lots of orange and ginger on the palate. It is again a great balance of distillery character and cask influence.

Whisky Tastings in London

If you would like us to host a whisky tasting in London for your private party or corporate event please give David a call on 07875 405 980. Alternatively complete the form below and we will get back to you very quickly.