A Special Whisky Tasting at Dundas Castle

November 9, 2023January 30, 2024daviddistilled Leave a comment

An Exclusive Whisky Tasting in Edinburgh

I was delighted to be asked to host a special whisky tasting at a wedding at Dundas Castle, South Queensferry near Edinburgh recently by Maximillion Events Management Agency. I hosted the whisky tasting for a group of 35 guests from around the world who were all attending the wedding the following day. The whisky tasting took place in The Armoury which is located inside the 600 year old Auld Keep within the grounds of the castle.

Whisky Tasting Edinburgh

In preparation for the tasting the incredibly helpful and welcoming team at Dundas Castle had decorated The Armoury and lit a fire in the largest dog grate that I have ever seen! The fire spat and crackled and helped to create a lovely atmosphere once my guests had a arrived for a dram or two.

During the evening I presented four malt whiskies from around Scotland. I wanted to ensure that our guests experienced a range of different flavour profiles from light and fruity right through to heavy and smokey. Before we tasted the first dram I talked through how to select the perfect glassware for tasting whisky and how to taste. We touched on controversial subjects such as water, ice and other things that are often enjoyed with whiskies.

Whisky Tasting at Dundas Castle

Once our guests had arrived I gave them each a glass of whisky and asked them to spend a wee bit of time warming the drams up in their hands, the room had been cold before the fire was lit so a little bit of warmth would help the drams open up. I served the drams in small ‘perfect dram’ glasses which are similar to a Glencairn glass in shape but smaller in size. I find that these glasses are great for using in tastings as they are fluted and so the aromas are pointed towards the imbibers nose rather than escaping in to the room.

The Whiskies

I selected four malt whiskies from around Scotland:

Tomintoul 10 year old Speyside Single Malt Whisky. 40% abv. Established in Ballindalloch, Banffshire in 1965. Matured in selected ex oloroso sherry casks and American oak.
Tobermory 12 year old Island (Mull) Single Malt Whisky. 46.3% abv. Established 1798. Isle of Mull, Argyll. Matured in American oak.
Bunnahabhain 12 year old Islay Single Malt Whisky. 46.3% abv. Established 1881. Isle of Islay, Argyll. Matured in ex oloroso sherry casks and American oak.
Fraoch Mointeach Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. 57%abv. Matured in American oak.

Enquire About a Whisky Tasting in Edinburgh

If you are interested in having a chat with us about how a whisky tasting could work for your special occasion, corporate event or gathering in Edinburgh please call David on 07875 405 980 or complete the contact form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

You can also find more information about our whisky tastings here.

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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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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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Whisky Tastings in York

August 4, 2018July 23, 2023daviddistilled Leave a comment

We host exclusive, private and ticketed whisky tasting masterclasses in York and throughout the UK. We host corporate whisky tastings in York for businesses and their clients. Contact us today about us hosting an exclusive tasting event for you in York. We host our tastings in hotels, restaurants and at business addresses in York.

Private Whisky Tastings in York

Nobody in York can offer such authentic whisky tastings as we do. We’ve worked in the whisky industry for many years. David was Distillery Manager at one of the largest malt whisky distilleries in Scotland, the mighty Caol Ila Distillery on the windswept and beautiful Isle of Islay. He’s lucky enough to have been given the responsibility of choosing whisky for limited edition bottlings and before moving to Islay regularly bottled his own single casks.

Our competitors hosting whisky tastings are brand ambassadors or sales representatives and whilst their events are engaging, they cannot offer the authenticity that we do, given our experience at the coal face of whisky production.

When we host a whisky tasting for your clients in York, we’ll be bringing Scotland to you.

Corporate Whisky Tastings in York

We specialise in hosting whisky tastings for any occasion whether it be a private party, a business reception or a corporate event. We can host a whisky tasting for your employees or clients in York or anywhere else in the UK. We also host private gin tastings in York.

Our whisky tastings in York are bespoke to every clients needs. Sometimes we host whisky dinners for clients in York, we work closely with the chef to ensure that each course is perfectly paired with each whisky. If you would like further information about our private tastings or if you would like to check availability, please complete the form below and we will reply to you very quickly.

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Private Whisky Tastings in Nottingham

August 1, 2018July 23, 2023daviddistilled Leave a comment

We host whisky tastings in Nottingham and all over the UK. Whether you would like a whisky tasting at your celebration for you and your guests or in conjunction with your corporate event, each of our tastings are bespoke to our clients requirements. Our whisky tastings and gin tastings are perfect for stag parties and hen dos, we’d love to host one for you.

Nottingham Private Whisky Tastings

Nobody in Nottingham can offer such authentic whisky tastings as we do. We’ve worked in the whisky industry for many years. David was Distillery Manager at one of the largest malt whisky distilleries in Scotland, the mighty Caol Ila Distillery on the windswept and beautiful Isle of Islay. He’s lucky enough to have been given the responsibility of choosing whisky for limited edition bottlings and before moving to Islay regularly bottled his own single casks.

Our competitors hosting whisky tastings in Nottingham are brand ambassadors or sales representatives and whilst their events are engaging, they cannot offer the authenticity that we do, given our experience at the coal face of whisky production.

When we host a whisky tasting for your guests in Nottingham, we’ll be bringing Scotland to you.

Corporate Whisky Tastings in Nottingham

We specialise in hosting whisky tastings for any occasion whether it be a private party, a business reception or a corporate event. We can host a whisky tasting for your employees or clients in Nottingham or anywhere else in the UK. We also host private gin tastings in Nottingham.

Our whisky tastings in Nottingham are bespoke to every clients needs. Sometimes we host whisky dinners for clients in Nottingham, we work closely with the chef to ensure that each course is perfectly paired with each whisky. If you would like further information about our private tastings or if you would like to check availability, please complete the form below and we will reply to you very quickly.

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