Whisky Tasting Experiences For Your Event or Special Occasion in London
I regularly host whisky tastings in London for all kinds of events and occasions in an array of different venues and settings. A whisky tasting is the perfect activity to enhance your presence at a conference, to help engage with your clients or for your office party or for a special birthday celebration.
I have worked with whisky for more than 30 years and have been involved in every aspect of the industry. I used to be Distillery Manager at the largest malt whisky distillery on the West coast of Scotland, the iconic Caol Ila Distillery.
Distilled Events is totally independent. I don’t work for any brands and can present and talk about any whiskies that either myself or my client wants. I often present whiskies from places where I have lived or worked but they are always whiskies that I love. Our whisky tastings are as authentic as can be as well as fun and engaging.
What is Included in a Distilled Events Whisky Tasting
Free glassware hire
All whisky pouring stock
Whisky industry expert to host the tasting
Extra staff depending upon size of the event
Water if required
Bespoke tasting tailored to work with your event
Whiskies from different regions of Scotland displaying different flavour profiles
Option to have each whisky paired with hand made chocolates from The Highland Chocolatier in Pitlochry, Scotland
Recent Whisky Tasting Venues in London
I host whisky tastings in London in all sorts of settings from private homes to hotels, private members clubs, offices and even in fashion retail outlets. Each of my tastings are bespoke, tailored to fit the venue and the nature of the occasion. A whisky tasting in London is perfect for:
Conferences
Office parties
After work events
Birthday parties
Stag parties
Hen parties
Special dinners
Entertaining clients
Engaging with new customers
Here are some venues in London where I have recently hosted tastings:
Tod’s in Old Bond Street and Sloane Street, London
If you would like more information about our whisky tastings in London please don’t hesitate to give me a call on 07875 405 980. Alternatively, please complete the contact form below and I will get back to you very quickly:
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.
Distilled Events hosts whisky tasting events in London and the surrounding areas. We design our whisky experiences around the individual requirements of each and every client, so it perfectly reflects their wishes. No matter what the function, whether you are staging a corporate event, a meeting or a conference, our whisky experience in London is the perfect way to entertain your guests or delegates. We make sure your event is one to remember by enticing people into the world of single malt whisky, imparting knowledge while ensuring guests feel part of an authentic experience.
If you want your event to last long in the memory of your guests or delegates, call David Wood on 07875 405980 or click here to contact Distilled Events. We would love to hear about your event and discuss how a whisky experience in London can make your event stand out from the crowd.
Scotch Whisky – a success story
According to the Scotch Whisky Association, 44 bottles of Scotch whisky are exported every second to markets worldwide, totalling 1.3 billion annually. In 2021, Scotch whisky amounted to 22% of all UK food and drink exports, worth £4.5 billion to the economy. This has grown even more since the pandemic bounce-back, with exports worth a massive £6.2 billion in 2022.
This renaissance of interest in scotch whisky has been created by imaginative advertising to appeal to a younger demographic. It has blazed a trail for other spirits to follow – firstly gin, and now rum. This renewed fascination has led to a thirst for knowledge about where and how Scotch whisky is made and an appreciation of the complexity of flavours within. It is our pleasure at Distilled Events to entertain, delight and even educate your guests or delegates through our exclusive whisky experience in London.
Why choose Distilled Events for your whisky tasting in London?
The answer to this question is simple. We are like no other whisky experience in London that you may have been to. What makes Distilled Events so exclusive, is that our host, David Wood, is not a salesman for any whisky brand or an ex mixologist! He is completely independent and therefore not affiliated to a particular brand. He only serves whiskies that he loves to your guest or delegates, single malts he is passionate about. He relates how they have been distilled and matured, drawing people into their individual stories, inviting them to taste those stories for themselves.
David has worked in the whisky industry for almost 30 years. He knows whisky inside out, building his extensive knowledge from working at the ‘coal face’ of iconic distilleries along the West cost of Scotland, including time as a distillery manager at the famous Caol Ila Distillery on the remote Isle of Islay in the Hebrides. He has also bottled and retailed his own single malt whiskies. But his speciality is to bring his enjoyment to others. David excels at sharing his passion for single malt whisky, bringing a little bit of Scotland to London. Your guests will find our exclusive whisky tasting events entertaining, engaging, enjoyable and above all, authentic.
What to expect from a Distilled Events whisky experience in London?
We will create a bespoke malt whisky tasting, serving whiskies that we love, whiskies that speak about where they were distilled and matured. Our events are created individually for you, so if you have a preference about which malt whiskies you would like us to feature, we are happy to do so.
· We liaise with you and the venue throughout the process to ensure that we deliver the perfect whisky experience for your event.
· We provide all glassware for the whisky tasting, so this is one thing you can cross off your list!
· We will hand-pick a selection of quality single malt whiskies from across Scotland, guaranteed to delight people attending your event.
Our host David is extremely knowledgeable and skilled at delivering the perfect whisky tasting event to both experienced and novice tasters and his passion for malt whisky is infectious! Your guests will sample a dram of our hand-picked selection of single malt whiskies while David takes them through his tasting notes. He will also explain a little about each distillery and the beauty of its surroundings, bringing a little piece of Scotland to your whisky experience in London.
We can also make our whisky tasting events extra special by offering a delicious optional extra! At your request, we can pair specially selected malt whiskies with mouth-watering handmade chocolates from The Highland Chocolatier, Iain Burnett. A Master Chocolatier, Iain and his team create a range of delectable Velvet Truffles® for Michelin starred chefs and VIP gifts throughout the world, from his base in Grandtully near Pitlochry in the Scottish Highlands. If this sounds like the perfect tasting event for your function, you may like to read about a series of whisky and chocolate pairing tasting events we hosted recently at the London O2 Intercontinental Hotel. Booking a whisky tasting with Distilled Events will ensure your London event will linger in the memory of guests or delegates, long after the event itself has finished. Given our host David’s experience of the whisky industry, you can have complete peace of mind that your guests or delegates will enjoy an engaging, entertaining, enjoyable, informative and authentic whisky experience in London. If you would like more information, to check availability or make a booking, contact us today! Alternatively, you can call David on 07875 405980, who would love to hear about your event and discuss how a Distilled Events malt whisky tasting can make it an extra special experience for your guests.
Contact Us
If you would like more information about our whisky tastings please complete the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible, alternatively call David on 07875 405 980.
An exclusive whisky tasting experience is a fantastic way to engage with your clients either at your corporate event in London or as a fun and entertaining activity for your private party.
We host private whisky tastings in and around London for groups of all sizes. Each of our whisky tasting experiences is different, we create a bespoke event based on the need of each of our clients.
Where We Host Tastings in London
Whether you are looking for a whisky tasting in your offices, at your event at a hotel or restaurant or in your retail space we’ll come to you to host the experience.
We provide everything needed for including glassware, an awesome selection of whisky and an experienced industry professional to bring the whisky tasting alive. We regularly host tasting experiences throughout the city including central London, Canary Wharf and in various clubs and establishments in and around St James’s, Piccadilly and Pall Mall.
What to Expect at Your Whisky Tasting
Each of our whisky tasting experiences in London are hosted by distiller David Wood. David has worked with whisky for nearly 30 years and has vast experience of all aspects of the industry from working at the coal face of iconic distilleries across the West coast of Scotland to bottling and retailing quality single malt Scotch whiskies. David has hosted many whisky tasting events across Europe, both while he was Distillery Manager at the mighty Caol Ila Distillery on the Hebridean island of Islay and more recently as owner of Distilled Events.
Distilled Events is totally independent, we are not tied to any brands. This means we can serve whiskies that we love and quality drams that we are passionate about because they speak about where they were distilled and matured.
Provenance, placeness and terroir is very important to us. If you have particular preferences of which single malt whiskies you would like us to present, we can do that too.
Given our past experience in the whisky industry you can expect that your guests or clients will enjoy an engaging, entertaining, enjoyable, informative and above all authentic tasting experience hosted by passionate and knowledgeable people.
Enquire About a Whisky Tasting Experience
If you would like more info about our whisky tastings or to check availability or to make a whisky tasting booking, please don’t hesitate to call David on 07875 405 980. Alternatively please complete the contact form below and we will get back to you very quickly.
Bespoke Single Malt Whisky Tastings 