private whisky tasting

Distilled Events & Friends in the USA

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Single Malt Whisky Tasting Experiences in the USA

A few months ago I was asked by my friend Bob who has joined many of my week long whisky experiences in Scotland, if I would be interested in hosting a series of Scotch whisky tastings in the USA. I had never been to The States before so I jumped at the chance. I dug out my passport, booked my tickets and off I headed to Indiana followed by an extensive tour of the Bourbon distilleries of Kentucky.

I’m hoping to write about the trip over a series of blog posts so watch this space if you would like to read about my tour of many distilleries in Kentucky.

Whisky Tasting Experience for Storied Company in Indianapolis

First up for the series of events was at a great shop in Indianapolis called Storied Company. Storied is a fantastic wine and spirits merchants which is ran by Denis Lynch and Simon O’Grady. Denis and Simon like to stock wines and spirits that have been produced by smaller, independent wineries and distilleries especially those that have an interesting story to tell.

I hosted two sessions at Storied, for around 40 guests in each. The tasting took place with myself and the guests lined up with glasses of whisky ready to taste on a table that ran all around the balcony on the upper floor. Each tasting session lasted around an hour with an hour in between to set up the second event.

The room in Storied was beautifully lit and made for a relaxing ambience for our whisky tasting guests. Being relaxed, our guests asked lots of great and interesting questions which always helps to make a tasting go really well.

The Whisky Set List at Storied Company

Here are the whiskies that our guests enjoyed at the Scotch whisky tasting at Storied Company:

  • Elements of Islay LN2 Small Batch Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. 59.5% from Bruichladdich Distillery, Isle of Islay. Bottled by Elixir Distillers. This was a single Amercan oak barrel which yielded just 216 bottles.
  • Elements of Islay BN10 Small Batch Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. 54.3%abv. Bunnahabhain Distillery, Isle of Islay. Bottled by Elixir Distillers. This was a marriage of 3 American oak hogsheads which yielded a total of 732 bottles.
  • Caol Ila 10 year old Islay Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky. 56.4%abv bottled by Inglered. This was a single American oak hogshead which yielded 295 bottles.
  • Caol Ila 9 year old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled by Five Lions. This was an single American oak cask.
  • Laphroaig 9 year old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. 61.4%abv. Bottled by Single Malts of Scotland (Elixir Distillers). This was a single American oak hogshead.
  • Port Askaig 18 year old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. 50.8%abv. Bottled by Elixir Distillers. This was a single bourbon barrel filled in 2000 and limited to 250 bottles.

It was a privilege to present such a wonderful flight of rare expressions and all of the guests loved the whiskies and the event itself. It isn’t often I get the chance to talk about whiskies of such limited supply. All of the whiskies were from either single casks or a very small marriage of casks. Everyone went home very happy indeed.

One guest waited until the end of the second session, and after almost all of the other guests had left the room he came to speak to me. He proudly showed me a photo he had on his phone of his bottle of 30 year old Caol Ila single malt whisky which was released in 2015. At the time it was the oldest Caol Ila ever to be bottled by the distillers and I’m very proud to have my name on it.

“I’ve travelled from Alabama to meet you tonight David” the man said to me and I thanked him for coming after he told me about how much he had enjoyed the tasting. My geography of the USA isn’t very good so I checked with google maps how far the drive was that the gentleman and his partner had made, a journey of 700 miles each way!

I’d like to thank Denis and Simon for having me host the tastings at Storied Company and I very much look forward to coming back in the future.

Whisky Tasting for the Muncie Scotch Whisky Society

After the tasting we headed off towards the town of Muncie, Indiana. Bob was keen to give me a proper US diner experience so we had a late night, and well deserved feast it one of his favourite restaurants, Portillo’s, and very good it was too. The perfect way to end the evening!

The following day we would host a whisky tasting for members of the Muncie Scotch Whisky Society. I’ve posted a couple of photos below but more about this in a future blog post.

Contact me!

I host bourbon tastings as well as Scotch whisky events. If you are interested in a whisky (or whiskey!) tasting experience wherever you are, please call me on 07875 405 980 alternatively, please complete the contact form below and I will be back to you as soon as possible.

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Whisky Tastings in London

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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
whisky tasting london
Whisky Tasting Glasgow
David Wood

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:

whisky tasting london

Contact Us

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:

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Whisky Tasting Experience for Your Stag Party in the Peak District National Park

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Whisky Tastings in the Peak District with Distilled Events

If you are planning a Stag party in the Peak District National Park and you would like an exclusive activity a whisky tasting is the perfect way to keep your group entertained.

I host whisky tastings in the Peak District as well as everywhere else in the UK and sometimes further afield. I used to be Distillery Manager at one of the largest malt whisky distilleries in Scotland the mighty and iconic Caol Ila Distillery on the Hebridean island of Islay, so my tastings are as authentic as can be as well as fun and engaging.

The Whisky Tasting

Each of our whisky tastings are different and I can tailor it to fit your itinerary of activities. Usually when I host a whisky tasting for a stag party it will last for around 90 minutes during which time guests taste 6 special single malt whiskies from around Scotland.

I often present whiskies that have been made in places I have lived or worked, or from distilleries that I have visited and particularly enjoyed. See the bottom of the post for links to some of the distilleries I often feature in my tastings.

What is Included in Your Stag Party Whisky Tasting

  • A 90 minute tasting experience including 6 single malt whiskies
  • Whisky industry expert to host the tasting
  • A brief history of Scotch whisky and how it is made
  • Plenty of time for all your whisky related questions to be answered
  • All glassware provided

Prices start from just £25 per person based on a minimum group size of 12 people.

Contact us!

If you would like more information about our whisky tasting experiences in the Peak District, please give me a call on 07875 405 980, alternatively please complete the form below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Some of My Favourite Distilleries

Each of my tastings are different. I am totally independent so I can present any whiskies that I wish. I do however have some favourites that appear quite regularly in my tastings. I’m lucky enough to have lived on the Isle of Skye for a while and I love Talisker. I worked at three different distilleries on the Isle of Islay, Bunnahabhain, Lagavulin and Caol Ila so they quite often make an appearance in my tastings.

I host week long Guided Distillery Experiences in Scotland for guests from all over the world so I’ve visited many distilleries. If I’ve visited a distillery and particularly enjoyed the experience I’ll often present their whiskies too. Here are some links to some of the distilleries:

David Wood

07875 405 980

Burns Night Supper in Glasgow

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Burns Supper Glasgow

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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A Special Whisky Tasting at Dundas Castle

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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:

  1. 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.
  2. Tobermory 12 year old Island (Mull) Single Malt Whisky. 46.3% abv. Established 1798. Isle of Mull, Argyll. Matured in American oak.
  3. 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.
  4. 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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