What could be more exciting than announcing the opening of bookings for our 2 Whisky Squad tastings in February?  NOTHING!  That’s why that’s what this post is about…

In addition to the now sold-out Blending School afternoon on February 25th, we now have our regularly scheduled 2 Whisky Squad sessions:

Whisky Squad #29 – “Hi, Society”

After all this time, we’ve not yet had an actual proper tasting of the wondrous Single Cask offerings from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at the SMWS clubrooms in Farringdon.  Well, all that’s about to change with this tasting – promises to be a memorable voyage through flavour country.  If you’re new to whisky, or have tried a few single malts but are yet to discover what single-cask has to offer, then this is the ideal session for you.

To take us through the whiskies we’re honoured to have John McCheyne – SMWS Ambassador.

Click here for more info, or to book your space at Whisky Squad #29. (this session is now fully booked)

£15 per head, taking place at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society clubrooms. 

Whisky Squad #30 – “The Management Present…”

After some of the obscure corners of the whisky world that we’ve probed in recent months, we thought it might be a good idea to have a look at some of the great whiskies we’ve discovered since getting involved in this hobby of ours, so for session #30 Andy, Billy and Jason will be presenting to the group a couple of their favourite drams each.

Will their selections be predictable?  Or will they be obscure nuggets of whisky esoterica unearthed from random little shops?

Click here for more info, or to book your space at Whisky Squad #30. (this session is now fully booked)

£15 per head, at The Gunmakers.

Whisky Squad sessions are designed to be informative and informal, with a chance to taste a range of different whiskies and learn a bit more about our own flavour preferences.  Anyone who’s enthusiastic about tasting or learning about whisky is welcome, irrespective of your background on the topic.

We’re kicking off the new year at Whisky Squad (London’s friendliest casual whisky tasting group) with a selection of very interesting sessions indeed, which are not to be missed!  And, happily, the first one’s so close to New Year’s that work probably won’t have gotten too intense and you can relax about sampling whisky on a school night.

Wednesday January 4th, 19:00 – In our 27th tasting session, we’ll be heading into the historical and prestigious building that houses London’s famous wine merchants Berry Brothers & Rudd for what promises to be an interesting and unique evening for 2 reasons – it’s in PITCH DARKNESS, and the tasting will be led by Mr Robert Whitehead (Berry Brothers & Rudd’s spirits specialist).  Click here to access the booking form for the tasting known as “The Third Sense” (this session is now fully booked).

Thursday January 19th, 19:30 – Session number 28 will depart slightly from our usual remit of sampling Scotch Whisky.  As we’ve seen, there’s a whole world of whisky out there to try, and for this session we’re going to be taken on a global tour by our very own Mr Billy Abbott, and we shall be holding this tasting in the magnificent upstairs private room at Albannach on Trafalgar Square.  Book for “Sippin’ Global”. (this session is also now fully booked).

And, as a bit of a special extra treat, we’ve arranged a Saturday event in February as well!

Saturday February 25th, 14:00 – Blending whisky is an art form, and nobody has proved themselves to be an exponent of this art more than Compass Box Whisky Company.  So we are very privileged to have been invited to their Chiswick headquarters for an afternoon of BLENDING SCHOOL.  A session surely not to be missed.  Click here to book. (And, so’s this one!  All booked up now.).

Thursday December 8th will be a day spoken of in whispered tones of awe, for it is the date of the 2011 Whisky Squad Christmas Dinner and Quiz Spectacular!

£45 per person gets you a seat in the private rear suite at The Gunmakers (Clerkenwell’s finest public house), to enjoy a sumptuous 3 course meal prepared by the house chefs plus a pint of beer or glass of prosecco upon arrival!  And of course as it’s Whisky Squad, we’ll be enjoying a brace of specially selected whiskies to complement the cuisine.

And as if that weren’t enough reason to sign up immediately, the dinner and tasting will also be accompanied by the famous Whisky Squad Christmas Quiz!  And everyone knows that a quiz means PRIZES!

This year’s menu choices are as follows:

Duck liver pate with a balsamic reduction, figs and toast
Spinach and mushroom soup
Goat cheese with pears poached in port wine

~oOo~

Half a pheasant with redcurrant and madeira gravy, chestnuts, pancetta, roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips
Shin of beef braised in ale with roast potatoes, beetroot, Savoy cabbage and red onion gravy
Lemon sole with beurre blanc and leek and potato mash
Luxurious Christmas nut roast with gravy, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips and sprouts

~oOo~

A selection of British cheeses with biscuits and grapes
Christmas pudding with brandy butter
Chocolate and beetroot cake with cream

To secure your place – please fill out

The Whisky Squad Christmas Dinner Booking Form (this event is now fully booked)

and follow the payment instructions that you receive by email.

Whisky Squad is London’s friendliest & most casual whisky tasting night, and whisky enthusiasts (or people who fancy finding out a bit more about whisky) of all levels are welcome to join us.

The last Whisky Squad session met with such a cavalcade of enthusiasm that we’ve decided to put a second one on in October – to allow people who didn’t get a chance to get a spot in, as well as to give some new people who’ve never been an opportunity to check out the fun of Whisky Squad.

To that end, Whisky Squad #22 will take place on

Tuesday October 18th

at our usual time & place of 7:30pm, upstairs at The Gunmakers pub in Clerkenwell. (note: not a Thursday!)

The whisky theme for this month is:

“Now there’s something you don’t see every day!”

Whisky Squad member, budding whisky guru & qualified Scotsman Jonny McMillan will be leading this session – Jonny’s enthusiasm, knowledge & experience have found him leading tasting groups for WM Cadenhead: an independent bottler & spirit merchant with a history stretching back to the early 1840s, and whose bottlings are highly regarded and sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Click here to go to the booking form.

The cost is £15 per head, payable in advance (once you fill in the booking form, we’ll be in touch).

Note: Preference will be given to people who don’t already have a seat in Whisky Squad #21.  By all means, still put your name down if you’re interested, and I’ll try to get as many in as I can.

As with all Whisky Squad sessions – all are welcome, and it makes no difference if you’re new to tasting whisky, have a collection at home, or have been a master distiller for 40 years.

Spaces are strictly limited, so I’m afraid it’s first come, first serve.

A good friend of ours is Eddie, who runs the thoroughly informative and splendidly priced Whisky Lounge.  He has a series of festivals taking place across the country, and whilst he’s not coming to London on his festival circuit this year, if you can get to any of the others they are highly recommended.  The dates are as follows:

• Liverpool – Sept 10th
• York – Sept 17th
• Stratford upon Avon – Oct 1st
• Manchester – Oct 15th (11am and 4pm)

Ticket price is £20 and includes a dram glass, programme, bottle of water, and all tastings by the brands represented (varies from show to show, but all are excellent).

For more info on The Whisky Lounge’s other tastings and events, watch their Events Page.