Venue Hire: Distell Single Malt Gallery Review

Our bespoke venue hire service took an artistic turn as we welcomed Distell to our Shoreditch home for the very first of their annual single malt showcases on 18th September, aptly dubbed The Malt Gallery.

All four Scotland-based distilleries in their portfolio – from Deanston up in the Highlands, down to its West coast island cousins in the form of Bunnahabhain, Tobermory and Ledaig – were represented in emphatic style.

In no particular order, the full stellar line-up under the spotlight were: Tobermory’s 2005 12-year Fino Cask Finish; Ledaig’s 1998 19-year old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish and Pedro Ximinez variation; Deanston’s 2008 Brandy Cask Finish; Bunnahabhain’s 2008 matured in a Mòine Bordeaux Red Wine Cask, as well as their expression finished in a Palo Cortado cask.

On the day, these Malt masterpieces were set up as exhibits – gallery-style – in our West Wing, as guests were taken on an edifying multi-sensory journey through the four famous distilleries – culminating in one-to-one tastings of each of the new expressions with Distilleries Manager Stephen Woodcock and Andrew Brown.

Speaking after the event, Andrew, Bunnahabhain Distillery Manager, was full of praise for the concept:

“…[it] provided the perfect platform to bring the malts to life through our tastings, as well as offering an insight into each distillery through some of the sounds, sights and smells. It was an innovative way to engage small groups and bring a taste of our Highland and Island brand stories to London for one night”.

Arriving through the doors of our specialist liquor store on Kingsland Road, attendees were met a smorgasbord of sights, scents and sounds. Guests were transported to the Isle of Mull through Tobermory and Ledaig, with vibrant canvases bringing the distinctive aesthetics of the island to the capital.

Moving through the room, guests were then invited to discover Deanston’s entrepreneurial spirit, through both the whiskies and one of Deanston’s partner ‘makers’, Paulin watches. Finally, visitors entered the Bunnahabhain lounge where they discovered the ‘Sound of Islay’ and sampled the new releases.

When all is said and done, however, the most important aspect was the taste – and the exhibits certainly didn’t disappoint this this respect. The new releases covered an impressively wide variety of taste profiles – from the rich, smoky notes of Ledaig Sherry Cask Finish, to the Deanston’s 2008 Brandy Cask Finish, brimming with spiced fruit and honey flavours.

One that will certainly last in our memories, however, was Bunnahabhain’s 2008 Mòine Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Matured.The maturation process had rendered it deep ruby red in hue, and masterfully balanced the sweetness of the toffee with pepper and smoke to produce a truly distinctive dram.

Despite this, Derek Scott, Distell Malt Whiskey Brand Director, was keen to emphasise that each expression on show had its many merits:

“Each of these new releases is unique. They tell their own story of where they came from, by maintaining the flavour profiles known to each of the brands, while having individual enhancements from being finished in carefully selected casks for their final maturation.”

All in all, a thoroughly enlightening evening. Guests left the building that little bit more savvy on all things Single Malt-related thanks to an event that highlighted the bold and exciting new innovations being bought into play through an ingenious sensory entanglement of taste, sight, sound and smell.

It was truly a pleasure to have hosted the guys from Distell and we hope they come back to stay soon. In the meantime, why not stop by our specialist liquor store and browse some of their wares – we just happen to stock a large chunk of their portfolio. What are the chances, eh?

For further information on Distell and all of their new releases, please visit their site here.