WHISKY FESTIVALS 2025
Wanderlust
From Speyside to Islay, the Society has had a busy few months adventuring off the beaten track this festival season. It’s one of the best times to be a member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, with plenty of events jam-packed with delightfully rare drams and once in a lifetime experiences, as Duncan Gorman reflects
PHOTOS: DUNCAN GORMAN AND RODDY MACKAY
ABOVE: The Society's Anthony Delcros in Dufftown
GOING WILD IN SPEYSIDE
In the first of our Whisky Wanderers festivals experiences off the beaten track, we headed to Dufftown during the Spirit of Speyside festival for a sold-out whisky and foraging adventure. Expert forager and Speyside local Michelle Myron guided members through an intimate tasting experience, where they uncovered the nature surrounding some of Scotland’s most renowned distilleries. Walking Dufftown’s wild trails, the group enjoyed hot mushroom and wild garlic soup and tasted silver birch sap, before indulging in sticky toffee pudding and homemade shortbread. While foraging three-cornered leeks, garlic mustard and chervil, the group savoured a selection of Society drams and soaked in Speyside’s natural beauty.
ABOVE: Wandering alchemy
ABOVE: Tasting Panel chairperson Olaf Meier
That evening member favourite and Tasting Panel chairman, Olaf Meier, hosted a very special Speyside relics tasting at The Quaich Bar in the Craigellachie Hotel. Guests were treated to six old and rare drams, including the 34-year-old Cask No. 72.78: Double plus good and 32-year-old Cask No. 35.387: Molecular gastronomy. Finishing the evening off, Olaf presented Cask No. 12.87: Velvety smooth with a hint of spice. Falling into our Spicy & Sweet flavour profile, this 35-year-old was initially matured in a refill oloroso butt before being additionally matured in a first fill Pedro Ximénez butt. This was a dram to remember, with members blown away by the notes of butterscotch coffee syrup, maple ice cream, and ginger beer.
PICTURED: Members were treated to homemade shortbread and sticky toffee pudding
DOWN THE ROAD TO CAMPBELTOWN
A few weeks later in Campbeltown members were treated to another evening with Olaf, where they were able to experience the variety of different flavours one distillery can offer. In a line-up of six Society bottlings from distillery 93, there were five separate flavour profiles on offer. A truly a fascinating Campbeltown flight! Standout favourites were Cask No. 93. 207: Harbourside hoopla, a 32-year-old matured in a second fill bourbon barrel, and Cask No. 93. 219: A silver darling, which spent 19 years in a refill oloroso sherry butt before being additionally matured in a first fill Pedro Ximénez hogshead for a further six years. These entirely different releases from the same distillery were a great example for the variety of flavours Campbeltown has to offer.
PICTURED: Campbeltown, by Mike Wilkinson
OVER TO ISLAY
On Islay we got things underway with an old and rare tasting at the Ballygrant Inn, hosted by Society ambassador Francesco Ramella. Alongside another impressive lineup, members from all over the world enjoyed a three-course meal featuring smoked salmon, venison fillet, and Bowmore brownies. The standout drams from the evening were Cask No. 3.355: Barbecue Ibérico presa and Cask No. 53. 495: Peat Bloom. At 33-years-old the latter had fallen to a natural cask strength of just 44.1% abv, which alongside notes of tarred rope, creel nets and puffer smoke made for an incredibly bold but smooth dram.
After hosting a stand at the Independent Bottler’s Fair in Ramsay Hall, Port Ellen, we ventured out on to the open water for our whisky and seafood sail. Setting off from Port Ellen we travelled along the coast towards Laphroaig where members enjoyed a very fitting dram, Cask No. 29.292: Peat in parts per thousand, which spent all 23-years of maturation inside refill sherry butts. Tasting this dram while overlooking the distillery from the bay was a special experience and a moment to remember.
ABOVE: A Society adventure on Islay
ABOVE: A dram with a view at Laphroaig Distillery
After continuing along the coast passing Lagavulin and Ardbeg along the way, the crew made anchor before preparing a spectacular seafood platter. An impressive selection of fresh lobster and crab was served as the group enjoyed watching a sea otter playing near the shore. Captain Harold, from Islay Sea Adventures, grilled fresh scallops in garlic butter before finishing the feast with a whisky and scallop ceviche.
UK events manager, Anthony Delcros, reflected on another busy festival season, saying: “What a month! We hit the road and brought Society whiskies to three of Scotland’s greatest festivals, Speyside, Campbeltown and Islay. Pouring everything from top-scoring young whiskies to long-lost gems from closed distilleries.”
He continued: “Huge thanks to the members who came along, your energy and loyalty are what make these events unforgettable. These off the beaten track experiences show how whisky can elevate any moment, whether walking through Dufftown’s wild trails or sailing Islay’s coast. Members and guests loved connecting with whisky in a more immersive and relaxed way.”
ABOVE: The sail cruises by Ardbeg Distillery