All the latest news and events
11/11/2019
Charity Tasting – 18th October 2019 Each year, on the eve of Wee Dram Fest, we do a Charity Tasting where all the proceeds go to our two chosen charities Pancreatic Cancer Research and Prostate Cancer Research. These being a couple of causes close to our hearts. All the whiskies tasted are donated by […]
Some pictures from this years highly succesful Wee Dram Fest. Held on Saturday 19th October 2019. Wee Dram Fest 2020 will be held on Saturday 17th October 2020 – tickets go on sale on Wednesday 1st April 2020. .
03/10/2019
How far do you go to answer a question? Mackmyra Tasting – 27th September 2019 So how far will you go to answer a question? Back in 1998 – the same year Alison and I started The Wee Dram – a group of eight Swedish friends got together for a weekend of Skiing, and […]
20/05/2019
Paul John Tasting – 17th May 2019 By Jordan Briggs. On Friday 17th May 2019, we were very lucky to welcome Shilton Almeida and Craig Watson from the Award Winning Paul John Distillery. The Distillery is situated on the Ocean shore in Goa, India. India has been distilling what they call whisky since the 18th […]
25/03/2019
On Saturday 14th March 1998, Alison and I opened the door of The Wee Dram, for business, for the first time. So on Friday 22nd March 2019, we were delighted that eighty of us gathered for The Wee Dram 21st Birthday Tasting. We even had friends who were at both of these events. Glenfiddich […]
23/01/2019
Aptly it was on St Andrews day, 30th November, that we held our 2018 legendary Islay Tasting. I always find there is so much to say about Islay, its whisky, its history, that I don’t know how to start – So here goes: There is no drink that so epitomizes a place, and its people […]
08/11/2018
Wee Dram Charity Tasting – 19th October 2018 Each year we do a tasting where the proceeds go to our two chosen charities Pancreatic Cancer Research and Prostate Cancer Research. These being a couple of causes close to our hearts. The whiskies are all donated by the distillers and bottlers. The Whiskies: Benriach […]
24/04/2018
Why a tasting of these three Distilleries? So back in 2004 whisky veteran Billy Walker teamed up with two partners and brought the mothballed distillery of Benriach. Over the next 12 years, under Billy and his team, Benriach flourished. Glendronach was added to the group in 2008, and Glenglassaugh in 2013. The group was sold […]
23/04/2018
We were very lucky to welcome George Wills to present some great whiskies from his family’s Distillery, Kilchoman. I first visited Kilchoman Distillery in 2006, only a few months after they first ran in 2005. The Distillery is situated on Rockside Farm, on the Rhinnes, the west side, of the magical Isle of Islay. The […]
19/03/2018
On Saturday 27th January we gathered together to celebrate the life of Scotland’s National Bard, Robert Burns, who was born on 25th January 1759. At The Wee Dram we, of course, do this in our own way, other Burns Suppers have a lot of poetry, songs, many speeches, and a lot of toasts – to […]
Every year in February, right in the middle of winter, we do a tasting where we feature whiskies which really warm you up. This winter seams to have been going on for as long as I can remember so a Winter Warmers Tasting was required. The Whiskies Strathisla 12 y/o – 40% A Speyside […]
30/10/2017
Every year on the eve of our Wee Dram we hold a Tasting where all the proceeds go to our two Charities, Pancreatic and Prostate Cancer. We ask some of our friends to donate the whisky for the evening, this year we had a bit a problem, we unfortunately ended up with eight whiskies to […]
Here are some pictures of this years Wee Dram Fest – a good time was had by all.
25/09/2017
Over the years I’ve been drinking Single Malt Whisky I have discovered that some of my all time favourite drams have been aged around 15 years old. Whisky of this age is often well rounded and full bodied, but still has a bit of an edge, whisky should have a bit of an edge. Also, […]
27/06/2017
Ian Macleod Tasting – Friday 19th May 2017 Ian MacLeod Distillers are an independent family company, which owns Glengoyne and Tamdhu Distilleries. The Managing Director, Leonard Russell, is the third generation in the whisky industry, his father Peter Russell is Chairman. As well as the distilleries, they do some independent bottlings and supply own brand […]
22/05/2017
Irish Whiskey Tasting – 17th March 2017 St Patrick’s day 2017 landed on a Friday, so we just had to do an Irish Whiskey Tasting. Irish whiskey has over the last few years been going through a renaissance. I put this down to following the 2008 recession, the Irish discovered that they had this […]
Asian Tasting The hot topic in the whisky industry at the moment is Asian whisky, so we thought it was high time for us to look again at this exciting region. So on Friday 28th April 2017 we welcomed Stefanie Holt of Speciality Brands to give us all the details on whiskies from Japan, Taiwan […]
01/03/2017
Every year in February we host a Winter Warmers Tasting. The idea is to come up with a range of whiskies which will keep you warm until Spring arrives. It’s always a popular gathering and once again we sold all the tickets. The Whiskies Muckle Flugga – 40% Muckle Flugga is a small rocky island […]
20/02/2017
Burns Night Tasting – 28th January 2017 On Saturday 28th January we gathered to celebrate the life of Scotland’s National Bard Robert Burns who was born on 25th January 1759. We of course did this in our own “Wee Dram” way, other Burns Suppers have a lot of poetry, songs, many speeches, and a lot […]
21/11/2016
Tom – a – tin Rhymes with Satin Tomatin Tasting – 23rd Septrember 2016 It is always great when we have a friend of ours down to do a tasting, so it was really enjoyable for Alison and I to welcome Alistair Mutch from Tomatin Distillery. Alistair has over 30 years’ experience in the Scotch […]
On the eve of Wee Dram Fest each year we do a tasting evening where the proceeds go to Charity. This year’s chosen charity was Pancreatic Cancer Action. Pancreatic Cancer is nasty – only 4% of Patients Survive more than 4 years – worst rate of all common cancers. It only receives 1% of all […]
16/05/2016
Springbank Tasting Report All whisky distilleries are Unique, but there is something particularly special about Springbank that makes it extremely unique, ok I know that’s really bad English, but you know what I mean. On Friday 29th April 2016, we were extremely lucky to have Grant MacPhearson – Springbank’s Sales & Marketing Executive, who came […]
11/04/2016
The 14th March 1998 was a bright spring Saturday Morning when Alison and I opened the door to The Wee Dram, for the first time 1998. Little did we know then that it would become the most awesome and finest Whisky Purveyor of all time. So in celebration of the shop being old enough to […]
03/03/2016
On a cold February Evening a group of intrepid Drammers met at The Rutland Arms Hotel, in Bakewell for the now legendary Wee Dram Winter Warmers Tasting. Actually it was the third time we had hosted this Tasting in February, having done the same whiskies at The Telmere Lodge, Chesterfield, and The Flying Childers, Stanton […]
01/02/2016
On Saturday 23rd January 2016 we gathered to pay Homage to Scotland’s National Bard, who was born to poor farming folk on 25th January 1759, yet despite his humble begins his life and achievements are still celebrated more than 220 years after his death. – Robert Burns. At The Wee Dram we celebrate in our […]
20/10/2015
Wee Dram Fest 2015 took place on Saturday 17th October, we had 20 exhibitors, around 300 guests and over 150 whiskies. It was a great success, here are some pictures. […]
19/10/2015
This was the best set of whiskies it has ever been my pleasure to present. This tasting was in aid of Prostate Cancer Targeted Therapy Group. This group is a joint drug development unit between The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH). It is Headed up by Prof. Johann […]
01/10/2015
Benromach Tasting – 25th September 2015 I always enjoy having production people as guest speakers, I also enjoy doing tastings from independent, or family owned Distilleries so it was with a great deal of delight that we welcomed Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager at Benromach Distillery. Benromach is owned by the family that owns independent […]
31/08/2015
Alison and I have wanted to visit the English Whisky Company’s St Georges Distillery in Norfolk since it first opened in 2007. So as we were going over that way for our family holiday we dropped in with an entire “Team”. This consisted of Alison and Myself with our three Daughters Jade (13), Erin (10) […]
07/07/2015
I really enjoy this tasting, at this time of year there is nothing better than enjoying an evening dram outside in the fresh air – well perhaps enjoying a Dram in the fresh air with friends. The Whiskies Teaninich 2006 – Connoisseurs Choice – 46% Founded in 1817 by the estate owner Captain […]
11/06/2015
BenRiach, GlenDronach & GlenGlassaugh Tasting – 29th May 2015 Dispite owning three distilleries the company is still called The BenRiach Distilling Company, and is owned by the charismatic Billy Walker and his two partners Geoff Bell and Wayne Kieswetter. Billy brought BenrRiach in 2004, in 2008 he purchased GlenDronach distillery, and finally added GlenGlassaugh in […]
08/06/2015
The Isle of Arran is often referred to as Scotland in miniature, at the southern end the landscape is soft farming country, the northern end is mountainous and rugged and home to Arran’s only distillery situated at Lochranza. I’ve always had a soft spot for Arran distillery and whisky, the distillery first ran on June […]
14/04/2015
A few gems from the Emerald Isle Irish Whisky Tasting – 27th March 2015 It’s always a great pleasure to do something a little different and it had been a while since we had done an Irish tasting so we gathered to try a few. Irish whiskey – Spelt with an E – has a […]
09/03/2015
The Lasses from the Laddie Bruichladdich Tasting 27th February 2015 I have a bit of a soft spot for Brucichladdich Distillery or Laddie as we call it, not just because their whiskies are exceptionally good, or that the distillery is one of the great Islay distilleries, but because the first time I saw Bruchladdich was […]
12/01/2015
Every year we host a tasting in which we celebrate the magical isle of Islay. So to this end around 70 of us gathered at The Rutland Arms Hotel, Bakewell on Friday 28th November 2014. The Isle of Islay lies at the southern end of the Hebrides, it has a population of around 3500 people […]
10/11/2014
Rare and Old Tasting – 17th October 2014 At this time of the year, the night before Wee Dram Fest we like to do something a little bit special. This year we welcomed a good friend of ours, Stephen Rankin of Gordon and MacPhail. Incidentally we also use this tasting to give a little to […]
24/10/2014
On Saturday 18th October 2014 we welcomed 20 Exhibitors, 330 guests and over 150 whiskies. Here are some pictures.
22/09/2014
Old Favourites & New Friends – 19 September 2014 Quite often we get asked why we don’t do their particular favourite whisky at a tasting. We are also quite often asked to try new expressions at tasting hence our Old Favourites & New Friends Tasting. Just to start off as this tasting took place the […]
21/07/2014
Al Fresco Tasting – 21st June 2014 One of my favourite pastimes during the summer months is to sit outside, enjoying the lovely views across the Derbyshire Dales and sip a beautiful Dram of whisky. This is even more fun when you sip your Dram with great views, great friends and great food. That […]
4th July 2014 – USA Tasting On Thursday, 4th July 1776, a sunny, cloudless day, in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the Second Continental Congress approved The Declaration of Independence. Do you know what they did then? Yes they passed round the Whiskey. So what better way to Celebrate the 238th Anniversary of this auspicious […]
15/07/2014
Compass Box Tasting – Friday 23rd May 2014 A Bank Holiday Friday is not the best day to travel North from London along the M1, but this is what our friend Celine Tetu did. After an afternoon in slow traffic she shared with us seven exciting whiskies from The Compass Box Whisky […]
21/05/2014
Sweet Sixteen Tasting – 25th April 2014 Last year we did a very successful 15 year old tasting so this year we decided to do a “Sweet Sixteen“ tasting with sweet and 16 year old whiskies. By the time whisky has spent 16 years in the cask the spirit has smoothed off really well, the […]
20/05/2014
Ok so Richard might not be the sort of guy who you see in Hello Magazine, but to us whisky enthusiasts he is a real celebrity. Richard is the Master Blender for Whyte and MacKay, which makes him not only responsible for the Whyte and MacKay range of blended Scotch Whisky, but also the Single […]
17/03/2014
Burns Night Tasting – 25th January 2014 Once again we gather at The Maynard Hotel, Grindleford, to have a whisky tasting in honour of the poor farmers son Robert Burns who was born this day – 25th January – 1759 and grew to become Scotland National Bard. As always there is Poetry, there are toasts, […]
Winter Warmers Tasting February 2014 In the depths of winter when the snow flies and the wind howls, when you come in from the cold there’s nothing warms both your body and spirit as much as a Wee Dram, or a large one come to that. That is why at this time of year we […]
20/01/2014
There is no other drink, or food for that matter, anywhere in the world that so epitomizes the place where it is made as much as Islay whisky. Its rugged uncompromising style is typical of the Island folk who make it, the earthy, peaty flavours are as powerful as the elements which pound its shores, […]
06/11/2013
Saturday, 19th October 2013 Venue Bakewell Town Hall 25 exhibitors, 300 guests and at least 150 whiskies – what more can be said – a picture speaks a thousand words. Our thanks to all. . […]
05/11/2013
George Grant’s Great Glenfarclas Tasting – October 2013 We were honoured indeed to welcome Mr George Grant whose family have been distilling at Glenfarclas since 1865. John Grant, George’s Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather was a farmer who purchased a neighbouring farm in order to have room to fatten calves before market. It just happened […]
21/10/2013
Out of all the whiskies we sell I think Japanese is the most misunderstood of all the non-Scottish whisky making nations. Many people see Japanese whisky as a cheap copy of Scotch and talk about it with some scorn. This is quite a long way from the truth, Japanese whisky has a style very much […]
21/07/2013
There’s nothing better on a warm summers evening than sitting outside and enjoying a Wee Dram of whisky. Well, actually sitting outside in some lovely countryside enjoying a Wee Dram with friends, so that’s why around mid-summer each year we host an Al Fresco tasting evening. We go up to The Temple Hotel at Matlock […]
12/06/2013
We have done a few Glenmorangie and Ardbeg tasting over the years and they are always one of my favourites, it’s the contrast between the heavy oily peaty Ardbeg and the gentle soft sophisticated Glenmorangie. Both are arguably the very best of their respective styles – no there is no argument they are the very […]
02/05/2013
On Friday 26th April 2013 we welcomed Melanie Stanger from Springbank Distillery to tell us all about one of the most interesting Distilleries in Scotland. The whisky industry prides itself on its individualism, however Springbank distillery takes this to a whole new level. It is indisputably the most traditional of Scotland’s distilleries as they do […]
19/03/2013
Our annual Winter Warmers Whisky Tasting is always one of my favourites, it does exactly what it says on the tin (well Ticket actually). We pick six Single Malt Scotch Whiskies which have exceptional warming qualities, all are big bodied and rich. Just what you need given the weather around these tastings. This year we […]
29/01/2013
Well no one could claim that the weather on the run up to this tasting was not only seasonal but very Scottish. It certainly got everyone in the mood for a Wee Dram. This was our annual homage to the poor farmers son born 25th January 1759, 253 years ago, who grew to be Scotland’s […]