For many of us, there comes a time when just quietly enjoying a whisky is never enough. We want to analyse the flavour profile, or discuss and compare production processes, or start a whisky Instagram page. I am such a cliche. When the time comes that you can no longer shut up, sit back and relax, and your better half actively avoids sharing a whisky with you as a result, it is time to leave the comfort of your whisky den in search of other frustrated nerds. It is time to find a whisky club. This is where social media comes into its own, as it turned out that I was already virtually entangled with several members of the London whisky club. After seeing pictures and write ups of a couple of events, I slid into a few DMs and, well, the rest is history as they say.
As a fairly recent addition to the club ranks, I thought I would share some of my experiences. The spirit of the bard moves me to begin in verse. Master of Malt recently ran a poetry competition for Burns night. A fun way to do a giveaway I thought, so I conjured up a few limericks for them. If you want to see some, then head over to my saved stories on Instagram. Sadly, I can only conclude that the humourless folks at MoM have questionable taste in poetry. I am not a sore loser though. I am definitely over it. Definitely. Anyway, after the deadline I was actually midway through an additional limerick about the club, so I thought I would finish it off for you here.
I found a club in London,
A group of whisky brethren,
It was November.
I clearly remember,
I went for my first session.
The 9 dram line up was epic,
My favourite a Berry’s Teaninich,
Then extra drops,
And sample swaps,
The evening was fantastic!
Now this you must remember,
In order to be member,
They’ve all agreed,
There is no need,
To be a fan of Bimber!
So if you fancy a whisky,
This is the place to be,
Join the club,
It beats the pub,
THAT we’ll guarantee!
It can be daunting to join any established group, but this is especially true of the whisky world; people are passionately opinionated. You would be hard pressed, however, to find a more generous, welcoming and inclusive group, even of those who refuse to fall under the spell of a certain London product. Regardless of your whisky opinions, previous experience, or level of interest, there is a seat at the table for everyone. I am always blown away by how meticulously thought out and curated the line up is at every event, and I guarantee that you will taste more amazing whiskies than you could ever have imagined, not to mention all the extras that magically appear from bags at the end. Members also remain in touch between meet ups, discussing whisky news and new releases, or splitting bottles and arranging sample swaps in anticipation of the next gathering. The community aspect has never been clearer than during the current pandemic, as members have been offering each other everything from financial advice to video tasting sessions. Ultimately, this is very much more than just a club, it is a group of individuals who pride themselves on sharing, not only their whisky and knowledge, but most of all their time and friendship.
We are always looking to welcome new members, so if you have any questions about the club and events, or just want to chat about whisky, please do not hesitate to contact us here, or drop any one of the members a message and we will all be glad to talk.
