It would be a real treat to be invited down to sample some of the food and drink at the best whisky bar in the city but it is even better when you find out that the establishment is in fact the best whisky bar in the world!
That is the title that has been awarded to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) on Queen Street by Whisky Magazine’s World Whisky Awards, completing the triple crown of being the best in Edinburgh, Scotland and now the planet.
Their newly renovated Kaleidoscope bar - which is open to non-members - is now the launching pad where the SMWS can show off their eatery and bar to both residents of the capital as well as visiting tourists.
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Both my friend, Brad, and I were given a warm welcome and were placed at a booth that overlooked Queen Street which was illuminated by this year’s Christmas lights.
To my right hand side was a large roaring fire that gave the whole room the feel of an old exclusive club.
We were given the run down by Jeremy, a bartender that has honed his whisky expertise over ten years in the industry, and were recommended a couple of meals off of the new bar classics menu as well the Maiden Voyage flights which allowed us to taste three interesting whiskies.
What is unique about the bar is not only its warm and indulgent interior but the whisky that they store has a strong focus on flavour over consistent products that you might find at larger distilleries.
It is their dedication to celebrating uniqueness and individuality that has won them accolades across the world as well as securing thousands of members belonging to a variety of nationalities.
There are 25-30 new whiskies that come in each month - coming straight out of the cask from quirky, mostly independent distilleries, without faff or any additives - that stock the Kaleidoscope bar walls along with previous additions.
We were served a variety of three whiskies that each have their own unique batch codes - 73.139 Rose Petals and Peaches; 95.61 A Viennese Ball and 4.324 Seashore Shenanigans.
Each tipple was paired with a guessing game where we were challenged to try to pick out the many ingredients that went into each glass whilst only using our noses - a thankless task when the true answer was revealed.
Jeremy was the perfect guide, who spoke of the history, geography and anatomy of each dram with wit and a great sense of humour.
Having warmed our chests up and savoured each drop of whisky, we were given a tour of the extensive building that contained a private members room, an upper function room and a large tasting table that is ideal for a Christmas night out or birthday party.
On returning to our table after being floored by the impressive Christmas tree, our food was hot on our heels.
Brad, a pescatarian, ordered the battered haddock and chips, tartare sauce and minted pea puree, whilst I had the SMWS beef burger, Monterey Jack cheese, onion jam, tomato relish and house fries.
Instantly I had food envy when the fish was served to my dinner companion as it resembled something that would win catch of the day at the Angling Trust Nationals - in Brad’s words, it was “the best fish I have ever tasted and the peas should be a dish all on their own.”
My jealousy however did not come from the burger being unsatisfying, quite the opposite, the relish and onion jam was absolutely gorgeous and was just what I needed after three glasses of whisky.
On a typical evening out, the whole experience would have cost us £54 - not a bad price to taste a sample of some of the best whisky in the world along with delicious locally sourced food.
All in all it was an experience we could not recommend enough.
Memberships are available at the SMWS, which come with added benefits, which include the member room, where there is a library set up with a wooden ladder in place that helps staff members reach the hundreds of bottles in their exclusive bar.
Below are the tasting notes for the three whiskies, we sampled, of which A Viennese Ball was our favourite:
73.139 ROSE PETALS AND PEACHES
62.8%, 10yo, distilled on: 25/03/2011, cask: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel, region: Speyside
We followed fragrant rose petals towards ripe bananas, white chocolate and juicy fruit salad with a dash of stem ginger and cayenne pepper. Flavours then encompassed dried papaya and sugar syrup with fresh mint and balancing wood tannins. Water unleashed an abundance of stone fruits with peaches, plums and nectarines while green grassy notes brought freshness. Delicate notes on the palate suggested camomile and hibiscus tea with brown sugar sprinkled on hot and creamy porridge oats. The sweet spice of hot cross buns emerged with a drizzle of maple syrup before we finished with freshly picked herbs.
95.61 A VIENNESE BALL
56.0%, 14yo, distilled on: 27/06/2007, cask: 1st ex-px hogshead, region: Speyside
The neat nose had the dark sweetness of a coffee chocolate liqueur and mocha Tia Maria truffles, as well as honey roasted carrots and parsnips. On the palate a Mozart Kugel - a ball of pistachio marzipan covered in a layer of nougat made from pistachios, hazelnuts and almonds. After the addition of water, we brewed a Rooibos cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and nutmeg flavoured tea with warm caramel notes as we were served chocolate cake with walnut brittle and chocolate-coated marshmallows. Following twelve years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a 1st fill American oak PX hogshead.
4.324 SEASHORE SHENANIGANS
59.5%, 13yo, distilled on: 28/01/2008, cask: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel, region: Highland
The nose evoked shredded twigs and leaves and well-fired almond croissants enjoyed among the sand dunes. The palate had dried kelp and smoked sea salt, chocolate limes and a background gristy, bran flake cereal note. The reduced nose echoed this with rich tea biscuits and grain sacks, but also heather flowers and aloe vera bath salts. The palate developed dark chocolate with caramel and sea salt, coal dust and ash, herbs flaming on the barbeque and a white pepper finish. We combined selected nine year-old casks from this distillery and then returned the single malt into various casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.
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