The Speyside Whisky Festival is the oldest and one of the most popular across the globe. First launched in 1999, it is the annual celebration of Scotland’s national drink.

The India edition of the Speyside Festival is an initiative of the Mumbai-based The Dram Club, which curated the event at The Park.

Throughout the day there were unique and different kind of experiences, which introduced the audience to a flavor of the Speyside festival in Scotland. The event line-up included a whisky paired lunch and dessert, blind tastings, and Masterclasses conducted by eminent ambassadors of various brands, including one on cigars!

The festival kicked off with three whiskies of the Glenlivet family 12-YO, 15-YO and 18-YO, paired with a special four-course lunch by chef Sarita Pereira, known for her curated themed meals.

The Glenlivet India Brand Ambassador, Lewis Anderson, conducted the Masterclass. Angad Singh Gandhi, Brand Ambassador (India) for Glenfiddich hosted a Speyside special Masterclass for the guests.

India’s first single malt, Amrut, was represented by its team who brought along the exclusive range of expressions. This was followed by a dessert pairing session with Glengrant Whisky.

Brand Manager Suchana Sharma conducted a Masterclass of Glengrant 10-YO and 18-YO for the audience. The deserts were curated keeping in mind the taste profile of the whiskies to suit and compliment the palate.

Master Distiller of Paul John Distilleries, Michael D’Souza, introduced three of the newest expressions (not released yet) from his creations. Two expressions of the great Indian single malt finished in sherry casks of Pedro Ximenex and Oloroso.

The Dram Club was started by Swati Sharma and Vinayak Singh. Together they have tasted whiskies from all over the globe and have visited more than 40 distilleries in Scotland.