Cask 88 is inviting guests to step through the tiny doors of what is claimed to be the world’s smallest whisky bar at 148 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4BL (at the corner of Shandwick Place and Hope Street to celebrate the launch of the second bottle in their Scottish Witchcraft Series, The Book of Daemonologie.
Herbalist and storyteller Amanda Edmiston (Botanica Fabula) will ‘haunt’ the bar between 4pm and 8.30pm on October 28, 29 and 30, offering free samples of the single malt release.
While sampling the whisky, a specialised tarot card will be drawn for the visitor and their interpretation of the flavour notes in the whisky will be read through the cards.
The spirits will lure guests towards certain aromas matched to the tarot cards which will then draw on the past to divine what lies ahead. Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn about the botanical terroir of Scotland- the influence that its herbs, flowers and fruits have on its Scotch.
Cask 88’s new single cask whisky is a 13-year-old-old from Orkney (52% ABV, RRP £98). It features a glow-in-the-dark label design inspired by the Book of Daemonologie written by King James VI, from which it takes its name.
Cask 88’s witchcraft series was sparked by Scotland’s history of witchcraft. The first release commemorated the life of the wronged 17th century woman Isobel Gowdie who was famously accused of witchcraft.
The company has partnered with Stirling-based herbal storyteller, Botanica Fabula, and Amanda (pictured by Nigel Duncan at the launch in the library of Cask 88) said: “As a storyteller with a background in herbal medicine it was fascinating learning to taste whisky, it reminded me of one of my first jobs working for a small artisan perfumier, learning to distinguish between top and base notes and spot the subtle nuances of taste and aroma.
“The connection to my herbal practice quickly became apparent, the more I focused in on the subtleties of the whisky the more the botanicals that would have made the peat or been growing around the barley presented themselves, so developing a look at the tastes and properties of the whisky has been an enlightening process.”
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