Virtual tasting

Whisky expert Dr Christopher White is to host an online fundraiser to help Leith Spirits continue the essential production of its Covid-19 hand sanitiser.

White – who edits Edinburgh Whisky Blog and is an auctioneer at Royal Mile Whisky Auctions – will live stream a tasting of rare drams on May 5th, with all proceeds going towards the not-forprofit pandemic operation.

The creators of the award-winning Leith Gin suspended all gin, vodka, and rum production last month and switched to producing their own C-19 LeithAL Sanitiser, with over 14,000 bottles already distributed free of charge to frontline public services. To ensure production continues Leith Spirits have now started a Go Fund Me page to help the philanthropic initiative, which has already cost them more than £20,000.

As part of this fundraising, White will stream his tasting on the Edinburgh Whisky Blog Facebook page from 7:30pm BST on Tuesday May 5th, with monies going to the production of C-19 LeithAL Sanitiser.

Dr. Christopher White.

The tasting will feature a range of highly sought after bottlings from long-closed distilleries, as well as samples from rare single casks still maturing in a Speyside warehouse. All five whiskies have been donated by Leith Spirits’ owner, Derek Mair, with the full line up being:

1. Rosebank 1992 28yo cask sample – refill bourbon hogshead, 52.5% ABV.

2. Bruichladdich 1994 22yo Gleann Mór Rare Find – refill bourbon hogshead, 53.5% ABV.

3. Jura 1976 43yo cask sample – sherry hogshead, 53.1% ABV.

4. Macallan 1969 50yo cask sample – refill bourbon hogshead, 42.8% ABV.

5. Caol Ila 1983 36yo cask sample – refill bourbon hogshead, 53.5% ABV.

For those wishing to participate in the virtual tasting, twenty dram packs priced at £100 each are now available to purchase from the Leith Spirits webshop here (UK shipping only): www.leithspirits.com/events. These include a 3cl sample of each whisky as well as a 20cl bottle of C-19 LeithAL Sanitiser. Anyone can join the tasting, post comments, and ask questions simply by logging on to the Edinburgh Whisky Blog Facebook page live stream at 7:30pm BST on Tuesday May 5th. For more information, see www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com