Some of the most commonly asked questions in emails or during a Tasting

if you don’t find an answer here please email me and I’ll get back to you ASAP

VENUE

Where are Drams Without Drama tastings held? - Whiskytastings are hosted at 2.30pm at the Jolly Judge bar located just off the Royal Mile, a few hundred metres from Edinburgh Castle and St Giles Cathedral Map to Jolly Judge

When does the venue open/when can I arrive for my Tasting? - The Jolly Judge opens at 12.00pm daily. I will usually have a tasting fully set up around 15 minutes before the start time but you have no need to arrive before the Indicated start time. I will give people a few minutes to settle in, use the restrooms, or order any drinks from the bar, if you feel you will need a little extra time then feel free to show up 10 minutes before the start time to get settled.

Can my Partner, Child, Dog join as a spectator? - The Jolly Judge is only licensed for those aged 18+ so sadly children are not permitted under any circumstance. Partners over 18 years of age are welcome provided I’m not fully booked, as are well-behaved dogs but I’d need to confirm that other guests at the tasting are ok with this (no allergies etc so let me know in advance!)

***Please note should you or anyone in your party be lucky enough to look under the age of 25 years you may be asked for ID by myself or a member of staff to prove you are aged 18+ This is a legal requirement, please have a physical copy of photographic ID (not a copy on your phone) failure to provide proof will result in refusal of service at the bar and you will not be able to attend the tasting***

Can I eat during the tasting? - The Jolly Judge no longer has an operating kitchen, the website is out of date so please ignore any mention of them serving food. There is a Cafe directly opposite if you wish to eat before/after the tasting, and the Royal Mile has numerous cafes, bars and restaurants within a few hundred metres.

Is the venue wheelchair accessible? - Sadly like much of historic Edinburgh the venue pre-dates many modern building regulations. The entrance to the Jolly Judge is down a small flight of 6 steps without ramp access, and the toilets are on the upper floor accessed only by a full flight of stairs. Weather permitting I’m more than happy to relocate to the outside tables which are accessible.

Can I get a beer at the tasting? - Both venue’s bars are open to the public throughout the duration of the tasting. You are free to get a drink before, during or even stay after the tasting. I’ll be happy to make a few recommendations to pair to your tasting from their extensive range. The same goes for wine, cider, spirits, soft drinks, coffees, etc. Simply pay as you go at the bar separately for any drinks/snacks.

TASTINGS

When are your Tastings? - Please see the “Whisky Tastings” section of this site for up to date information on available days and times for each tasting as these will change seasonally throughout the year.

Are your tastings private one on one? - My tastings are small group tastings, up to about 6 people maximum. They are often made up of Individuals or couples grouped together into a set time. Many days it will just be your booking, others it will a couple of groups. I cap the tasting after 6 people, so if three groups of 2 book then i won’t take further bookings that session. If you are looking to book a group of 7 or more people for a single tasting get in touch and we can discuss a separate private tasting.

I know a little about whisky, is the Introduction just for beginners? - The Introduction to Scotch tasting is designed for those who have never tasted a whisky in their life, right through to those who have a taste for Scotch but want to understand a little more about how to identify flavours and examine their own preferences. I built this tasting differently from many others on the market, using my years of bar and retail experiences, analysing the most commonly asked questions, and tackling the most common misconceptions. The tasting will discuss the materials, methods and maturation of Scotch whisky, and how each stage helps influence the flavour. We will discuss key flavour profiles, how to spot these in a bar or shop, and how to translate industry marketing and tasting notes into useful information. As these tastings are unscripted I will tailor each to the correct level for the group on the day, be that using simpler bar-man’s language or getting right into my degree in Biochemitry and Pharmacology for those with a scientific/brewing/distilling background. This tasting is also a formula I have used for years in teaching the fundamentals to new bar-staff under my employ, and still offer to the industry today, as it allows you to quickly categorise whiskies and process large amounts of information into easy profiles.

What is in the Rare and Old Tasting? - The Rare and Old is where I offer the best whiskies at competitive prices. These will usually be single cask, or small batch releases not available outside of Scotland, and have been collected from auction sites, private collections or local whisky shops. Single Malt Scotch will make up the majority of the bottles, but I really want to showcase that Scotland has some amazing and often overlooked Single Grain and Blended Scotch. Ages will vary, but I will try and keep the Malts over 20 years unless it is a closed distillery or something rather unique. Grains and Blends may well be 30 or even 40yr old at times. However I can not stress enough, a whisky is more than its age! I’ve had many whiskies that were significantly better at 20yr than at 30yr, I’ll always put the flavour, texture and balance of the whisky before an arbitrary number on the bottle. A gallery of some previous bottles can be found on the website under the tastings section, and whilst I prefer to pour the whiskies “blind” to enhance your experience, if you wish to know what you are “trying before you buy” then I’m happy to disclose that information before you commit to booking.

Will I be drunk by the end of the Tasting? - Medically I can’t really answer that question, but in general it is not as much alcohol as many people would expect. We will be drinking fairly slowly, water is provided, and depending on the specific abv% of the 4 drams you will consume about 4-5 units of alcohol if you finish everything. This is loosely equivalent to 2 pints of beer 4-5% , or 2 glasses of 175ml wine. I do recommend a reasonable breakfast or lunch around an hour before you attend, and you will know your own limits better than anyone. No one will judge you for not finishing all the whiskies, nor pressure you to do so, though the law does not permit you to takeaway anything leftover.

BOOKING & PAYMENT

How do I book a tasting? - Simply fill out the Contact Form at the bottom of the page, or email directly. Let me know the date, tasting type and number of attendees you desire and I’ll get back to you ASAP. I can often arrange a tasting for the next day, sometimes even the same day if its early enough in the morning, so it never hurts to reach out and see what we can arrange. I do start to get fully booked over the summer months so booking further in advance is certainly recommended to avoid missing out.

Do I need to pay a deposit? - I have had a pretty good record with reliability over the years since moving to smaller scale tastings, as such I do not currently ask for any deposit or payment upfront. If you do need to cancel I ask you repay in kind and let me know at your earliest convenience so I can rebook (or have a day off!) If I do arrange a private tasting for a larger group or special event, that will likely involve a deposit or part-payment however.

How do I pay on the day? - I am more than happy to accept cash as it cuts out transaction fees on my end, but in this digital era I can also accept most major credit/debit cards including Amex. Smart payments like ApplePay and G-Pay are also available. I usually settle payments at the end of the tasting so we can get right into the tasting and worry about money later.

Do you tip in Scotland? - I feel a little rude even adding this here, but it is a question I get asked more than most of the rest on this page, so here goes.

General tipping culture in Scotland is pretty poor compared to many parts of the world, it is more expected in a restaurant than a cafe or a bar, but most restaurants just automatically add 10% gratuity to the bill (it legally has to be clearly marked so have a look at the printed bill if in doubt). Good etiquette might be to “buy a drink” for the bar person if you are a regular of the venue, it doesn’t help them pay the bills but at least they get a drink after a busy Friday night! Trust me when I say no staff in Scotland will refuse a tip if you offer, they just are not expecting it, indeed a healthy tip for genuine service might just make a staff’s day, the rates of pay are barely liveable right now. My advice is that if you got good service, if they went the extra mile, then they are worth tipping. If you felt the service was shoddy then do not feel obliged to tip. Any amount would be welcome, but 10% is pretty good, 15-20% almost unheard of. Card machines will often not have an option for you to add a tip, if you would like to add a tip just tell the staff as you start to pay and they can amend the total before you sign/enter your PIN.

*** For my tastings I try and keep my prices as fair and competitive as I can. That said I have a much more comfortable living situation from my previous careers than most barstaff right now, as such I do not auto-add any gratuity, nor do I expect any for the tastings. If you do stay for a few drinks in the venue afterwards I’d rather you end up tipping those staff rather than me. If you wish to tip me for the tasting however let me know when it come time to pay and I can amend the card payment to whatever value or % you choose, and my thanks in advance ***

What happens after the tasting? - I have always been a huge believer in aftercare, so once the tasting is done you are free to contact me with any questions related to the tasting, or ask for further advice, I’m happy to answer emails days, weeks or months after the tasting. I may not have the cheapest Tastings in Edinburgh, though I do try to be competitive, but I am striving to offer the best quality experience within the city. You will also get the password to the Resource Vault area of the website. This is a works-in-progress area where I will try and add a new article every few months, further expanding on the lessons from the Introduction to Scotch tasting, but also useful for those who attended a Rare and Old tasting.

Reviews? - If you can spare 5 minutes after your tasting I would be very grateful if you could leave a Tripadvisor Review this helps immeasurably. Not only do I get feedback to help grow and refine the tastings for future clients, but helps my listings and allows others to find me on both Tripadvisor and its parent booking site Viator. I am not currently on Facebook or Google for review.