The Best Whisky Tasting I’ve Been To In 2026
Our tasting guide at the Lost Close in Edinburgh
I’ve been asking myself for the better part of a year: how do you get people interested in Scotch whisky today without talking about age statements, brand names, or single barrel exclusives? There’s got to be a way to talk about something else, right?
Personally, I’m exhausted by how previous generations (myself included) have prioritized rarity and access over regionality and romance when it comes to their purchasing decisions. In 2026, I don’t drink anything because of how old it is or how hard it is to find. The Scotch whiskies that excite me right now are made by people I like, often in small quantities, and generally with a story that makes me appreciative for the experience. When it comes to distilleries, I drink a lot of Ardnahoe, Clydeside, and Kilchoman because I enjoy supporting independent producers who care about making good whisky more than making a quick buck.
This past February, while in Scotland on a work trip, I finally found the tasting experience I was after. My friend Chris Cusiter and I visited the Lost Close in Edinburgh, a Scotch whisky tasting room hidden underground beneath the center of the old town.
A historical map of Scotland helped guide our way through a series of carefully-curated single malts
Before you’ve even seen the line up, the tasting experience at the Lost Close is already a step above any whisky bar or visitor’s center I’ve ever visited simply because of the setting. You’re deep underground the city in what was likely an old bank vault, drinking whisky in what feels like a haunted castle with a group of people you’ve never met.
Visitors have no say over what they taste, or when. You sign up for the Lost Close experience and they tailor each tasting to a particular theme or story. Our theme that evening was Scottish history, starting in the middle ages and moving through to Scottish independence and the union of the crowns. Using a hand-drawn map, we were guided through a macabre tail of war and bloodshed, with important historical events pointed out as we moved along. The whiskies chosen for that evening were taken from distilleries located on or near the exact sites where each event had transpired. I thought it was brilliant.
As someone who’s been drinking Scotch whisky for decades, I was never once bored, nor did I feel like the tasting was merely for beginners. At the same time, there were several people in the room who knew very little about Scotch whisky and they were never once overwhelmed or confused by what they were being told. We tasted whisky, learned about it, discussed why it tasted the way it did, but we used history as a narrative rather than production details, age statements, or barrel maturation. We all loved it.
I told Chris immediately afterward: “I’m stealing this idea for my next whisky event.”
-David Driscoll