The Cape Society
Feb
- Tue 18 Mar 2025
- Lost Close Whisky Tasting
- One of Edinburgh's newest venues, the Lost Close, will host a whisky tasting. Tickets are around £35 and limited to eight so dive in quick: first come, first served.
- The tasting begins at 15.00, 1 Barrie's Close EH1 1RF. Please arrive 10 minutes before. It's likely we'll meet up in a Royal Mile howff beforehand.
- Report
-
Knights assembled in the Jinglin' Geordie pub in Fleshmarket Close for one or two pre-whisky pints
before sauntering up the Royal Mile to the head of Barrie's Close in Parliament Square
where
CoDE Pod, THE CoURT
is located. The 'lost close' is in the bowels of the building, discovered in recent years
through that traditional and reliable old-Edinburgh street discovery method of knocking down basement walls.
In the case of the Lost Close, exploration was only stopped by over-exuberant intrusion in to the Cafe Nero basement!
A fine and rare example of a Crossley Brothers engine which had been discovered in the attic was also on show.
Seattle Sarah was the afternoon's expert guide and treated gathered Knights to five good doses of uisge beatha
which proved very tasty. The experience was all the better for a choice of two or three whiskys
for each 'round'. Port Dundas, Benriach, Glen Scotia, 'Orkney', Port Charlotte and Kilchoman
all featured or were selected in one form or another. Balvenie was just one example of a few others which
could've been sampled. A good two hours were wiled away admiring colour and viscosity, aroma,
palate and finish, all the while citing the usual adjectives of sweet, chocolatey, medicinal, heathery, salty, peaty, etc.
Once the selection of whisky's was complete, Knights thanked Sarah and Mark did a bit of business
on the side by discussing a cask of Arran his dad has with Lost Close manager and whisky-sourcer, James.
Outside CoDE Pod, there was just time for Rob to answer a few survey questions from a Spanish couple on the pros
and cons of Edinburgh before
Martin suggested the Bow Bar as the post-whisky stop. Here, Knights sampled a few good beers and
had some good chat with Todd who was over from Boston with his wife and daughters.
Later in the evening and next on the pub list was the Hebrides.
It played host to the remaining revellers before a proposed stop at the Windsor
in Leith Walk was sojourned by three Knights at Curry Cafe. Two of Todd's daughters also
coincidentally again met with Knights! this time outside the Playhouse.
After the mix-up of Curry Cafe and Windsor was resolved (apologies to Mark and Alex),
Knights decided it was time to head for the hills: it had been a long day.
(Not before Mark staged a
sit-in
in the Curry Cafe mind.)
All-in-all, this was another well-rounded, convivial and enjoyable Cape Manor.
Mobile-friendly picture gallery.
Thanks to Derran for arranging the day and all those who forked out for tickets to support his efforts.
