Old and rare, short and sweet
Spirit of Toronto returns to the small screen at the end of the month where we look forward to offering you the experience of a masterclass in the comfort of your own home.
As we close out our 20th anniversary, we’ve decided to keep this series short and very, very sweet: just two special masterclasses that draw on our personal cellars – one looking back at where we started, and a blind tasting that questions if and how our beloved single malt Scotch whisky has changed over the years.
Below are the details on these two lovingly assembled collections of dusties, designed to be a geek-out on bottles that are rarely opened, not to mention a splurge for like-minded connoisseurs who take their whisky seriously. That said, they also provide a rare opportunity to sample whisky from yesteryear – highly recommended for anyone looking to broaden their palate, deepen their knowledge, and taste an array of single malt Scotches seldom available for public tasting.
Registration opens Tuesday November 12 at 10am EST and with only two sessions, spots will fill up quickly so don’t delay in booking. Class registration includes our beautiful, handmade wooden gift boxes, samples, a tasting mat and a pipette. Unable to participate in the live stream at the scheduled time? That’s a shame as there is great craic in store with these tastings, but they will be archived online until June 30, 2025 if you can’t join us live.
Spirit of Toronto 20th Anniversary Edition
As they say, time flies when you’re having fun! And while organizing Spirit of Toronto for the past twenty years has certainly had its moments, it has most crucially afforded us golden opportunities to both collect – and share – some outstanding whiskies. This has always been, and will continue to be, the lifeblood of Spirit of Toronto, so it’s only fitting that we pay tribute to the last twenty years by revisiting some of the highlights of our formative years as we recount Spirit of Toronto’s origin story…
Scotch Whisky, Then & Now
From barley to floor maltings to yeast to equipment to so-called ‘modern’ casks — was Scotch whisky actually better in the past? We’re in the mood for a deep dive, so buckle up for a session that will amaze, delight and surprise even the most seasoned palates. And what better way to debate past vs present than by sampling six of Scotland’s most iconic single malt whiskies next to their retro counterparts – blind – stretching back to the 1980s?
Joining us as our guide through the history, passion and craic is whisky writer and historian Fionnán O’Connor, a true whisky evangelist who will be leading us through an epic tasting of collectible bottles from some of Scotland’s most highly regarded distilleries.
Glassware, anyone? Given what will be tasted during the above sessions, we can’t stress enough the importance of proper glassware and highly encourage you to avail yourself of our branded tasting copitas that will be available to purchase as part of this series. This is an absolute steal for anyone looking to upgrade their glassware for these sessions (and again, we highly recommend you do.)
Links to join these virtual sessions will be sent by email ahead of the series; please note that participants will have their video and microphone turned off but will be able to interact with the presenters and other participants through the Chat function.
Yes, All Sessions are Recorded!
Unable to participate in the live stream of your choice at the scheduled time? Not a problem as all tastings will be archived online until June 30, 2025 and not to worry about privacy, email addresses will not be shared with the platform host or any other participants.
