We come across many fine whiskies and we thought it was about time we shared some of our team’s favourites.

It’s fair to say that deciding on just the one whisky has been a tough job. Too agonising for some in fact that they’ve gone off brief and chosen several!

So, what have we got for you? We present the Proof 8 team’s favourite drams.

Rory Kavanagh, Sales Executive - Connemara

For me it has to be the Connemara 12 Year Old. I first came across it when visiting friends in Ireland and we got talking about the rarity of peated Irish whiskey. Then, one of them pulled this out. Shortly after that, I knew I’d found my favourite whiskey.

What do I like about it? That subtle hint of peat really adds to the light and fresh lemony notes on the nose, then you get a sweet vanilla cream taste with the added smoke at the end. It leaves a soft spiced and tangy fruit medium-lengthed finish. Anyone who is a fan of scotch needs to try this!

My favourite place to enjoy it? As a nightcap, seeing the night off in style with friends as we laugh about what we’d been up to that night.

Duncan MacFadzean, Non-Executive Director - Woven

Now frankly anything from Woven is very good, but the No. 10 was particularly great. I went to meet them recently and they gave me a bottle as a gift which I was very happy about (not that I can be bought mind!). They’re a small blending house in Edinburgh run by a great group of people. The bottle designs are incredible and in the early days they added the labels by hand. They tell great stories about each of their bottlings and they are building a real fan base.

What do I like about it? In their words "For our tenth Experience, we set out to create a whisky ideal for quietly marking in memory those rare and precious moments we’d all bottle if we could. Licorice, soft smoke, and beeswax notes combine on the palate before giving way to more subtle tannins and fruit."

But in my humble words - very drinkable, enjoyable and highly recommended!

My favourite place to enjoy it? At home, sitting around with a group of great friends having deep and meaningful conversations.

I don’t mind admitting I’m early on in my whisky journey and so far my favourite has to be the Lagavulin 16. I was introduced to it at a tasting session with my brother and as with many spirits, it's often the moment, people or place that make it special. It was the first Islay Whisky I ever tried so it has a soft spot in my heart!

What do I like about it? I love the combination of smokey, sweet with a touch of spice. Whilst complete and with a peated character, Lagavulin is often described as a gateway whisky. According to the experts, it has notes of Lapsang Souchong tea, tobacco, sweet spice, mature sherry and creamy vanilla.

My favourite place to enjoy it? An evening at home with a strong cheese board. Emphasis on the strong.

Andrea Littler, Marketing - Grace O’Malley Irish Whiskey

. They’re one of the distilleries we’ve actually worked with recently and I just fell for their whiskey and their story. Last year we launched a pretty special collection of bottles for them that feature artwork from a famous Irish artist. They’re just beautiful.

What do I like about it? ​​I’m definitely no expert but for me this whiskey has a rich fruity flavour but it’s also very smooth. Its finish is a bit like those creamy toffees you used to eat at school. I like whisky with a good backstory. And Grace O’Malley has a cracking one – pirate queen, Irish nobility, fearless mariner, a charismatic woman with influence basically. The brand team created a stunning mural in Dublin to tell her tale but in true Grace style it was considered too controversial and taken down. It all made for great storytelling. I like the whiskey itself, but I really admire the team behind it.

My favourite place to enjoy it? Would have to be on a night out in Dublin (where there’s dancing involved obviously).

Nim Siriwardana, Co-founder - Spots (green/blue), Bushmills, Red Breast, all Bourbon

I can’t choose just the one, sorry. I can talk about whisky for hours but I’ll try and follow the brief (who wrote it?!) and settle with just choosing a few of my current favourites. And this has taken quite a bit of deliberation, believe me. I’d say I’d have to give it to Spots (green/blue), Bushmills, Red Breast or any non-peated Scotch. I’ve recently become a big fan of Bourbon too, especially Michters, WhistlePig, anything I can get my hands on really!

I got into whisky some time ago but it wasn’t until I started all this that I’d say I really got into it. And by that I mean slightly obsessing over what I can discover and try next. I’ve been on a pretty amazing whisky journey so far. That’s definitely one of the perks of working in the business, meeting some staggeringly innovative distilleries - always something new around the corner. I will say though that Irish whiskey was something I tried early on, and it’s always something I come back to.

What do I like about it? Where to start. For bourbon, it’s definitely the spice, then warmer flavours like cinnamon coming through. With Irish whiskey, it’s more of a subtle flavour, except for the oldest Bushmills which I have tried. Spots have many different interesting flavours - apples, pears, with a deep chocolate finish which is great for an everyday dram.

My favourite place to enjoy it? I love being in the mountains, away from everything, so I’d have to say there.


Rick Evans, CMO - Penderyn Ruby Port Single Cask

I love the Penderyn Ruby Port Single Cask, but finding another is a tough game. So, my go to is the Madeira Finish from the same wonderful Welsh distiller. A few years back, when back in the Welsh homeland on a mountain biking trip, a good friend of mine insisted I try a dram. I’ve never looked back.

What do I like about it? It has a delightful combination of malt richness and the fruitiness of the Madeira cask finish. Notes of honey, vanilla, oak, and sweet toffee. The cask finish adds a sweet, fruity twist, making it a sophisticated and enjoyable sipping experience. Very nice.

My favourite place to enjoy it? Sticking with the Welsh theme, it’s got to be up in the black mountains, after a long day on the bike, sitting around a fire pit with good friends. Preferably not in the pouring rain.

More recommendations to come as we discover even more spirits we love on journeys to distilleries near and far.  

“I got into whisky some time ago but it wasn’t until I started all this that I’d say I really got into it. And by that I mean slightly obsessing over what I can discover and try next.”

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If we could only pick one dram

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