Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Caskmaster 2026 championship comes to London
London whisky enthusiasts have a chance to compete for a spot in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s national blind tasting final at 19 Greville Street on Wednesday 02 September 2026 as part of the Society’s inaugural Caskmaster 2026 championship.
Competitors will receive 30 minutes to evaluate eight Society drams and match them against nine potential identities.
The top five contenders from the London heat will advance to the Grand Final scheduled for 12 November 2026 in Edinburgh.
Society officials confirmed that travel and accommodation expenses for the five London qualifiers will be covered in full.
The competition represents the first UK blind tasting championship hosted by the Society following an Australian trial.
The eventual champion will secure lifetime membership alongside a four-day retreat in Speyside during March 2027.
Heats take place across four Society venues, including Leith, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and currently serves 41,000 members worldwide, bottling single cask spirits from more than 180 distilleries without revealing brand names while operating four Members’ Rooms across Leith, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London alongside 100 partner bars.
Calum Lawson, Member Experience Manager at Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said: “At the Society, we have always believed that flavour should do the talking. Caskmaster puts that to the ultimate test. This is whisky as it should be, shared, debated and enjoyed, but with a healthy dose of competition thrown in. It’s a rare opportunity to test your palate against like-minded people and, for one person, to walk away with a prize that will last a lifetime.”