Glasgow is set to host the first UK heat of a new blind whisky tasting championship.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is launching Caskmaster 2026 in the city following the success of the competition in Australia.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. (Image: Supplied)
The contest will challenge whisky fans to identify eight single cask drams without knowing their origins.
The Glasgow heat will take place at the SMWS Members’ Room on Bath Street on Wednesday, August 26.
Participants will have 30 minutes to nose and taste eight drams, which are usually only available to SMWS members, before matching them to the correct whiskies from a selection of nine options.
The top five scorers from Glasgow will progress to the grand final at The Vaults in Leith, Edinburgh, on November 12.
They will compete against 15 other finalists from heats held in Edinburgh, Leith and London.
Tickets cost ÂŁ50 and include the eight drams and a Society supper. Finalists will not have to pay to attend the grand final.
The winner will receive lifetime SMWS membership and a place on The Speysider, a four-day whisky retreat in Speyside from March 12 to 15, 2027.
The prize includes private transport, exclusive whiskies and behind-the-scenes access to distilleries and experiences rarely available to the public.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. (Image: Supplied)
Caskmaster is open to both SMWS members and non-members.
Founded in Edinburgh in 1983, the SMWS bottles single cask whiskies from more than 180 distilleries worldwide and has around 41,000 members globally.
The Society is known for giving whiskies descriptive names rather than focusing on distillery names, and operates Members’ Rooms in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leith and London.