Spring 2025 Banquet

Spring Banquet 2025

Banquet Overview

The Keepers of the Quaich welcomed guests to the 69th Keepers of the Quaich Spring 2025 Banquet, which was held at Blair Castle on 31st March 2025.

43 Keepers were inducted as Life Members, bringing the total number of members who have been inducted as Keepers to over 3,000.

There were five Masters inducted, bringing the total to over 260.

Masters of the Quaich

  • Gordon Bruce – International Beverage
  • Bryan Donaghey – Whyte & Mackay
  • William Carey – Edrington
  • Donald Hart – Meadowside Blending
  • Gordon Dundas – Ian Macleod

Rory Bremner was the Guest of Honour and already holds the award of Honorary Keeper. Only 65 guests have been awarded the title of Honorary Keeper of the Quaich.

The Earl of Hopetoun was the 24th Grand Master.

The top table hosted the Chair Aristotelis Baroutsis. Also in attendance were the Duke of Argyll, the Duke and Duchess of Fife, the Earl of Erroll, the Earl and Countess of Hopetoun, Bertie Troughton, and the Lord and Lady Bruce.

We were delighted to welcome back the Erdradour Pitlochry and Blair Atholl Youth Band and the house band ‘Spirit of the Quaich’ led by previous recipient of the scholarship with the RCS, Chris Gray.

Photography:

All photography is now live on this page below.

 

Rory Bremner is Britain’s best-loved impressionist. With a repertoire of over one hundred characters, he impersonates everyone from film stars to chat show hosts, sportsmen to newsreaders and politicians to fellow comedians.

His series Rory Bremner…Who Else? and Bremner, Bird & Fortune, have been among the sharpest satire shows on television. Rory frequently appears on a range of both comic and serious programmes including Question Time, The One Show, QI, and This Week. Rory has also hosted Breakfast with Frost, written diaries for the Daily Telegraph and The New Statesman, and translated a number of operas including Kurt Weill’s Der Silbersee for Broomhill Opera. It’s a little known fact that he speaks fluent German, French and Spanish.

Bremner holds an Honorary Life Membership of King’s College London, an honorary fellowship by Queen Mary, University of London, and in 2011, Rory received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University. His skills have no limit, and later that year, he demonstrated his dancing prowess with a showcase quickstep on Strictly Come Dancing. He has twice won the British Comedy Award for Top Male Performer as well as BAFTA’s Best Light Entertainment Award.

Later in life, he was diagnosed with ADHD, and he now uses his platform to raise awareness of the condition. From 28th May to 22nd June, he is embarking upon a comedy tour from Nottingham to London, with his one-man show Making an Impression, taking in the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, on 2nd June. Rory has donated some of his fee this evening to the ADHD Foundation.

Rory was inducted as an Honorary Keeper of the Quaich in April 2017 and we are delighted to welcome him again this evening.

Chivas Regal Mizunara

An inspirational masterpiece in the art of blending, Chivas Mizunara was initially crafted for the Japanese market. With Speyside at its heart, this classic Chivas blend was selectively finished in extremely rare Japanese Mizunara oak casks, culminating in a whisky of enchanting complexity with delicate and exotic spice. The nose is rich and fruity with white peach, sweet pear and orange, while the palate is smooth and rich, with a honeyed sweetness and a trace of toasted hazelnuts. The finish is long, with delicious fruits and warm spices adding a little extra zing to the party!

 

The Macallan Amber Meadow

Amber Meadow marks the third release in the coveted Harmony Collection from The Macallan. Created in partnership with the renowned McCartney sisters, this limited-edition whisky draws inspiration from natural Scottish grasslands and childhood memories on their family farm. Ages in a blend of predominantly American sherry-seasoned oak and bourbon casks, they impart distinct notes of fresh citrus, creamy vanilla, coconut and bright barley fields, beautifully capturing the essence of the Scottish countryside. In celebration of The Macallan’s journey to nurture nature, discarded meadow cuttings have been given new life within Amber Meadow’s sustainable box and bottle label.

 

anCnoc 16 YO

From the Knockdhu distillery you will enjoy anCnoc 16 Year Old tonight. One of four expressions in anCnoc's new range, the 16 Year Old has spent the entirety of its life maturing in American oak ex-bourbon casks. On the nose you will experience honey, fresh green apples, spiced vanilla and rich caramel, with a medley of sweet citrus, fudge and candied banana on the palate.

The finish pleasantly lingers, with notes of sweet vanilla and coconut.

 

The Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III

This gallery of ecstasy continues to unfold on the palate with immense pleasure. These enticing complex flavours are attributed to one thing only – wood. Not just any wood but six different styles of casks specially selected and meticulously blended to produce this Royal Dram for your enjoyment. Aged Oloroso and Madeira provide the perfect backbone and structure, displaying warm flavours of crushed almonds and rich citrus fruits, while the heavy Port and Marsala casks add hints of wild berries and fleshy ripe plums. Warm whispers of vanilla and creamy caramel from Bourbon barrels combine perfectly with the sensual elegance of the Cabernet Sauvignon. A feast of flavours which reflect Dalmore’s royal heritage and noble spirit.

 

Johnnie Walker Black Ruby

Inspired by the rich depth of Johnnie Walker Black Label, Black Ruby reimagines our signature smoothness with an unexpected burst of dark fruit, honeyed sweetness, and delicate smoke. Crafted with innovation at its heart, this new interpretation is a testament to the artistry of blending, balancing carefully selected cask finishes, from first-use red wine casks to PX Oloroso and ex-bourbon casks. The nose is a captivating bouquet of ripe raspberry jam, blackberry pie, and dark cherries, layered with hints of golden honey and toasted oak, and a whisper of subtle smoke. The palate is a vibrant flavour explosion - luscious fig, juicy plum, and maraschino cherry lead the way, complemented by deep caramel, dark chocolate, and warming spice. A delicate wisp of smoke lingers in the background, adding depth and intrigue. The finish is long, smooth, and indulgently rich. Sweet vanilla, oak spice, and lingering fruit fade into a gentle warmth, with a final whisper of delicate smoke that leaves you wanting more.

Course Description

Now more than ever, corporations are investing heavily in IT. The quality of these investments affects the daily work of millions.

Yet it’s not uncommon to see industry surveys where the failure rates for IT projects is over 50%. It’s possible to do better and it’s possible to do so consistently. Use the Business Model Canvas to focus your company strategy and facilitate buy-in from stakeholders.

In this two-week course, we’ll step through major challenges within corporate IT and how to address them with the disciplined use of design thinking, Lean Startup, and agile as a team framework.

Translate your work on the Canvas to specific charters in IT. Rapidly prototype strategically-aligned processes for implementation within your IT infrastructure. How do you define a customer-centric strategy you can actually execute? To do strategic IT, you’ve got to have a strategy! Ideally, you need one that’s easy to understand and use as a clear basis for action.

That’s what you’ll learn in this course.

A Short Description

A customer-centric way of doing business is a way that provides a positive customer experience before and after the sale in order to drive repeat business, enhance customer loyalty and improve business growth.

But, a customer-centric company is more than a company that offers good service. Both Amazon and Zappos are prime examples of brands that are customer-centric and have spent years creating a culture around the customer and their needs. Their commitment to delivering customer value is genuine – In fact, Zappos is happy to fire employees if they do not fit within their customer-centric culture!

But, how important is being customer-centric? The good news is that’s becoming very important! Econsultancy recently asked what the most important characteristic is in order to establish a truly “digital-native” culture. The answer to that question and leading the responses with 58% was to be customer-centric.

Enroll in this course to find out.

A Memory to Cherish

Banquet

Photography

 

A full selection of banquet imagery is available to download or purchase. To download, favourite the images with the heart icon, and when you have selected all images you require, select "Favourite" from the top menu, input your email address, select the quality you desire (web for use on digital, or high quality if you intend to print). The system will then email you the correct files.