Meet the stockist series #4 – Will from Dunkeld Whisky Box

The Dunkeld Whisky Box is in a beautiful part of Scotland, with the River Tay right on your doorstep

Are there any other local businesses in the area you want to shine a light on for visitors?

Of course! We’re really lucky in Dunkeld to have so many independent shops, pubs and cafes on our doorstep — too many to mention them all! We’re regulars at the Perth Arms right across from our shop, Redwood Wines, and Aran Bakery.

We love your Instagram account; do you have any tips for other retailers to keep their customers engaged online?

Thanks! We just do our own thing and keep our social media as authentic to DWB as possible. It’s a great tool for reaching people, and it’s worth putting time into engaging with messages and comments.

Have you got any advice you would like to share with entrepreneurs entering the alcohol retail sector?

When we started developing our ideas for DWB, we spoke to some lovely people who had already been there. Getting advice from potential suppliers and other retailers helped a lot. The biggest learning point for us was the licensing process and how long it takes for vital paperwork to come through.

Do you attend industry events or tastings? If so, which two would you recommend?

We don’t have a lot of spare time to attend events, unfortunately. There are only three of us working in the shop, and Helen and I have a small child, so there’s not a lot of free time for whisky events. We did go to the Whisky Fringe in Edinburgh in August, which was great fun, and we’re hoping to get to the Fife Whisky Festival next year.

What are your top three whiskies (excluding GlenWyvis)?

Today, Helen says Old Pulteney 15 Year Old, Will says Kilchoman, and Alan says Springbank 15 Year Old. But to be honest, this changes all the time depending on the time of year, what we’re eating, where we are, who we’re with, etc. That’s the great thing about whisky — there’s a favourite for every occasion!

Have you had a memorable tasting? If so, where was it and what made it memorable?

Probably our first Zoom tasting at the start of lockdown. We’d never done anything like that before, so we had no idea if people would want to do it, if the tech would work, or if it would even be an enjoyable experience! Turns out it was a hit, and we ended up doing nearly 70 Zoom tastings throughout the COVID restrictions.

We like your Drop-in Drams themed tasting board. Do you think this encourages your customers to try something different before they make a purchase?

Yes, definitely — and that’s why we offer whiskies by the dram during shop hours. We try to offer interesting whiskies at a decent price, including bottles that are sometimes a bit tricky to come across to buy, let alone taste. We get a lot of people in the shop who are new to whisky, as well as enthusiasts and everyone in between, so it’s important to us that customers can pop in and try something new. We change the board regularly too. We’ve got a tasting special coming up for our local Dunkeld and Birnam Unplugged Festival (climate change awareness week), which will highlight distilleries at the forefront of sustainability in the industry.

Do you think your profession changes how you drink whisky, or would you say it deepens your appreciation for it?

We’re lucky that it’s part of our job to taste whisky! We probably do spend more time than the average person discussing tasting notes.

Do you follow any industry bloggers or social media accounts that you would like to share?

We keep an eye across the board, to be honest. We have some lovely repeat customers who are pretty active on Instagram, but we don’t have favourites!

Do you have a favourite whisky bar?

Yes — The Diggers (also known as Athletic Arms) in Edinburgh. Helen and I used to live a 5-minute walk from there, so it was our local. We try and go back whenever we’re in Edinburgh, partly for nostalgia and partly because of their incredible selection of whiskies by the dram at extremely fair prices. Toasties are still only a couple of quid too.

To keep up with the latest from Dunkeld Whisky Box, visit their website, Facebook page and Instagram account.