Scotchwhisky.com is offering the chance to get to know some of Scotland’s most-loved and experienced whisky heroes in an intimate, yet fast-paced speed dating session. Each presenter will bring along one exceptional, rare dram with which they hope to win your heart, though they will have just 10 minutes to put their charms to the test. With only five people at each table, it’ll be an intimate affair with time to get know both your date and their whisky.

All proceeds from this masterclass will be donated to five charities nominated by our presenters.

Becky Paskin, editor of Scotchwhisky.com, will host the session while acting as stern timekeeper and wingman.

Five distillers. Five whiskies. One winner.

Alan Winchester is a veteran whisky maker, having racked up over 40 years of working in distilleries. During that time, he has been involved in every part of production, from mashing and brewing to warehousing, distilling and blending. One of the most respected whisky makers in Scotland, he is now master distiller for The Glenlivet and oversees distilling across Chivas Brothers’ entire distillery portfolio.

Dr Bill Lumsden is a biochemist with a PhD in microbial physiology. He has been working in the industry since the mid-1980s, but became well known to whisky fans after becoming Glenmorangie distillery manager in 1995. He is now responsible for all the spirit produced at Ardbeg and Glenmorangie, and – as head of whisky creation – is responsible for the distilleries’ many experimental releases.

Brian Kinsman started as a whisky chemist at William Grant & Sons in 1997, but his keen nosing ability motivated malt master David Stewart to take him on as his apprentice. After years of training, Brian took over from David and is now responsible not only for Glenfiddich’s single malts, but also the rest of the Grant’s range of single malts and blended whiskies.

Eddie MacAffer started work in Bowmore’s warehouses in 1966 before moving on to its malt barns, and eventually the position of master distiller. After spending 50 years with the Islay distillery, Eddie is officially retiring this October, making this one of the last opportunities for him to regale whisky fans with his tales of Bowmore.

Nick Morgan is head of whisky outreach at Diageo, the world’s largest producer of Scotch whisky. He may not be a distiller as such, but Nick’s knowledge of Diageo’s brands, the men and women who created them, and the strategies which made them world famous, is unsurpassed. Nick joined United Distillers (now Diageo) in 1990, when he established the world’s largest collection of historical material relating to the spirits industry. He earlier taught modern Scottish History at the University of Glasgow.