Dim The Lights turns Naalya into a rare whisky room

Dim The Lights in Naalya turned into a private whisky room on Wednesday night as it hosted an exclusive showcase of Diageo’s 2025 Special Releases collection.

The event brought together whisky lovers, collectors and tastemakers for a guided tasting of five limited-edition bottles from some of Scotland’s best-known distilleries.

Guests sampled The Singleton Glen Ord 17 Year Old, Clynelish Waxen Sun, Lagavulin 12 Year Old, Oban 12 Year Old and Talisker 14 Year Old.

UBL Reserve Brand Ambassadors Melanie Kaita and Steven Baguma led the tasting. They took guests through the history, craft and flavour notes behind each bottle.

The Singleton Glen Ord 17 Year Old offered orchard fruit and vanilla notes. Clynelish Waxen Sun carried a waxy texture and honeyed taste. Lagavulin 12 Year Old brought the peat smoke and sea character linked to Islay whisky.

“If you have been taking wine, you need some water to cleanse your palette, otherwise the whisky will confuse it,” Kaita guided guests during the session.

Oban 12 Year Old and Talisker 14 Year Old drew much of the attention on the night.

The two whiskies come from coastal distilleries in Scotland. Their tasting gave guests a chance to see how place can shape flavour.

Oban 12 Year Old comes from one of Scotland’s smallest and oldest distilleries. The distillery sits between the Highlands and the Islands. The whisky stood out for its mix of fruit, spice and coastal notes.

Talisker 14 Year Old, from the Isle of Skye, offered a stronger character. It carried maritime notes, peppery spice and smoke. Many guests linked it to the rugged coast from which it comes.

As Kaita and Baguma explained the stories behind the bottles, guests compared aromas, tastes and finishes. The session gave them a closer look at how rare whiskies are made and enjoyed.

The evening later took a different turn when an illusionist joined the room.

He used flavour perception to question how expectation shapes experience. He then performed a series of mentalism and illusion acts that left guests laughing, surprised and confused.

At one point, the performer appeared to touch participants without contact. He later revealed information written on cards that guests had held throughout the evening, drawing gasps and debate around the room.

The performance fitted the whisky session. Guests had spent the evening questioning what they could smell and taste. The illusionist pushed them to question what they saw and felt.

By the end of the night, the room was still split over the standout whisky. Some guests favoured Oban. Others preferred Talisker. Many were still trying to explain the illusionist’s acts.

For a few hours, Dim The Lights offered more than a whisky tasting. It became a space for rare bottles, stories and surprise.