A WHISKY tasting business in Duloch is raising a glass to success after a neat launch.

House Drams has been founded by Dunfermline duo Thomas Cuthbert and Mattie McGuire, former pupils at Woodmill High, with pal Scott Souness.

All three have a nose for whisky and have turned their passion into a promising business that was born during lockdown boredom.

Instead of the Zoom quizzes that many people became accustomed to during lockdown, Mattie, Scott and Thomas would organise virtual whisky tasting sessions.

Sending out five or six samples to friends and family, the tasters would prove to be a huge hit and the penny quickly dropped that this could go down well on a larger scale.

All three, aged 25, worked in hospitality throughout university, with Scott and Thomas working in the Scotch whisky bar at the Balmoral in Edinburgh for a combined seven years.

They launched House Drams in March to make whisky more accessible.

“We realise how complex and, at times, intimidating it can be, so we want to break it down in a way that is approachable and down-to-earth”, they told the Press.

“We are three passionate whisky drinkers, eager to share our own, independent descriptions of each dram.

“Each tasting set feels like a journey, with each dram leading into the next to create a wee DIY tasting experience for our customers.”

Operating from Duloch, House Drams is selling whisky sets, comprising five 30ml whisky tasters, with supporting tasting cards and more information about each on their website.

Thomas said: “You get wee titbits about each dram in the tasting cards and if you want more, you scan the QR code which takes you directly to our own distillery profiles on the website.

“We want to go further by providing tasting notes for each dram and providing a bit of background on each distillery and include interesting facts we have picked up from years in the industry.

"Our USP (unique selling point) is our complete independence – giving us the freedom to shine the light on whiskies we genuinely love and not just those available in local supermarkets.”

Mattie said that they sold out of three sets in 24 hours, with another selling out a couple of days after and a final set almost doing the same. And House Drams' launch post on Facebook reached more than 40,000 people.

“It’s been the perfect storm for us,” he told the Press. “People are quite keen to support local businesses now."

They've had to restock quickly after their initial success and are selling whisky tasting sets, comprised of five 30ml whisky tasters, with supporting tasting cards and more information about each on their website.

Mattie added: “With pubs not being open just now, it offers something different.

"As you can’t get out right now, you can have a do-it-yourself whisky tasting experience in your own house and sample different brands that you would not get the chance to try if you were just shopping in the supermarket.

“We gathered so much traction online, so quickly. We expected good support from friends and family, but we’ve definitely been overwhelmed by the local community’s support.”

You can find House Drams on Facebook, Instagram at @housedrams and www.housedrams.co.uk.