If you are in the market for buying a special or unique whisky for yourself or a special occasion, then you must go here. We were able to taste test the bottle we chose before purchasing and also got a quick rundown of similar whiskies to help us narrow down our choices. We were so excited we ended up buying two bottles. This small shop is a hidden gem along the bottom end of the royal mile and everyone who works there is so knowledgeable about their selections. read more

Unbelievable knowlegdable staff. Did not feel like a tourist trap. Incredible selection and a fun space. If you are looking to uy some scotch, and I know you are, this is your place. read more

Cadenhead's is the antithesis of the Scotch Whisky Experience and the other tourist traps selling mainstream whisky on the Mile. It doesn't cater to the average tourist and the folks here won't walk you through Whisky 101 - that's not what they're there for. They're here to bottle single-cask whiskies with no additives from great distillers. If you need hand-holding as you make your whisky selection, this probably isn't the right shop for you - but if you know your firewater, this can be whisky heaven. read more

This is the best liquor store on earth! Come here for all your whisky bottles. They do a marvelous job at Cadenhead's.

Nice shop full of all guys working when we popped round, but they recommend making an appointment and also tastings are only on Friday. Bummer. Rick Steeves had given us great hope for this place but alas the timing was not in our favour. Probably not the place for the novice whisky drinker..they suggested a shop around the corner that does tastings on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but that still didn't align with our schedule. Lastly they suggested the walk back up the hill to the whisky experience right under the castle - eek we should have started there! This place has speciality whisky from all over in small quantities - things you won't be able to find elsewhere locally - unfortunately if you don't know what regions of whisky you like it is like going in blind to a highly specialised shop. A bit embarrassing for us! read more

Put simply, this little shop at the base of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh was the highlight of my two week European trip. If you are a whisky aficionado (like I thought I was), then you'll love this place too. The shop is a bit cluttered, and it takes a few minutes to orient yourself. When you walk in, you're either going to notice the list of authentic whiskies to the right, or the tapped casks to the left. Either way, you can't go wrong. Careful not to trip over anything - it'll probably cost you a couple hundred £. When I walked in, there was a family from the Netherlands buying several bottles of the in-house whisky - blended from the casks Cadenhead's gets directly from the distillers (before chill-filtering, added color, or any dilution). All their kids were waiting patiently as mommy and daddy were tasting (perhaps this has happened before???). They walked out with a very large supply. When it was my turn, the proprietor(?) really let loose his knowledge on me. My goal was to buy a bottle for some friends of mine, and I described the kind of whisky they like, hoping to bring something fairly hard-to-get back with me to the state to gift to them. And I got the full lesson - like a Freshman taking Physics 101 from Stephen Hawking. We walked around the store as he quickly went over styles, regions, distillery ownerships, what to look for, what to avoid. I think I absorbed about 20%, enough to know that I need to learn a lot more about the whisky process than what I personally like. After I had decided upon a bottle, I was also interested in a few tastes of their homemade stock. Hearing him talk to the couple from the Netherlands really got me interested. I think if I hadn't selected a bottle and had it in hand and ready for purchase, a free taste would have been tough to come by. The guy eyed me, eyed the bottle in my hand, eyed me again, and then begrudgingly determined that I wasn't a flight risk and that I would actually provide some income for the store that night. Wow, so good! One taste alone was all it took for me to walk out with two more bottles. And reasonably priced, too! If there wasn't a risk of me breaking bottles flying them back in my luggage then I would have bought even more. Like I said, if you like whisky, make this a must visit. Be prepared for a bit of attitude, or at minimum a gruff, guarded friendliness. They won't bite, but they will expect you to buy a bottle if you taste. There is also an adorable, friendly terrier named Maggie that has the run of the place. Might be the friendliest animal there! Final tip: Bow Bar in the Old Town carries some specialty Cadenhead's bottles behind the bar. I noticed them on a whisky crawl after my purchases and couldn't resist - just had to get another fix. For each glass, I paid roughly half of what a glass of Macallan 12 would run for in America...and Cadenhead's is much, much better. Stop in to Bow Bar before you make your purchases at Cadenhead's so you know the kind of quality you're in for! You're welcome. read more

Cadenhead's Whisky Shop - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

If you are really into Scotch, at least drop into the shop to peek at some of their unique, single cask bottlings. This is an independent bottler that will commission special bottlings of single cask Scotch, i.e. they will approach a distillery and pick out a specific barrel of Scotch that they want to purchase. So even if, say, Ardbeg doesn't make a 22 YO Scotch for retail purchase, Cadenhead's could have fallen in love with a specific 22 YO barrel from Ardbeg and want it all to themselves. So, along with regular retail Scotch, you can find one-off bottlings of single barrels chosen from all across Scotland. Check their chalkboard on the wall for the current ones available. When I visited, all the super desirable distillery bottlings were sold out already :/ But there were still plenty to choose from. This is a fun to learn about Scotch but even better place for the hardcore enthusiast. read more

For all your Whisky needs!!... Cadenhead's is exactly what you would expect from a whisky shop on the Royal Mile. It's aimed at tourists who want to experience Scotland, but I have a family friend who frequents Cadenhead's as their selection is whisky is amongst the best in the city. I'm not a whisky lover (yey - i think it's the sort of thing that comes with age) and so I didn't appreciate it totally, but I do know that Cadenhead's is a brilliant place to stock up. They even offered samples so I could see which one I would have liked. If you're looking for whisky, Cadenhead's is as good as any. read more

Cadenhead's Whisky Shop - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Amazing place. Make their own Scotch and give samples from the kegs behind the counter. Unfiltered, not colored. Staff was very knowledgable. Learned a ton about what to look for when buying in states. Bought a couple bottles for home. This scotch is high octane. Add water to your liking! The store is located on the bottom of the Royal Mile on the right hand side walking from the castle. read more

I guess this review is to reinforce the others. I thought I knew my single malt whisky until I came here. Chris was the employee who assisted me, and he was excellent. The Royal Mile is a hectic and fast paced strip of tourist traps, but this was an oasis and Chris took his time with me while we journeyed through different parts of Scotland. He gently let me know that my expertise was a great "starting point" (basically a nice way of saying "rookie") and we then sampled our way around the country. We ended up buying a nice 24-year old bottle that isn't exported to the states (Auchroisk Distillery), a 12 year GlenDronach (to pair with a cigar), and finally a store-bottled Campbeltown Malt. Christmas in July :-) I had three goals and they were all achieved in one store: 1) Learn more about whisky from Scotland 2) Find a great whisky that I can't get in the States, and bring a bottle home 3) Find a great whisky that I can find in the states (if I look hard) and bring a bottle home Check, check, and check. Go to Cadenhead's. I can't remember for sure, but I think I ended up spending about £150 and feel great about it. read more

I stumbled into Cadenhead's with a friend that was visiting from London... to be honest I'd never noticed the place from my 2 years in Edinburgh! Being in Canongate, the less frequented end of the Royal Mile, the tiny store is easily missed.. My friend knows a thing or two about whiskeys and was well impressed with their selection. They even had a whiskey from our native New Zealand!! (Neither of us even knew NZ produced a whiskey, and we both worked in hospitality for a long time so we're expected to know about these things!!) There is a huge board telling you about all the cask whiskeys they have, ie. stuff which isn't bottled and labelled already, like the stuff you see in all the other stores... this is apparently the "raw" stuff which hasn't been blended and tweaked with, so even if you manage to get two bottles of the same stuff, there's no guarantee it'll taste exactly the same, as one might have sat in the barrel longer etc etc. (I wont pretend to know the intricacies...) I never knew you could buy whiskey in this form!! They are also very well stocked on lots of whisky books and magazines, my friend bought two books which he hadn't been able to find anywhere else... The guy who runs the store, whose name I should really remember, is amazingly knowledgeable about whiskeys and he'll talk your ear off all day if you give him the chance!! He's very approachable, and I didn't feel stupid for asking some (probably rather obvious) questions... He's happy to let you have a few tasters, if you ask him, as well... As someone else mentioned, he also runs whiskey tastings at the toll booth pub across the road once a week.. each time has a different theme.. I should really get along to one! Yes, some of the stuff is a bit pricey but for friendliness, range and knowledge of product, this place can't be beat! read more

I enjoy whisky though don't really know enough about it to talk particularly intelligently. Nevertheless the gentleman at Cadenhead's was friendly and helped me find something unique from Scotland to take home, based on other whisky's I've liked. Super friendly folks and great whisky. I'm not sure what more you could ask for. read more

This part of The Royal Mile is definitely far less repellent than the area closer to the castle, and it's evident in the manner of which it's tourist shops feel just that little bit less contrived . Cadenhead's has a slightly treasure trove, fascinating feel about it, and can be worth a look just for a gawp at how much gullible tourists will stump up for a 25 year old malt that tastes the exact same as a bottle of Lidl's gutrot. Plus, anywhere that has a bearded nut in full fishing gear (waders and all) manning the counter is deserved of five stars. read more

We just happened to pass by the Cadenhead shop along the Royal Mile. They have an impressive collection and a board with their scotches by region. They're an independent bottler. The staff is knowledgeable and very friendly, clearly passionate about their scotch. One bonus is that they have 200ml bottles, so you don't need to commit to an entire 700 or 750ml bottle, and it's not disproportionately more expensive for a smaller bottle. read more

I agree with the other reviewers, Cadenhead's Whisky Shop is the best there is if you're looking for a wee tipple to put in your hip flask of an afternoon. The shop is very traditional in style, is well stocked and well organised to. As soon as you step in you find yourself surrounded by every whisky under the sun. Heaven for a whisky drinker; a bit overwhelming for a tea drinker like myself. Candenhead's is an excellent choice if you are a whisky fan as the staff are very knowledgeable about all the malts and will be able to help you out. Also excellent for gift ideas for the whisky lovers in your life. read more

Whisky heaven. Whisky means water of life in Gaelic and the moment I stepped into Cadenhead, I felt full of life. Their collection is magical and entirely unpretentious. The staff is very knowledgeable about their whiskies and the fact that you can buy your single malts straight from the cask - beautiful. I loved everything about this shop down to the fact that they still write down transactions in a book and they have this adorable Scottish terrier running around the shop. Go here. It's not a tourist trap. Trust me. I've lived in Edinburgh for years. read more

Friendly little shop with good selection of whiskeys at reasonable prices. Staff was knowledgeable and offered tastes of different whiskeys. I think this probably the most reasonable of the ones on the mile. read more

Unbeatable knowledge and selection. Our visit was truly an education and I very much appreciate Neal's patience with us. We knew next to nothing about whiskey when we arrived (and most of what we knew was wrong) and we left much wiser. I love that they seek out gems, set them aside for aging and add nothing - absolutely nothing to the whiskey. Few distributers/distilleries can say that. Get yourself some unadultered, additive-free whiskey right away - you can taste the difference. Their handpicked selection they're calling 'Campbeltown' was out of this world. Hurry before it's gone. Our friends raved about it as well. read more

Excellent shop for whisky you can't get at home (USA). Josh, the youngest guy working there, provided tasting samples for over a dozen bottles of 200 ml cask ends I bought, and was extremely helpful. Even though there tasting sessions were all booked for the days I was in Edinburgh, I was able to taste a variety of whiskys that he thought I might enjoy. The Campbeltown blend from the living casks is the hidden gem in the shop, 14 pounds for a 200 ml bottle of cask strength whisky. I wish I had picked up more! The Islay blend is not bad either! read more

I also attended the qype event... As has been said below, Mark, our 'guide' for the evenings whisky tasting session was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. A true asset to the company. As you would expect from a whisky tasting session, we tried a selection of whiskies which, in my opinion at least, ranged from meh to mmmmh. My own personal favourite was highland glen(?) which was straight from the cask! I also learnt that chocolate is an excellent accompaniement to whisky! Overall, a very enjoyable and informative evening. 5 badger stars read more

Cadenheads is a lovely little shop, it has a lovely smell when you go in and they make their own whisky and have a huge range of whiskies in general. They don't make any of the usual blended whisky and have retained their 'traditional' methods. Although it's on the tourist drag I wouldn't say it was solely for tourists. If you aren't familiar with whisky or not sure of what whisky to buy they allow you to try before you commit to a whole bottle. I went to a whisky tasting with Mark. I went along knowing next to nothing and not having really drank it very much previously but I really enjoyed it. Mark was so knowledgeable, there was nothing about whisky he didn't know! The tasting was great as a good variety of whiskies were offered and even I was able to differentiate and decide what kind was my favourite. It was interesting finding out more about one of our national drinks. I can't remember the name of it but the whisky to the left in the barrel at the bottom was my favourite! read more

wonderful selection of whiskies! I thought the prices were quite fair; yes, some of the whiskies are expensive, but they're more expensive closer to the Castle!! I purchased a Glendronach 23, bottled by Cadenhead, for £77. An Aberlour A'Bunadh batch 50 for £37. I thought those were good prices. Should have brought a bigger suitcase!! read more

Unassuming shop that is like the Holy Grail of whisky (and other spirits). They have everything you want and more, and they hooked me up with more samples than I could ever imagine. It's actually a little overwhelming but the staff was warm and helpful. If you like whisky or are looking for a special bottle to take home, this is the only place to stop. read more

If you are visiting Edinburgh, this is the whisky shop to visit. Great service, super patient, incredibly knowledge and cask whisky available to be bottled while you wait. If you are looking for a gift to bring back home or just a for an unusual whisky - they have many whisky's that you will not find anywhere else at any price. I can't say enough good things about the whisky I bought and for the great service I received. read more

Attended a whiskey tasting and Josh did a great job of taking us through a flight of whiskey and explaining what the difference between them was. I would go back again and look forward to having the whiskey we will enjoy back home. read more

This excellent little shop at the East end of the Royal Mile has a relatively small selection but what it has is very good -- including a number of special releases -- and well priced (within reason, of course). The staff seemed a bit snobbish, although very knowledgeable, but if you show more than a passing interest in and understanding of whisky then they warm quickly and seem happy to share their knowledge with you. read more

I did enjoy a browse in Cadenhead's, although I nearly fell of my perch when I had a scout at the price tags- this place ain't cheap. To be fair, I didn't really expect it to be bargain basement because of the location, but this seemed a little more expensive than right minded people would be willing to pay! They did have a plethora of Whiskies though, which must be like porn to the avid Whisky lover. The staff are very knowledgeable, I didn't even ask any questions yet they offered me some advice, so they must love what they do. It sells Whisky; good Whisky. read more

Love this place! So much whiskey to taste so little time!!! Friendly staff and the whiskey they offer and the knowledge they share are both priceless! Wish there was a Cadenhead's across the street from me! :) read more

I visited Cadenheads when my love of whisky was really taking hold. I couldn't get enough of single malt's variety and rewarding flavours. Finding Cadenheads was like discovering a treasure trove. The staff were nice, the selection was very wide, and the atmosphere was just right. Really worth going to when you're in Edinburgh, and I can't wait to go back... 7 years on! read more

This is a review of a whisky tasting I attended at the shop. Five whiskies were presented for the tasting, and Mark, the host, expertly took us through each whisky in turn using the them to illustrate the various approaches and developments in the whisky making process. After each tasting we were invited to offer our opinions on each one after which Mark would tell us a bit more about the whisky and give us some background. Some of the whiskies were accompanied by chocolate to show how whisky could be used to complement the flavours of both dark and milk chocolate. Mark was an excellent host whose warmth and charm put everyone at ease and enabled us all to participate in discussing what can be a very intimidating subject to novices such as myself. I was also impressed by Mark's refreshingly unprejudiced attitude towards whiskies. Mark strived to teach us that cost and age don't always correlate with good whisky and that even the cheaper blends shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. Mark offers whisky tastings which are tailored to the audience and which can be conducted along varying themes. I'd recommend anyone with even the slightest interest to pop along to the shop to find out more. I'll definitely be headed back to see what else is on offer as well as to pick up a bottle or two. All in all, a very enjoyable evening. read more

Been coming to the shop for a few years now, and you can't find a better whiskey shop anywhere. Have learned tons that I didn't know even existed. I can honestly say we are now Scotch snobs, but before you judge me, visit the shop and taste what you didn't know even existed at cast strength! We have shared the wealth of this shop to so many people, friends and family, that my wife and I, are wanted by them, to take them all, literally, to the shop for the experience. It's about 70 people! Every time we go, we leave with two or three bottles and wishing we could have brought back three or four more! If you want what you or anyone else can't get anywhere else you better get a move on!!!!! Big P.S. You can't find a better, more knowledgeable, or accommodating staff!!! The Best read more

Really I couldn't fail to give the place 5 stars since I was lucky enough to attend a free tasting there the other evening run by the highly knowledgeable and personable Mark who also happens to be shop manager. He's a really extensive knowledge and makes his tastings interesting. I believe we were at a beginners event and he is happy to tailor events to suit his audience. Cadenhead's is Scotland's oldest independent bottler and although they do sell standard bottlings, their own bottlings are exclusive - straight from the cask, no colourings, filtering or dilution which are all treatments which the normal branded bottlings are subjected to. It's a fascinating place to visit and Mark is keen to find a whisky appropriate to your taste. A great place to buy exclusive gifts with a huge range of exclusive bottlings. you can make high quality pricey whiskys affordable by buying in smaller volume bottles direct from the casks in the shop, I think 330ml and 500ml. Also a great place to take foreign guests to. read more

I wandered into this shop at the quiet end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. I found one of the managers available when I entered, who was very helpful in describing the varieties of whiskey available and educated me regarding the development of whiskey in Scotland. After an inquiry regarding a particular whiskey from the Speyside region, I was able to taste test a particular single malt which I was interested in which was excellent, and rare (not available in the US). I would definitely recommend this place if you wanted a superb quality scotch. I visited a variety of scotch retailers in Scotland and this was by far the best! read more

I hated wiskys. Yeck gag puke Then I went to cadenheads as a turist and realized I know nothing about scotch. This place was great! So how can I get a good whisky from there when I am in America? Does anyone know who will ship to me. I'd gladly pay Tenzo read more