Hedonist Project Leeds is the all-new Lower Briggate watering hole that you’ll find serving a very nice whisky selection. Set to overhaul its identity every 3 months with new menus, food and name, it’s safe to say this is a concept bar that we won’t be tiring of. You’ll find it in the space that used to be occupied by Wokon Noodle, unashamedly looking like a typical mock-up of East London garage-style bars with its exposed brick, scaffolding shelves and low-hanging squirrel lights. Small but comfortable, it encompasses the characteristics of a mature, masculine retreat suited to those wanting to pull off a stiff jacket and have a warm tipple at the end of an office shift. The guys kindly invited me down to sample a few whiskeys from their menu upon opening – which I was wary of at first. I’m not a seasoned drinker and given my relative youth, my palate is only acutely trained to grasp individual nodes. But the guys at Hedonist Project appreciated this – and I did not have to feel embarrassed, as they declared the whiskeys available suitable for both virgins and connoisseurs. Collectively, the team have a wealth of experience behind the bars of Leeds, so they expressed confidence in being able to pair you up with a suitable drink from their 60-strong collection. In fact, the evening panned out in a manner geared towards newbies, as the first dram I was introduced to was the Haig Club Single Grain Scotch Whisky. This was a landmark for the whisky world upon its entry to market, more so because of the David Beckham endorsement rather than for setting taste buds on fire. I can picture how hardened Scottish dram drinkers would have reeled at the thought of this footballing pretty boy flaunting his Haig Club bottle around like it should be a fashion statement. But ever the marketing mogul’s dream candidate, if you put Beckham on a poster, I’m interested. And – the chunky electric blue bottle, reminiscent of an expensive cologne, was something I took quite a fancy to. I could see how the very purpose of this drink is to hook in new, twenty-something year old candidates like myself. “It’s entry level”, I was told. Swilling the caramel coloured concoction around, I followed their instructions to repeatedly press my nose into the glass and inhale, so that I could try pick up and differentiate between different scents. Vanilla – butterscotch – oak? But only in the distance? It was hard to tell, but it was an approachable smell – nothing on the toxicity scale. Whiskey Heaven at Hedonist Project Leeds To taste, the Haig Club packed a similar punch as a crisp vodka. But with no depth, no smoke or richness, it didn’t feel all that much like whiskeys I’ve tried before. Taking up a couple of mouthfuls of water to rid myself of the citrus aftertaste, I surprised myself at feeling ready for a more sophisticated, traditional offering, beside my companions that seemed to really like this one. It was the next three drams moved us into this arena. All single malts, these were the Dalwhinnie, the Talisker Port Ruighe, and the Singleton Sunray. I feel these will each become a standard up-taking for anyone coming to Hedonist Project Leeds that is fond of the menu at Smokestack – with the second and third being my personal favourites. The fifteen-year-old Dalwhinnie, matured in American oak bourbon casks, had a fruity palate that extended into the deep tastes of honey and barley. The Talisker presented a rough explosion at the back of the mouth and was the most intense yet warming of all, with a smoky, peppery kick layered over a subtle sweetness – a drink perfectly apt for the Christmas season. I’ll certainly be back to Hedonist Project Leeds try more in the coming month, and could not recommend heading on down highly enough to strengthen your whisky-handling aptitude.