The History of Napier Whisky Society

Napier Whisky Society was founded in 2004 by a few friends who got together in the students union and wondered if their shared passion for whisky could spark into something new.

In an uncanny semblance with story of how whisky itself was invented some 1500 years ago, the first people to get involved with what became Napier Whisky Society were also predominantly Irish.

2004-2006 Tony 'the founding father' Milroy

“So is it Whisky? Or Whiskey?”

Likes: Whisky

Dislikes: No Whisky

The first meeting was held sometime around the back end of 2004 in the run up to Christmas in the little back room of the Students’ Union underneath NSA HQ. The first ever tasting consisted of a choice between Black Bottle or Jamiesons(?). Attendees paid £5(?) to enter, and about 6(?) people came along. No one can really remember what happened after that!

These events started occurring on a regular basis in the New Year, and our founding father ‘Tony Milroy’ assumed the position of President/Captain. It was at this point that the young Faye Black became part of the society (Faye later went on to become the Distillery Manager of Isle of Arran!).

2005 passed into 2006 and the Whisky Society started to make use of Merchiston Tower Boardroom. It was at this point that the society adopted the ‘Nobgoblin’ as its emblem, taking it from the decorated ceiling in the Boardroom.

A strange disagreement broke out between Tony and Jim in 2006 over the alleged photographing of an individual on ‘the throne’. A retribution act was arranged involving a shirt and something even more unspeakable… some words were exchanged, and Jim took over from Tony in the Spring of 2006. Apprently, everybody’s good friends again now.

2006-2007 Jim 'Principal Paddy' Kane

“We shall make a rule, that the society will always come here every year – and that they must play pool with the locals!”

Likes: Bruichladdich Dark Arts

Dislikes: Laphroaig

By this point, the annual Islay Trip had become something of a tradition (the first being in Easter/Summer ’06. The first society rules had also begun to emerge, such as scoring whiskies in Monkeys and Chimps, and only amending the Society constitution, known as ‘The Kilchomanifesto’ on the annual Islay trip. By now the society had become something of an institution and after reaching the quorum for voting, elected its first official President: Jim Kane in 2006, the society now fell under the formal authority of the NSA. Jim built up the society further by encouraging new-comers at the stand which the society was now allowed at Fresher’s Fairs. He also had the unenviable task of keeping Scott ‘Swany’ Swan under control – the Presidential hopeful, who would one day trigger the inaugural creastion of the first ‘Chief Operative in Charge of Being Swany’.

2007-2007 Alex 'The German' Uhlmann

“Eh?”

Alex ‘The German’ took over from Jim in his last year – Alex’s reign was short, and when he left many of the original founders also graduated and left with him; leaving Bryan to continue the society onward. If someone tells us some more about Alex we’ll write it here…

2007-2008 Bryan 'Vimes' Snail

“It’s whisky Jim, but not as we know it!”

Likes: Bowmore Lovehearts

Dislikes: Campeltown Loch

Bryan was a Presidential legend! A divorced ex-police officer triathlete, who had been a contender in a Britain’s Strongest man competition some years back – Bryan was one of a kind – but very modest also, in fact, he has written 12,344 emails to date so far asking us to change all of this to ‘Bryan, he came from Glasgow’.

Bryan inherited a bag full of glasses, some table mats, a lot of expectation and not much else. He had to build up the society up again almost from scratch as virtually everyone from the year before other than Liam and Nico had left.

Bryan’s towering legacy is best remembered by a death-defying mad dash to Kennacraig where he utilised his VIP motorcade training to get the team to ferry on time. After a casual unguarded statement in the pub some hours later rumours started circulating that this same Bryan had once driven as an armed escort to the former Prime Minister Magaret Thatcher’s motorcade! Bryan, of course, denies the rumours. See the Official Secrets Act for further explanation…

After Bryan left in April ’07 his successors arranged the first ever ‘Summer Executive Bonding Trip’, a tradition that has been repeated ever since.

2008-2009 Stuart 'MacTeuchter Gilpie' Campbell

“My uncle built that…”

Likes: non-commercial single cask private bottlings

Dislikes: anything you like

Stuart Campbell began his reign as President with a number of first time achievements. He was the first President to get 50 people to a meeting, he was the first President to get a guest speaker to a tasting, he also took the society on its first non-Islay outings, to Glengoyne and the Spirit of Speyside Festival, and he is the only President so far to secure an annual sponsor.

His Treasurer and Secretary both went on to become Society Presidents and beyond the head-butting of gravestones, roaring at randomly kilted Scotchmen and other insanities Stuart’s year can best be remembered for his taking of the minibus on a trip around his homeland of Lochgilphead and proceeding to tell the assembly of every single house and bungalow his relatives had lived in, built or moved into. Stuart also formalised many of NWS’s particulars with the NSA, such as lodging the Kilchomanifesto as the formal ratified constitution of the society.

Stuart went on to become Sports and Societies Treasurer for the NSA in 2009-2010 where he gained a lot of respect from a great many quarters for his impartiality and commitment against corruption during the infamous press-censorship Journalgate fiasco of 2010.

2009-2010 James 'Horatio Swordsman' Paul

“Snappers! …Snappers! Bring me more Snappers!”

Likes: Dalwhinnie 15yr

Dislikes: Glenburgie 10yr

At least 112 people made it along to the first meeting in James’ reign, the team even had to turn away latecomers who had booked – such was the post-Freshers popularity. Fast adaptations to the format of meetings were made to cope with the influx of new people this year, and the Treasurer frequently found himself carrying away four-figure sums of money from meetings! Lecture theatres were also used for the first time to cope with the numbers whilst James’ enduring legacy remains as the indispensible but now ubiquitous ‘Calendar’. The high points of the year were the legendary winter trip to Orkney during the ‘Big Freeze’ of January 2010, where snow gates were actually seen to be closing behind the minibus as the last vehicle to go through that night. Other notable evenings included an MP turning up to a ‘General Election’ tasting and the ruthlessly fair but nail-bitingly tense ‘grand-slam ballot papers’ – a first-past-the-post election system that kept names anonymous.

Tensions between the NWS and NSA grew during James’ year, but the ship was held together and after finishing his year as President, James passed over the Presidential reins to Callum, leaving him with about a thousand pounds in the kitty, a rejuvenated members list, and a supporting executive-elect of 6 other members. Times were looking up.

2010-2011 Callum 'Von Trapp' Toulson

“If this is the worst thing that happens on this trip…”

Likes: Sheffiled Utd

Dislikes: Sheffield Wednesday

Callum began his reign by exercising his usual bilingual trick of attracting half the German speaking population of Edinburgh to the first meeting – and it didn’t half work! Another new society record for numbers, although this time – we didn’t run out of whisky!

Callum’s reign carried on the good work of his predecessor, attracting even more people than ever before and arranging trips to the likes of: North Berwick, Speyside, Loch Ness, Islay, Jura, Lewis and Harris. Tensions between NWS and NSA escalated even further this year, but Callum managed to keep a lid on things, and an agreement was set in place so that the NSA bar would not close early on whisky nights. This was arguably the most travelled year in NWS’s record and Callum also oversaw the first whisky tasting on board a train, taking place in the seated section of the Caledonian Sleeper from Fort William on the eve of the Royal Wedding; and that same evening it is indeed true that he was later personally escorted off Waverley station at 1 o’clock in the morning by our friends at British Transport Police to the tunes of ‘We’ll be coming down the road…’ and ‘You’re drunk, you’re drunk, you silly old fool...’. Yes, Callum’s year went out with a bang and what a year it was – he reformed the voting system to make it less agonising for contenders, and after his time as President he passed on the reins to the infamous and one and only: Wolfgang!

2011-2012 Wolfgang 'Bondage' Foster

“Thatcher…. Bloody Thatcher!”

Likes: Gentleman Jack

Dislikes: Anything expensive

It is a hard thing to describe Wolfgang to anyone who has not met him, he definitely has to be met to be believed. A grave digger, and the son of a preacher man from Newcastle, he wears a rape mask most of the time but has lived his life by three simple rules:

1.  Never glass a child

2.  Never hit a woman

3.  Never a cross a picket line

It is yet to be seen what his year will bring, but I guarantee you – if it is anything like the man – it will not be dull! Every President leaves their mark on the society in some way or other, and we have already decided that when Wolfgang eventually leaves his position – the position of COICOB Swany will revert to COICOB Wolfgang in his honour.

We’ve got an interesting year ahead of us!