Audio & Whisky Masterclass Event, Anquan Salon

First published in FNL-Guide in December 2025

The two-day FNL event unfolded in its own rhythm, and I attended the second evening, the one accompanied by a sudden Athenian downpour, the kind of storm that tries to derail your plans but ultimately fails.

Despite the weather, the afternoon began exactly the way a proper listening experience should: unhurried, with FNL’s guests arriving from 7 p.m. at the beautifully arranged Anquan salon, each holding a classic Dalmore 12 in hand. Alongside it, small pairings, charcuterie, bites, everything needed to warm up the mood before entering the core of the evening. Over the iconic McIntosh amplifiers, the gaze of David Bowie stared back from a large painting by Vasilis Antonakos, the first sign that here, sound was treated not only as technology but as culture and aesthetics.

Seats filled quickly, the event was intentionally intimate. When it began, Nicholas Bernand, CEO of Anquan Greece, opened the night. With a simple and engaging manner, he took us through the history of listening: from the mechanical age of the gramophone, to vinyl, to CDs, and eventually to modern digital audio. The conversation naturally led to the present day, to McIntosh amplifiers, the philosophy of Sonus Faber, and the importance of true quality when we talk about sound.

Next, Simos Tagaras, brand manager of Concepts Greece, passed the torch from sound to whisky. He spoke about whisky’s history, its types, and how Dalmore, with its obsession for detail, from the distillery to the cask and the entire process, manages to stand out in a category filled with masterful single malts. At one point, both speakers converged on the same idea: just as the wood of a cask defines a whisky’s character, the wood of a speaker cabinet elevates the listening experience. Ultimately, whether discussing hi-fi or whisky, quality is objective, even if personal preferences vary.

Our “journey” continued through the speakers. We listened to different systems, different sound signatures, and as the intensity of the experience rose, so did the Dalmore labels: from approachable to increasingly complex expressions. The transitions between setups, McIntosh, Sonus Faber, Moon by Simaudio, and even a reminder of the Marten system that had just been sold, gave the evening a natural sense of progression. At one point, the listening session paired with Dalmore 18yo, a whisky with a mature character and clear notes of spice and wood. Its presence matched the more “open” sound of the setup that embraced you harmoniously, as if two different forms of detail briefly met. The parallel evolution of sound and whisky created a beautiful continuity, turning the comparisons between each listening stage and each sip into a sensory masterclass of its own.

When the masterclass concluded, the space opened for personal listening sessions. Anyone who wanted could play their favourite track and hear it in a way they probably never had before. A few guests even brought their own vinyl, determined to test how it “played” on a premium setup.

The Audio & Whisky Masterclass was one of those events that clearly demonstrate what a curated experience truly means. Anquan provided the space and expertise, Dalmore offered the right labels, and the result was an evening that elevated both sound and whisky, exactly what one expects from an FNL production.