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Published: September 10th 2008
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The Whiskey Trail
They do make it easy to follow! “Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whiskey is barely enough.”
-- Mark Twain (who else??)
In spite of my latish night, I was up with the birds. I tried to lie in for a while, but nothng doing. I think it was because I was moving to a different part of Scotland today and was excited to get going.
I packed up Nessie and hit the road. First stop on the agenda was Cawdor Castle. Although not that impressive, it is famous for being the castle where Macbeth killed Duncan. Being the good English major that I am, I felt a bit obligated to at least stop by. I arrived around 9.00, only to discover that it doesn’t open until 10.00. I’m not that big a fan of the play, so I decided to give it a miss and move on.
My plan for the day was to do the Whiskey Trail. Unlike “Macbeth,” I am a huge fan of single malt, so I thought this would be a fun way to see what is on offer. It turns out that there are over 80 distilleries in the Highlands, with only a few
Benromach
First on the list. Note, please the blue sky. This was a very rare sight!!! open to the public. As I was driving along, I was astounded at the sheer number of them, displaying names famous to anyone who has ever worked in or sat in a bar.
The first stop on the tour was the Benromach distillery. This one is famous for being the only company that makes completely organic single malt. The man at the visitor centre offered me a taste, but I thought that 10.00 in the morning was a bit early. I did fall into conversation with him and learned that Benromach sponsored the Glasgow boat in the 07/08 Clipper Round the World Race. We had a long chat about it and what it meant for the distillery. I told him that I would love to do the race one day; he looked at me a bit oddly and told me he likes his feet on terra firma. Lovely man.
From there, it was on to Dallas Dhu. This distillery no longer works, but they use it to show people how the process works. It’s actually not all the complicated. What makes each whiskey different is the shape of the still, the water and the amount of peat used
Dallas Dhu
Second on the list. No longer a working distillery. in the drying process. It was a very interesting tour.
On to Glen Moray. Not very exciting, but I did get to see a yeast truck leaving its cargo. That was kind of fun.
Then to Glen Grant. This distillery is known for its gardens. I was in the mood for a bit of a walk, so I paid the entrance fee and walked all through the gardens. While I was there, I got a call from a former colleague of mine that really made me mad, so I decided that is was a good thing I was walking in such beautiful surroundings while I calmed myself down. A taste was including in the price of admission, so I had my “wee dram”. That really improved my mood!
Next was Strathisla. Long drive, only to discover that this is the distiller that makes Chivas. I am not a fan, so this was a very quick stop. I must admit, however, that the building itself was beautiful and the tastings are done in a room that looks like a manor house library. I didn’t taste, but it was lovely to look at.
A change of pace. I
Dallas Dhu
Where the barley is stored -- one of the few ingredients needed to make malt whiskey. stopped to see the Speyside Cooperage, the place that makes the vast majority of the casks used by the distillers I was touring today. Very interesting film about how casks are made and then one can watch it actually happening. I did learn something new. A barrel and a cask are not the same thing. A barrel is a 36 gallon cask. I do love trivia.
Finally, went to see Glenlivet. Now, this one is very close to my heart as it is one of the first ones I drank when I moved on to single malts. This place is huge and I got there just as it was closing, so I decided to come back another time.
I made the drive down to my new hotel, driving across the Cairngorms. Simply lovely range of mountains that was awe inspiring. It took me a while to get across as I kept stopping to take photos.
I finally arrived at my new hotel; nothing special, but beggers can’t be choosers. Dinner was simple and I made my way into the bar. I arrived just in time for quiz night. I actually did all right, considering I was on
Dallas Dhu
The barley is mixed with water and allowed to steep so that the sugars all come out. my own. I won one of the rounds, but lost overall. It was great fun to actually interact with people for a while!
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