Shortly, I’ll be launching myself into the whisky industry. My blog will be taking a new direction and whisky will be making a big appearance, alongside communications chat.
I’ve recently been immersing myself in the land of whisky, with an aim to learn and understand as much as I can about this magical potion. There are loads of expert whisky blogs out there, but I haven’t come across many that cater for the beginner…
Join me on my newbie adventures, what I’ll learn, and the places I go to find out all about Scotland’s famous tipple.
If you’re a novice to whisky and need to find a starting point…
The Scotch whisky experience (Edinburgh)
…is a good place to start!!
http://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk
It’s located on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, a stone throw away from Edinburgh Castle.
The tour begins with a barrel ride taking you through the whisky making process (I’ll cover more of this on distillery visits).
Afterwards, you are invited into a room for a sensory experience to learn about the Scotch whisky regions. The scratch and sniff cards help define the characteristics of each area… They also act as a teaser before the taster session.
It’s good to start with scotch whisky in the different regions.
Scotch whisky characters
I like to think of the different regions as whisky characters at a party. They are all different and each bring something to the table. It’s a great way to remember them and also makes it more fun!!
What type of whisky characters would you take to a party?
- Highland: Spicy and full bodied in the north. Light and fruity in the South. Honey, caramel, vanilla, floral finish
- Speyside: Sweet aromas and rich flavours. Known for it’s sherry casks, particularly the Macallan. Sweeeeeet! Toffee, floral notes, apple, pear, honey, grassy
- Islay: Peated and strong flavoured whisky. There are many layers to an Islay malt, very complex, very peaty, very smoky!!
- Lowland: Light bodied and mild. Grassy notes, ginger, honeysuckle
- Campbeltown: Peaty, salty, fruity, vanilla, smoky
My verdict: Who would I bring to a party? Speyside! All about the quality, rich and sweet. Let’s face it… he’s pretty cool as well 🙂
Although, just like the Highland character… sometimes it can depend on your own mood!
Dufftown is the “Mecca” of whisky…oh, and “The Glenlivet” is just over the hill! I would love to see an in depth blogging of this magical area😍
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Speyside whisky tours. Wonder how long it would take to visit all the distilleries in Speyside?! I’m up for that challenge! Haha. Will let you know how I get on with Glenlivet 🙂
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you live there…make it your life’s work!
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Taken a shine to Loch Lomond Distillery since its takeover a few years ago. The new owners intend to market the Loch Lomond Single Malt and Single Grain whiskies. Claim it is a Highland Malt as the water comes from Loch Lomond, but the distillery is just on the Lowland line. The standard Loch Lomond Single Malt Scotch Whisky with no age is extremely smooth. Enjoy your trip to The Glenlivet – pity the 12 year old is not longer available in the UK due to shortage of stocks. There is a rebranded Glenlivet with no age for the UK market at the same price; bit of a con!
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That’s interesting.. marketing it as a Highland Malt when it sits in the Lowlands… Loving the whisky world- learn something new everyday. Plan on checking out Auchentoshan next, seems pretty close by to Glasgow. You a fan of the Lowland whisky brands then?
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Great blog. Always nice to see a newcomer to the whisky world. I’ve always said there’s no such thing as someone who doesn’t like whisky, just someone who hasn’t tried the right one yet! As for me (if I can only take one) I’m taking Mr Highlands so I can have the most variety!!
Slainte!
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Thanks. I like your thinking 🙂 I went to a whisky event last night. The smell of an Islay malt puts me off but once I start drinking it seems to make the others seem quite weak. Could be a love/ hate relationship with Islay malts…
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