Whisky Tour 2010

Living in Scotland places me in the enviable position of being able to ‘easily’ acquire and taste a wide variety of malts and visit distilleries. This is something often overlooked but as I read appreciations of malts from afar, a real benefit compared to other drinkers across the globe.

I’ve recently signed up to the Classic Malts selection, which is a free club that encourages you to visit a clutch of distilleries. My membership pack arrived this week in the form of a small booklet that harbours information on each of the participating distilleries and tasting notes. The main advantage is that by producing this booklet upon arrival you don’t need to worry about paying any entry fees. Over the course of time this adds this adds up to a decent saving and I’m sure encourages you to spend a little more in the shop when you reach the end of the tour! The participating locations are:

• Caol Ila
• Cardhu
• Clynelish
• Craggonmore
• Dalwhinnie
• Glen Elgin
• Glenkinchie
• Glen Ord
• Knockando
• Lagavulin
• Oban
• Royal Lochnagar
• Talisker

Now I have visited a few distilleries in my time, but several of these will be a first. The other incentive is by having your booklet stamped at each location adds up to something special, as after six entries you quality for a Friends Quaich. Manage all eleven (some don’t entertain visitors) and you’ll have to send off the booklet to be bound in leather and signed by all the distillery managers. A small but enticing incentive to complete this tour of duty.

I’ll certainly make Talisker this year and driving past Dalwhinnie on my journey north every time, a brief visit is long overdue. Also on the cards is a visit to Bushmills, which I have visited as a teenager, but will be better placed to appreciate this time. Rounding off my Whisky 2010 Tour will be Clyneish although I will most likely drop in at Glenmorangie distillery at Tain, as my 15yr malt is almost done and needs replenished with something else. Balblair unfortunately don’t do tours otherwise I would be banging on the gates to be let in, such is the quality of single malt they are producing.

So this ramshackle tour will commence in May until the end of July. Expect some pictures to appear here in due course.