Distilleries here on the stormy sea coast of Sutherland were forever few and far between, yet malt whisky enthusiasts have always championed Clynelish™ over many more famous names. When the original distillery was built in 1819 by the future Duke of Sutherland, the quality of Clynelish™ whisky was so prized that only private customers were supplied. Over the years, Clynelish™ has continued to be held in high regard by experts. …Read More
Caol Ila
Nestled in a hidden cove near Port Askaig, the Caol Ila (pronounced “Cull Eela”) distillery sent its whisky to market by sea for over a hundred years. Sniff the air over a glass and smoky, sea-fresh aromas recall an age, not so long ago, when fishing and cutting peat were the traditional occupations in this part of Scotland. Few men make a living cutting peat on the island today, but …Read More
Lagavulin
Islay has been cradle to many things, early Christianity for one. But it is in malt whisky distilling that this fertile island, some twenty miles by twenty-five, has found its modern vocation. Here, in the still mainly Gaelic speaking community around Port Ellen, on the island’s south eastern shores, twelve men today craft pungent, dark Lagavulin™, made on this historic site at least since 1816. The sea has shaped everything …Read More
Glenkinchie
Glenkinchie lies, as the name might suggest, in a glen of the Kinchie Burn near the village of Pencaitland, East Lothian. It is situated about 15 miles from Edinburgh. The distillery is set in farmland. The name ‘Kinchie’ is a corruption of ‘De Quincy’, the original owners of the land. Its origins date back to around 1825 when it was founded by brothers John and George Rate. The original name …Read More
Dalwhinnie
When the water you start with comes from the highest mountain source of any malt, you expect something rather fine. And Dalwhinnie™, for whisky writer Roger Voss a “surprisingly soft whisky…from Scotland’s highest, most remote distillery”, does not disappoint. The source, Lochan an Doire-Uaine, (Gaelic for “lake in the green grove”), lies at 2,000 feet in the Drumochter Hills. From it, all the pure spring water used in distilling Dalwhinnie™ …Read More
Cragganmore
Original Cragganmore owner, ‘Big’ John Smith choose the distillery’s private location high on the Spey for a few great reasons. Barley is naturally a major crop in the area, the presence of Scotland’s fastest flowing river – together with peat from the uplands to the south is what lured Smith to this ideal location along with access to Strathspey railway line. The perfect place for the perfect distillery. And who …Read More