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Whisky, Scotch, or in Gaelic the ‘uisce
beatha’; Scotland ’s national drink is one of its biggest
exports earning the country hundreds of millions of pounds each year.
Though other countries produce whiskies and may even call it Scotch,
it is only when it is produced and matured in Scotland that it can
be labelled ‘whisky’.
Whisky comes in many types and varieties; from malt whisky produced
in a malt kiln, to grain whiskies crudely produced in a patent still
and blended whiskies, generally a blend of malts and grain whiskies
to produce a rounded flavour.
Each type has its own merits, but it is malt and in particular Single
Malt Whisky, which Scotland is famous for producing. Most single malt
whiskies of Scotland have been produced to the very same specifications
for centuries. Their distinctive flavours are very dependant on their
location and there are five different whisky-producing regions in
Scotland.
The most well known is the Speyside and Deeside region in the Aberdeen
and Grampians area. Distilleries in this region utilise the fresh
running waters of the rivers Spey and Dee to produce famous brands
like Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and Glengrant and there is a whisky museum
and tour through the production at the now defunct Dallas Dhu Distillery
in this area.
The Highlands and Islands region produce a wide range of malt whiskies
with distilleries across this vast area and encompassing different
islands from Orkney to Skye . Their flavours can range from smoky to
sweet, mellow to harsh and it is well worth adding a stop at a distillery
or two into your touring itinerary of this region.
And if there is one place that should be added to any whisky tour
itinerary it is the tiny island of Islay , where there are nine distilleries
alone. Islay whiskies are known for their peaty flavour from the fuel
used to smoke the barley, though each whisky has it own subtle and
distinctly different flavour (we know, we’ve sampled them!).
The Lowlands region between the rivers Tay and Clyde tend to produce
softer flavoured whiskies, than their Highland neighbours. Whiskies
here are less well known and are often used in blends.
Most whisky distilleries understand the immense marketing and sales
benefits of tourism and welcome visitors at specific times for tours
of their facilities, culminating in a sample of the produce. Check
locally for times and prices.
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