Distillery and Whisky News October 2021 - Lagg
Hello whisky lovers and welcome to our October edition of Distillery and Whisky News.
With winter and Christmas on the horizon (bottles of whisky make very good Christmas presents, hint hint), the thought of a holiday in the sun is starting to send us a bit loopy. Alas, until Covid has gone (one day!) leaving the country isn't really an option for us at DistilleryTours, so we're revelling in Staycations.
If you missed our write up on our Islay Staycation, check it out now. So many distilleries, so little time!
And if that's not inspiration enough, we found another gem from the lovely people at the Inverurie Whisky Shop - read on to whet your whisky whistle!
DistilleryTours Podcast - Wolfburn
This month we spoke to Mark Westmorland, global brand ambassador for the Wolfburn Distillery in Thurso.
Mark talks about the team at Wolfburn and how each of their strengths makes the Distillery thrive, how their motto of ‘Fortune favours the brave’ leads them in all they do, and how choosing his favourite whisky is like choosing his favourite child.
Thanks to CalMac for sponsoring the podcast - if you're visiting the islands this year check out calmac.co.uk for travel information and tourist inspiration.
Date with a Dram: GlenDronach
Our Date with a Dram this month is with the GlenDronach Distillery, nestled in the valley of Forgue, deep in the East Highland hills. GlenDronach is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, creating the finest richly sherried single malts for nearly 200 years.
GlenDronach Cask Strength offers connoisseurs a deep insight into the distillery’s signature character, by bottling at the whisky’s natural cask strength of 59.4%.
The ninth release of this expression has been matured in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks, resulting in a characterful and richly-sherried Single Malt, with the full depth of maturation in Spanish oak.
The nose is of cocoa, liquorice root and baked orange on a base of sultana bread and crème brûlée.
The taste is of treacle toffee and raisin-filled toasted brioche crescendo to baked apple and bramble pie, butterscotch and star anise.
The finish has layers of richly roasted malt, with lingering dark chocolate and espresso.
Competition Time!
Want to be in with a chance to win a bottle of GlenDronach Cask StrengthBatch 9? Simply follow DistilleryTours.scot on Facebook and share our 'Date with a Dram' post dated 30 September. The lucky winner will be chosen at random and announced in our November newsletter!
And congratulations to Joanne Carson from Belfast who won last month's competition to win a bottle of Benriach Distillery's 2005 Cask Edition - enjoy, Joanne!
You must be 18 years old or over to enter. Please note, will never approach you for your credit card details or personal information, send you friend requests or ask you to click on a link. Please stay safe online.
Venue of the month: Inverurie Whisky Shop
A tasting at the Inverurie Whisky Shop
Much more than just a shop, the Inverurie Whisky Shop offers the complete experience when it comes to whisky.
The Shop itself is home to more than 500 whiskies from across the globe, including their own exclusive whisky collection only available at the Shop. But that's the tip of the iceberg.
In addition, they host tastings in the Shop, at your home, your workplace, or wherever you'd like them to be. They arrange tours of distilleries in the Aberdeenshire and Speyside areas, including stop offs at hidden beauty spots for a quick refill of fine whisky. Their Private Bar above the Shop is available for hire, which is completely flexible and can be tailored to suit your occasion.
But the icing on the cake for us, is their Highland Whisky Academy - a week long holiday, including accommodation and travel, to immerse yourself in the world of Scottish whisky. Exploring distilleries and learning from the masters of the art of whisky making, whilst unmasking secrets and stories from the Aberdeenshire and Speyside whisky communities.
We rather love their quote - "a behind the scenes experience that will have you arriving with whisky on your mind, but leaving with it in your heart."
Book us in please!
Find out more about the Inverurie Whisky Shop and their experiences on their dedicated page on the DistilleryTours.scot website.
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Distillery of the Month: Lagg
Lagg Distillery on the Isle of Arran
For hundreds of years, to increase their income, small Arran communities made their own spirit in illicit home-made stills. The resulting whisky, which became known as ‘Arran Waters’, was smuggled from Lagg and sold on mainland Scotland.
In 2017, the owners of the Arran Distillery began building to revive Lagg's heritage - legally, of course! - and in 2019, they opened their doors to their beautiful visitor centre.
Their architects have created a spectacular building to echo the contours of Arran as you’d see it from Ailsa Craig. Its dramatic roofs are covered with a sedum blanket. This contains a mix of plants that change colour with the seasons.
Their custom-made copper pot stills were installed on the distillery floor in August 2018, and now sit proudly alongside their mash tun and four traditional wooden washbacks.
Find out more about the Lagg Distillery, their whisky, their tours and tastings on their dedicated page on the DistilleryTours.scot website.
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