No go to to the Highlands, or another area famend for its whisky manufacturing, could be full with no tour of a working distillery.
Whisky distilleries are fascinating locations. They’re usually, however not all the time, buildings centuries previous, which are steeped in historical past and are accountable for among the hottest whisky on the planet. Whereas touring the services, you get to see the place the whisky’s made, the way it’s made, and can hopefully get to find out about it too. In case you’re particularly fortunate, you’ll get to get pleasure from a wee dram or two within the course of.
Due to their recognition, you’ll usually discover that whisky distillery excursions are a bit, let’s assume, samey, and all appear to comply with the identical format. Right here at Nice Drams, we’re all the time looking out for one thing completely different and revolutionary on this planet of whisky, and that features distillery excursions.
The Drawback with Outdated-College Whisky Distillery Excursions
We right here at Nice Drams are massive Nonetheless Sport followers. As followers of the present will know, the 2 primary characters Jack and Victor, are massively into their whisky. Particularly single malt. As luck would have it, in a single particular episode they discover themselves fortunate sufficient to win a free whisky distillery tour. Excited on the prospect of loads of free samples, they find yourself bitterly upset when, on the finish of the tour, all they obtain is one measly pattern and a well mannered invite to exit by way of the reward store.
‘Is that it?’ Jack exclaims. ‘I used to be simply getting a b****y style for that, there’.
‘Aye, it’s a con ain’t it’ says Victor. ‘Present you a few stills, give ye a few halves, then boof! Bounce you into the reward store and fleece ye!’
Now, I’ll have paraphrased the dialogue from that episode barely, and overlooked a couple of naughty phrases, however you get the thought. That a part of the episode particularly actually resonated with me as a result of it sums up the mentality of so many whisky distillery excursions today. They’re all the identical. You get a fast tour round a dusty distillery, get a tiny of pattern of their fundamental releases, and are then punted into the reward store, which in itself is greater than the distillery, and is vastly overpriced, and are anticipated to spend but more cash. There’s no coronary heart or soul in them.
In case you’re new to distillery excursions, or are searching for a technique to spend a drizzly afternoon on vacation, that’s high-quality, however for whisky purists, it’s merely not sufficient. Whisky distillery excursions ought to assist you to really feel and expertise whisky, not simply purchase it and any merchandise related to it. Whereas most generic excursions are all the identical, there are a choose variety of excursions up and down the UK, notably the Highlands, that supply unimaginable excursions that may captivate you from begin to end.
Beneath, you’ll discover just some of our favourites right here at Nice Drams.
Cardhu Guess DHU Tour & Tasting Problem
The primary tour we’ve bought for you at present is certainly one of my favourites, with out query.
Often called the Speyside residence of Johnnie Walker, the Cardhu Distillery was based in 1811 by Helen Cumming. Initially, it was a bootleg distillery earlier than turning into totally licenced in 1824. It is usually the primary distillery to be pioneered by a girl.
In 1872, Elizabeth Cumming, who was the founder’s daughter-in-law, took cost and started tweaking the whisky, refining its flavour and character to carry it nearer to the whisky globally adored to at the present time.
The Cardhu DHU Tour and Tasting Problem is the right time out and is incredible for these of you who love a problem, and wish to see simply properly you actually do know your whisky.
After receiving a guided tour of the distillery, the place visitors will get to study all in regards to the wealthy historical past of the distillery, and certainly, Speyside as a whisky-producing area, you may finish the tour with a nosing and tasting problem.
Right here, visitors will participate in a thriller whisky tasting problem within the Cardhu Assortment Rule. The purpose is to accurately determine as many whiskies as attainable. These with essentially the most spectacular rating will earn a spot on the Guess DHU Corridor of Fame, taking place in historical past as a whisky genius.
That is an epic tour and one which each whisky fan, particularly those that get pleasure from Speyside releases, has to strive sooner or later. It’s a totally immersive expertise which utilises particular results, lights, media, music, and sensory moments to actually set the scene.
With costs from simply £22, and a period of 1 hour and 90 minutes, get this expertise booked, you gained’t remorse it. Simply you should definitely arrive on the distillery no less than quarter-hour earlier than your allotted time slot.
