Visiting Distilleries

I'll put in my usual vote for Edradour, but it depends on what you mean by 'accessable'.

Jim

I visited Glengoyne when I cam across the pond a few years ago, top notch stuff. Nice views, good people, and oh yeah, the whiskey!

Jim schrieb:

Hi Jim,

when we went to Scotland (several times by now) we visited at least 1 or

2 distilleries at one day. And I must say: there were all "accessible"; a warm and friendly welcome everywhere. If you are interested in reading a bit about visiting distilleries, go here:

The most impressive visit was on Islay Bruicchladdich and Talisker on Skye. About Bruicchladdich and Jim McEwan we wrote a little essay here:

Bye, Steph

We went to Dewar's World Of Whisky. I'd had a horrible feeling it was going to be populated by people in big whisky bottle costumes, waving you in (think Disneyland) but nothing could have been further from the truth.

The tour is in three parts: A film, a walk around a mock-up of the original offices and study of the founder (with a wee telephone-like device where you dial the number on the wall/exhibit and hear a voice commentary), then finally a guided tour of the distillery itself. When we went it was just the pair of us and they moved the tour forward for us - very nice. Donald (the guide) gave a very good tour and was a very approachable and personable chap. He even went into some of the details concerning the barrels themselves, something I don't remember happening at Edradour or Glenkinchie (or at least not in the detail that Donald went into).

At the end of it you are given a taste of either their 12yr Special Reserve blend (which is rather good for a blend) or their 12yr single malt (Aberfeldy). As it was just the two of us (and my wife had kindly elected to drive) I was able to sample both. They also have a section containing scent bottles that contain 6 different types of scent in the blend, the idea being that you try to recognise them in the whisky itself.

All-in-all, Dewar's was the best tour I've been on.

Jim