Cheers to Whisky – the water of life!
It was one of those days in 2008 when I first tasted Macallan and came to the realisation that whisky is not whisky if it’s not a single malt. A sip of an 18 year old Macallan will lead you to agree that whisky is the drink of life, as the Scots would say!
And so, armed with the passion for Macallan, a little bit of fear, coupled with an intense craving to see how Macallan is made, I made the solo trip to Inverness in Scotland!
I flew domestic from London to Inverness, over the many hills and lochs of Scotland, eager to arrive and taste the drink of life from the source. I arrived in the middle of winter in early December and hired a local guide to drive me around. Well, I love to drink too much so have decided not to bother learning to drive, one pleasure in life is quite enough for me…
On the first day, I was driven to Elgin, a small town close to Inverness, home to local whisky brewery – Glen Moray. The whisky was not quite so memorable so I moved on to a whisky store and tasted one that took my breath away – the Benromach Peat Smoke.
Seriously Smoky. Intense. Yet Elegant.
The evening drew near and I bravely had dinner with the driver I hired to take me around Elgin, a town where quite possibly, I am the only Asian girl. Dinner was pleasant and the night ended with a visit to a local bar. I satisified my cravings for Laphroaig that evening and had an early night.
With anticipation, I woke the next morning all excited, like a little girl ready for Disneyland, well, of course, this ain’t a trip to meet Mickey & friends, I was very much looking forward to being at Macallan.
A 2 hour drive followed and we arrived at the vast compounds of Macallan, overlooking the River Spey. I signed on the tour, along with 4 other British gentlemen. We went through the full production process, breathing in the malt, followed by my favourite part – Warehouse 7, where we were told “The Story of Oak” and saw barrels and barrels of whisky maturing in their special casks. To top it all, we had a tasting session and to be honest, only the 18 year Macallan made an impression. All in all, it was a good trip, not as impressive as I had anticipated, but that’s because I started falling in love with Laphroaig just before I made the trip.
The 10, The 12, The 18 and The 30... The 18 stood out!
Mission Accomplished... Next - Laphroaig in Islay!
After the mission was accomplished, I set out for the infamous Whisky Bar at the Highlander Inn Hotel in Craigellachie, in search for the whisky lover known to many as Tatsuya. I visualized an engaging conversation with Tatsuya over whisky, but unfortunately, I was too early in the day and missed seeing him. Nevertheless, The Whisky Bar is quaint and very lovable, with an excellent selection of whisky, from small distilleries in Scotland and popular choices from Japan. I had another Benromach Peat & Smoke before I embarked on my journey home.
It is true that whisky is the water of life. Water from the grand lochs in Scotland, blended with love and a little peat – I have no doubts that I will still be loving a good single malt in the decades to come. Next stop – Laphroaig in Islay, Summer 2010!
If you’re keen to plan a trip to Scotland to savor the single malt, check out the site http://www.scotlandwhisky.com – a great resource for booking a whisky tour. Or go on the famous Malt Whisky Trail at http://www.maltwhiskytrail.com.
Enjoy.
