Scotch

by - Sunday, June 02, 2019

Okay, I admit it. Scotch is one of my guilty pleasures.

Don't get me wrong, I like a good bourbon or the triple distilled smoothness of an Irish whiskey, but my favorite among the whiskeys is still Scotch, single malt, blend, or even single cask, which is right up my alley here in Scotland. And no, I'm not a snob. It's a matter of personal preference.

As I have already mentioned in my first Scotland post, the locals are very well aware of what they have to offer to the whisky (without an 'e' here in Scotland, mind you) lover, as numerous billboards at the airport in Glasgow seemed to confirm. Now it's time to go beyond what you can find in the stores or at the airports in the U.S. or Europe. Johnnie Walker, Glenfiddich and Dewar's are decent whiskys, no doubt. But now it's time to see what the competition at home has.

Plenty, as it turns out.

Most distilleries are in the north of the country, as I learn. Nothing wrong with that, only I don't want to travel that far to enjoy the spoils. I don't need to, either. Almost next to Edinburgh Castle, I discover the Scotch Whisky Experience, a building that attracts tourists with a love for a good distilled drop, mostly from the Highlands. Here, the visitor is treated to a tour of what makes Scotch a Scotch (answer: the grain, barley, plus the simple fact that it has been distilled in Scotland; see Stilton Cheese or champaign, for other brand name references), the humongous whisky collection, and a tasting, of course.

Later, I run into the Whisky Shop off Victoria Street near Grassmarket. This shop is no bigger than our living room back in Frankfurt, yet it has more Scotch per square inch than an oak cask at a distillery. I pick up the Scotch industry's very own magazine, Whiskeria. Notice how some sports teams have an official sports drink, some have an official breakfast cereal, while others have an official airline, chocolate, soft drink, dish soap, you name it. According to the magazine, Edinburgh Rugby has their own whisky, as in Glen Moray, and single cask, thank you very much. Time to up your game, Budweiser. If these guys can get rugby players to pose with whiskey bottles and glasses, where is the product placement with Bud products?

In the end, there are too many good Scotch bottles, so I can't recommend a single one. Highland Park is good, Glen Scotia is another one I liked. Then there is also the 15-year Benrinnes that caught my attention. More single malt, of course, due to budgetary constraints. I had one single cask Scotch, a Laphroaig, as I recall, and it was divine.

In the end, I only experienced a drop of the whole Scotch experience. And I enjoyed every bit of it.

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