Whisky Tour

Now, I've come to the conclusion that you can't live or visit Scotland without ever going to a whisky tour and tasting. Whether you're a whisky lover or a complete newbie, this is something for everyone! Just as long as your 18 or over..
Early this morning, Hannah, Matilda and I, along with roughly 45 more students, hopped on a coach that would first take us to the world's most awarded single malt Scotch whisky distillery, Glenfiddich.

The Glenfiddich distillery was first founded in 1886, by William Grant, who built the distillery entirely by hand with the help of his 7 sons and 2 daughters, and 750,000 stones. "Glenfiddich" in Gaelic literally means Valley of the Deer, this is why their signature logo is a stag. Their signature single malt Scotch whisky is matured for 12 years in both sherry casks (imported from spain, costing around £400 each), and bourbon casks (imported from America, costing around £30 - 40 each). After this, they are married together in oak casks, which creates the smooth and harmonious taste. And the longer the whisky stays in the casks, the smoother is will be, but also more expensive! The colour of the whisky comes from the oak wood of the casks- the longer it's in their, the darker the colour.
After the 15 minute tour, we all got to try their 12 year single malt whisky which was, as they say, fruity, refreshing and warm.

Glenlivet was our next stop, which was founded in 1824. The Glenlivet single malt Scotch whisky is the best selling single malt in the United States, and second biggest in the world (Glenfiddich being the first). The Glenlivet 12 year old single malt at 42% (one of the three whiskies we got to taste), matures in both American and European oak. The American oak gives the whisky notes of vanilla and its distinct smoothness. The second Scotch we got to taste was the 18 year old single malt at 43%, which was my personal favourite. It was much darker in colour but also more balanced in flavour in my opinion. Lastly, we got to try the Glenlivet Nàdurra 16 year old single malt Scotch at 54% This whisky was obviously a lot stronger in taste but also a lot lighter in colour. This whisky is more true to the style that they drank in the 19th century. There is more body to it and has a richer texture, because it contains  more natural oils from the grain.

It was very interesting to me that there are actual laws in Scotland for whisky. One of those laws says that a single malt Scotch whisky must be bottled in Scotland. Also, it must be matured for at least 3 years, and the whisky must never be under 40%

I also want to point out that if you ever plan on going on one of these tours, you musn't be afraid to try them. They only give you about 25ml to taste, and you take small sips. They also recommend to pour a few drops of water in it to dilute it a bit so one can taste them better. So I can assure you that no one will be singing on the way home. Trust me, I went on this tour with roughly 45 students....

please drink responsibly