Scotch, scotch, scotch. I love scotch.

Just like Ron Burgundy in Anchorman, we love scotch. And by 'we' I mean Vinny and I. The girls? Not so much. But we give them tons of credit for trying.

In Scotland, scotch is just whisky (with no 'e', in Ireland it is "whiskey" with the 'e'). Of course they dont call it scotch like we do. Just like how in China it is just food, not Chinese food. Or in France, it is just toast, not French toast. or in Hamburg they just call it an 'er'. 

Today we went on a private guided whisky distillery tour hosted by local expert John Alasdair MacDonald. He picked us up from our B&B this morning and we headed out at 9:30. Nothing like drinking whisky at that hour. 

Our first stop was Cragganmore. A smaller distillery near where we stayed. 

Our tour guide, Stuart, explained the process in a conversational way. While he lacked a plan of how he wanted to educate us, his charm and the quaintness of the facilities made up for it and we enjoyed our time there. At the end we got to sample their 12 year and 13 year distiller's edition. They were both good and I was pleased that Savannah really liked the distiller's edition as I was scared she wouldn't like any of them. Actually it was more like she didn't hate it, which is a positive step. Vinny and I also got to sample their 21 year old whisky which was good, but I too like the distiller's edition most.

We were then off to the next place. Also, it should be noted that this was our last full day in Scotland and the weather once again was amazing. Everyone kept mentioning how rare it was so we felt lucky. Our guide, John, said they get a full great week like this once every 5 or 6 years. Great. See you in 2018! 

Next up was my favorite, Glenlivet. Immediately we saw a difference in scale as the facilities are more grand and much newer. The visitors center is quite new, large, and with a cafe. It was clear they see a lot of visitors. 

We agreed the Glenlivet stop was the best.

Also our guide, Rebecca, was more experienced and had a plan and a script she followed. Not that it was better or worse because Stuart really cared, just different, which was good for us to see differences amongst the brands. They also had some props there for the tours which made our eduction a little easier. She said the same things Stuart said on the whole, but this time we got it. 

Then there was the scale. The distilling building was huge with giant mashers and distillers all computerized so that one person can operate the entire thing from a central hub. It was quite impressive. 

At the end of the tour we got to sample the Glenlivet 12, 15, and 18 year old whisky. They were all good, most of our group preferred the 15 while I preferred the 18.  She also gave Vin and I a taste of the 30 year which was dark and tasted really smooth. 

Then I did something really special. They have a deal where you can bottle your own 18 year cask strength whisky. That means they don't add a little water like they do with most bottles.

I talked with Savannah and we decided that you don't go to Scotland every day and the 18 is my favorite scotch so I did it. Plus it was only a little more than a regular 18 year old bottle so I thought it would be worth it.

It was a thousand times over.

I got to get a new bottle, pour the whisky straight from the cask, cap it, mark it, label it, and box it. It was so much fun and something I will remember forever. I was bottle number 146 from cask 2, so this is something they just started and I am so glad I did it. We will have a drink on special occasions for years to come.  Click the link to see the whole process. 

My Own Personal Bottle

After Glenlivet we went to lunch in Aberlour, a cute town in the middle of the distillery region. John recommended a great spot called the Mash Tun (named after a machine in the whisky making process) and we had some great soups and sandwiches.

Then John took us to an old bridge over the River Spey, the river which provides the water for all the distilleries in Speyside. It was a great old bridge with medieval looking turrets. Then John showed us a little spot under the bridge which you could wade into the water. Vinny really wanted to touch the River Spey so he did. Then we felt like we had to as well. It was such a beautiful day and having our feet in the river felt great.

Our last stop was Macallan. The grounds were vast and beautiful and the estate sat overlooking the valley and the river. Going in, this was Vinny's favorite and the one he looked forward to most. The tour was done by Angus, a nice young lad of about 24. Like the Glenlivet tour, there was clearly a plan. Plus on this tour, there were even more props and items setup, making it much like a museum in the presentation. 

The famous Macallan House.

The depth of information was the most of any tour, which was nice as we learned more even though it was our third. However, the tour ran long and some of the buildings were hot (not their fault since nowhere out here has A/C) and after a full day of drinking we were wiped and we almost fell asleep. Poor Angus. Lastly the whisky they gave us was not the best as they gave us their lowest levels of stuff. So Vinny was pretty disappointed and didn't even buy a bottle. Very sad. But we still enjoyed the place as we went to take a picture in front of the famous house that adorns their bottles. 

It was time to return home. John delighted us on the way with some authentic Gaellic (his first language as it turns out and one of just 60,000 who can speak it). He also talked about the history of Scotland and the clans. He also loved that I have Clan Donald heritage like him (MacDonald) so he told me of that history too. It seems we MacDonalds were the leaders of the clans and quite rebellious. Then we went bankrupt. Oh well.

We returned back to the inn, had dinner, and now came to bed. It was another long terrific day filled with great memories. Tomorrow we head to the Emerald Isle. 

Click below to see our out of order pictures from the day. :)

Our Day of Scotch