One of the best things I did last year was to take myself off on a road trip around Scotland, which I wasn’t intending to be a busman’s holiday but which, for a few days at least, turned into one. While there, I got the chance to visit The Macallan’s unbelievably fancy distillery, so it seemed a shame not to visit some other producers while I was in the country, and I honestly can’t think why I’ve never done it before.
Seeing and tasting a drink in the place where it’s made is always a thrill, but distilleries, with their shiny, polished copper stills, are particularly dramatic. As with any kind of food and drink tourism, you end up understanding so much more about the product and appreciating the difference between one dram and another. (For the ultimate audiovisual experience, go to the Johnnie Walker experience on Princes Street in Edinburgh, which will also help you identify the kind of whisky you like – or win you round if you don’t think whisky is for you.)
