Over the course of an hour or so, and with the assistance of our whisky instructor, Lauren Wylie, our group swirled amber liquids, added a few drops of this, a bit more of that, laughed and wondered whether it was all going to be drinkable when we were finished.
The master blender class is one of several tours and tastings available at the award-winning Glengoyne Distillery, which has been producing single malt whisky since 1833. Located in a beautiful wooded valley near Killearn, it is about 24 km north of Glasgow.
If you are travelling in the area, don't bypass Glasgow. Once easy to miss, in the last decade or so, it has come on strong as a capital of fashion, design, arts and music. Seasoned clubbers like to party there, and for shoppers, it's retail therapy to the max.
Glengoyne is the southernmost distillery in the Scottish Highlands. The village of Balloch at the southern end of Loch Lomond is just 19 km away. Gorgeous Loch Lomond's rugged peaks and hidden glens are steeped in mystery and romance. This is the land of the legendary Rob Roy MacGregor, immortalized by Sir Walter Scott, and visitors can visit his cave and the farm where he was born.
In one of those quirky things that make Scotland such an engaging place to visit, the Highland line, which notionally divided Highland from Lowland Scotland, splits the distillery in two. Glengoyne is distilled in the Highlands and matured in the Lowlands. There's no doubt this is an ideal spot for making whisky. Clear, soft water is filtered through the rocks of Dumgoyne Hill that towers behind the distillery and flows through the wooded glen to the waterfall at the distillery. It imparts a delicate flavour to the whisky that reflects the milder climate of the southern Highlands.
As we learned on the tour, Scotch whisky is made with just three ingredients: Water, barley and yeast. The distillation process for all whisky is basically the same, but the fascinating thing about Scotch is how different it tastes depending on how many years it is aged, the skill of the craftsmen, and especially, on the region where it is made.
Traditionally there are four main whisky regions in Scotland -- the Lowlands, the Highlands, Campbelltown and Islay, along with a couple of areas such as Speyside (where more than half of Scotland's distilleries are located) and the Islands (Mull, Skye, Orkney, Arran and Jura), which are subdivisions of the Highlands. The Lowlands in the south produce soft, light spirit with a refined, delicate flavour; and the mountainous Highlands to the north result in a variety of characteristics from dry and heathery to sweet and fruity, and some with a hint of smoke. Campbelltown single malts are full bodied and known for their slightly salty finish with a peat flavour similar to that found in an Islay malt. The Islands produce robust whiskies with a coastal salty tang and fresh sea air. And Speyside produces mellow, sweet, malty and particularly fruity malt whiskies.
BLENDING SESSION
Along with the distillery tour, we sampled Glengoyne's 10-year-old offering, a light, golden-coloured whisky with a sweet, apple flavour that is a good introduction if you're not too familiar with the liquor. For those with a more knowledgeable palate, there is an opportunity to sample from Glengoyne's full range that includes 12, 17 and 21-year-old whiskies. Then it was on to the blending session.
You don't have to be a whisky expert to enjoy the class. Nose (smell) each whisky, taking note of its characteristics and colour and then just mix as you please. The certificate of excellence we each received recorded the amounts of our special formula, and although I can't divulge the recipe, mine was a blend of two grain whiskies, plus a bit of Glengoyne, and others from the Lowlands, the Highlands, Speyside and the Islands.
Each of us got to take home a wee bottle of our blend, and it was every bit as tasty as I hoped it would be.
DETAILS
The master blender session is L30 (about $53) per person and includes a welcome dram of 10-year-old single malt Highland whisky, guided distillery tour, a dram of Glengoyne's award-winning 17-year-old single Highland malt whisky, and the master blender class complete with a 100 ml bottle of their own blend.
Other activities include: The Glengoyne Tour (about $10) per person, which includes a welcome dram of 10-year-old whisky, a video and guided tour; Wee Tasting Tour (about $13.50), includes the Glengoyne Tour, plus an additional tasting of 17-year-old whisky; Tasting Tour ($27), includes the Glengoyne Tour above, plus additional sampling of the 12-year old, the 17-year-old and 21-year-old whisky. See glengoyne.com for more.
As part of Homecoming Scotland 2009, May has been declared Whisky Month. More than 30 festivals, events, special distillery tours and tastings, are taking place across the country. These include whisky weekends, a whisky auction and Whisky Galore -- A Musical. See homecomingscotland2009.com for details. For information on travelling in Scotland, see visitscotland.com and visitbritain.ca.
