Chris Sletvold's Trip to Scotland, Part 3

Our final day of whiskey distillery touring has finally arrived and the one distillery I was looking forward to visiting was Glenkinchie which was located in the Lowlands not too far from where we were staying. After a 20 minute drive we arrived at our goal. Unlike the other distilleries this one was more rolling hills and surrounded by farmlands. This tour was the most in depth of all the tours we took. You really got to feel the history and see how this distillery really got its great reputation. The museum part of the tour gave you a true understanding of the whiskey making process from beginning to end. We were invited to taste the Glenkinchie 12yr and the Glenkinchie Distiller’s Edition when we were finished. When asked how they replace the stills when they become old the tour guide said the roof of the distillery actually comes off and they are able to crane the old still out and the new one back in.

After leaving Glenkinchie we decided to check out the The Scotch Whiskey Experience located in the heart of Edinburgh. We made our way down the cobble stone roadway and came upon the building. Located right next to the Edinburgh Castle this excursion is actually a barrel ride that takes you through the history of Scotch and drops you off in what most Scotch drinkers would call “heaven”. Every type of scotch known to man was lined up wall to wall for sale to the consumers. Unfortunately for us in order to get on the ride in a timely manner on a Friday you had to have reservations. So we looked around the store for a bit at the different types of scotches. A few of us bought some scotch to take back with us that you can’t normally find around the U.S.

For some of us it was the last day in Scotland so we spent the day walking around the city exploring its heritage. Luckily for Mick and I we were staying an extra day so on Saturday we were able to do a tour of the Edinburgh Castle and watch a wedding take place there as well. After a long week of learning and drinking our week abroad in Scotland finally came to an end. I’ve learned more on this trip than I could have ever learned from a book and can now tell customers of my experiences and findings in Scotland.