| One of the main ingredients in creating the perfect whisky, barley. / Courtesy of Rachel Sang-hee Han |
STUTTGART, Germany ― The one question I am asked a lot when I meet new German friends is about Korean liquor, or soju. A good friend joked that Germans are all about what you drink than who you are and this was, in fact, quite true because so many ask me about Korean traditional liquor.
Each country, or sometimes even a city, has its own special drink or liquor and so it has become a habit and a necessity of mine to possibly try and experience the drinks of every European city I visit. And I did just this when I was in Scotland.
From my experience, the Scottish knew how to have a good time, regardless the time, location, people and surroundings. The first time when I went to a bar to take a beer in Glasgow, I thought I walked into a party: there were people dancing, drinking, laughing, and talking with everyone. But it turned out to be just an ordinary Friday night. With many, many tasty drinks.
"We like to dress up, go out for some good music, dance and have some good drinks. It doesn't matter if it's a special day or if you are with strangers," said a 32-year-old Gavin who we coincidently started talking to. The conversation went on with questions such as "where are you guys from," "where did you go," "which other cities are you visiting?" This happened in almost every bar my party and I went to, proving, at least for us, that the Scottish know how to have fun and are not afraid to share it with strangers.
| The road to the Talisker distillery / Courtesy of Rachel Sang-hee Han |
Whisky tours
Scotland is divided into five distinctive whisky producing regions: Speyside, Highland, Islay, Campbeltown and Lowland. Each region has its own trail and tour of whisky distilleries, more than enough to satisfy your thirst, literally.
One way is to pick a region and stick to the distilleries located in that particular area and another is to plan your trip around distilleries of your favorite brands.
Getting there can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. Since many distilleries, not to mention cities, are in various locations, it takes some time to get to one place to another. However, the actual tour is worth the journey.
| After the whisky tour, distilleries offer two to three drams, or shots of whisky. Add a little bit of water for a more interesting taste. |
Scottish whisky is a fusion of water, earth, fire, air and the science and expertise of many people. And the tour shows the art of whisky making from start to finish, wrapping up with a glass or two of their finest whiskies.
It starts with a firm announcement to turn off phones and no cameras allowed. After all, electrical sparks and a liquor distillery doesn't and shouldn't go well together. The tours differ depending on the distilleries; some have small galleries with photos, posters and equipment used during the process, while others offer multimedia presentations. Most of them include a walk-in tour inside the distillery where you get to see the entire process, including soakingand germinating the grains, fermenting and distilling.
| Scottish whiskies must be kept in the oaks for at least three years by law. They are kept in these dark, quite damp cellars for required years. |
The final process is storage and maturing in oak casks. Scottish whiskies are stored only in oak casks by law because it's flexible yet solid and also adds a very distinct element to the liquor. Almost 90 percent of the whiskies end up in bourbon casks shipped in from the U.S., others in sherry casks, adding a bit of a softer, sweeter taste, and sometimes even vanilla notes, to the liquor.
One interesting term that popped up during the storage and maturation process was the "Angel's share." The Angel's share is the quantity of whisky that is lost to evaporation during the aging process. About 2 percent of the volume is lost each year. It's a shame, indeed, but this breathability of the casks is what makes them special, so apparently nobody is complaining.
Where to go
Whiskies can only be made where there is water; streams, rivers or even the sea. And because the water is so important in forming that special and distinctive taste and scent, it's better to visit two or even more distilleries to compare.
The malt whisky trail in the region of Speyside is one of the most popular and easiest to navigate and it includes some of the finest brands, including Cardhu, Glenfiddich and Glen Grant. Cardhu is the only distillery that was pioneered by a woman and also where you can find the famous Johnnie Walker brand. The whisky tour here is exquisite from start to finish and their whiskies are also known to have a smoother, even silkier, taste.
Another one of my personal favorites was the Talisker distillery, which is the only distillery on the Isle of Skye, Highlands, and located right next to theLoch Harport offering excellent sceneries, seafood restaurants and a very impressive and smoky whisky.
Five regions of Scottish whisky
| There are so many varieties in Scottish whisky, you may need a guide book to help you find just the perfect one. |
Campbeltown: This small coastal town, which is also the birthtown of Paul McCartney, once boasted more than 30 local distilleries but it no only operates three, Glen Scotia, Glengyle and Springbank.
Highland: Geographically the biggest whisky region in Scotland, the whiskies produced here often have nutty, honey or peaty notes. Distilleries near the sea, for example Talisker, also tend to have saltier and smokier tastes.
Lowland: With only a handful distilleries operating, the malts produced here are known as the "Lowland Ladies." Whiskies from Lowland tend to have zesty flavors mixed with fruity, citrusy or even floral notes.
Speyside: In terms of production, Speyside is the largest of them all, with half of all Scottish distilleries located here. The whiskies tend to be fruitier.
Rachel Sang-hee Han is a former staff reporter at The Korea Times and former editor at CNN Travel. She lives in Germany and runs a travel blog at rachelsanghee.com.