Cosy interior of the Peat Reek Bothy
We reach the summit of Carn Liath and Charlie pulls out a whisky hamper, pouring us a warming dram of The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve. I hold up the glass and its golden hue is the brightest thing on the cloudy Scottish skyline.
“When whisky smuggling was rife, there were more than 200 illegal stills here,” Charlie tells us as we survey the stunning panorama of surrounding hills and glens. “Barrels of whisky were hidden in the heather and never found again.”
Scotland’s distilleries produce a mind-boggling array of whiskies, from rare single malts to popular blends
Far below us, the chimneys of the Glenlivet distillery bellow clouds of steam into the valley. Its founder, George Smith, was the first bootlegger to come in from the cold, establishing Scotland’s first licensed distillery here in 1824.
Although he incurred the wrath of the whisky smugglers, The Glenlivet soon became one of Scotland’s most esteemed and successful brands. We rumble our way towards it, down along the ancient paths, spotting red deer and a mountain hare leaping away across this exhilarating landscape. While traditional methods remain at its heart, our tour of the Glenlivet distillery reveals that modern whisky making is a much more complex process.
After perusing the historical exhibits in the visitor centre, we learn the steps as we’re shown the silvery, spaceship-like mash tun, enormous wooden washbacks and gleaming copper stills, their pointy tops silhouetted against floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the ancestral hills.
Scottish whisky has come a long way from those old stills in the hills
“This new expansion opened in 2010, and all the materials were sourced from companies within a 30-mile radius of the distillery,” says our guide, Ann Miller. “But we maintained the tradition of using wooden washbacks (where fermentation occurs). Today, The Glenlivet Distillery still stands true to George’s vision, and his legacy lives on.”
It’s nothing short of impressive. So is the bonded warehouse stacked high with barrels of exquisite, ageing whisky.
Scotland’s distilleries produce a mind-boggling array of whiskies, from rare single malts to popular blends, from the smoky, peaty whiskies of the islands to the fruity aromas or spicy flavours of bourbon or sherry casks. We end our Glenlivet tour with an enlightening tasting session in the Malt Loft.
Scottish whisky has come a long way from those old stills in the hills. Getting to know it is a life-long challenge – one I’m happy to embrace.
