Starting off the tour is one of the two stops that is not a distillery! I didn’t really know what to expect going into the Scotch Whisky Experience (or SWE for short), but I was certainly impressed! I was worried the tour would be cheesy and a bit dull, only really covering entry level concepts in scotch, but I’m happy to report that’s not the case! It’s beginner friendly, yes, but even as a certified distiller I learnt a thing or two I had misconceptions on!
When entering the experience, you are led around in a group of around 10-15 people by a lovely tour guide, who in my case was the awesome Darcy Moncur, and shown multiple rooms of projections and practical effects to demonstrate everything you need to know if you want a good understanding of scotch whisky!
The first three rooms are dedicated to explaining the process of how whisky is made. Room one is all about explaining the role of water and grain in the foundation of making a whisky.
Room two is about explaining the industrial aspect of whisky creation, from malting barley to the actual distillation process itself.
Finally the third room explains the role of aging and why it’s important to the whisky we enjoy today.
If it felt like I ran through those explanations quite fast it’s because they do too. Though short they are very good at getting the key information across to a complete whisky greenhorn in a matter of minutes, which is honestly impressive.
In between room three and four there is also a small display talking about the process of cooperage and maturation, but we were hurried past it for now.
The next room is arguably the most important one on the tour, and is something I wasn’t expecting.
Room four is all about explaining the nuances in flavour difference between the five main whisky regions in Scotland: Lowland, Highland, Speyside, Campbeltown and Islay (in that order). They also provide something incredibly cool to go alongside this: a scratch and sniff card! After each explanation of the region in question’s practices and flavour notes, the audience is asked to smell that region’s area of the card and discern what flavour profile you’re getting, which is incredibly cool!
Although room four was a really nice surprise, rooms five and six are the main ones people look forward to: the tasting rooms. Room five is all about explaining a bit of the history behind scotch, and in particular how blended scotch came to be thanks to the invention of the cooperage still and grain whisky.
Once this is explained the audience gets to choose which whisky they want to try: either one of the five single malt regions mentioned before, or new blended whisky concept. Once everyone has chosen, you’re escorted to the final room.
Room six is all about learning how to taste a whisky critically, learning what the hue of the whisky could indicate, how swirling the liquid can indicate viscosity, how to discern the smell and how to explain the taste. This part of the experience becomes more of a group discussion, and is genuinely a nice moment, however there’s one key thing I’ve not mentioned yet.
The tasting takes place amongst the world’s largest unopened scotch whisky collection, a sight that, while impressive and incredibly beautiful, I do find can be visually overwhelming and unfortunately a bit distracting from the tasting tutorial.
After the tour you’re set loose in the bar, where a variety of drams are available, as well as being able to head down to the main store (on your way down you go past the cooperage display again, so I made sure to give it a good read this time around). The store is immaculate, everything is well organised and clearly marked, so after your tour, where you’ve presumably found the type of whisky you enjoy, you can track it down easily!
Overall this experience is amazing and well worth your time if you or someone you know is in the area and wants to learn more about scotch. The amount of information they cram into the allotted time is more than enough to satiate most, and not only that but the hands on learning experience it provides with the guided tastings and especially the scratch and sniff cards are truly the SWE’s greatest strength!
I want to thank the whole SWE team for being so kind and helpful throughout my visit, especially Darcy Moncur of course, who did an immaculate job showing us the works! I also want to thank Matilda Mear, a fellow Antonia Mentee, who recommended I come and check out her place of work. She has an immense passion for her job, as do all those who work here, it’s truly heart-warming! Please give SWE a visit if you can, even as a veteran you’re still likely to learn something new!
This post’s recommended song is: “Thief Of Me” – Dot Allison
