Speyside virginity lost

More or less. Having 'done' Islay as well as the south from Glenkinchie to Bladnoch and the southern and eastern Highlands, my experience of Speyside whisky in its own domain has been pretty fleeting. So, a trip to Speyside for the autumn break beckoned and it didn't disappoint. Even better, the Scottish autumn was glorious.

The road north from Perth through Blairgowrie and Braemar on the way to Srath Spè is a stunning highway to the north. For a whisky geek the only thing that can better the autumnal trees of Perthshire is the glut of well-kent names on the map as you approach Tomintoul.

Speyside sheep block the road to Allt a' Bhainne.

With our but'n'ben sitting in Glen Rinnes, the first distillery encountered was the auld timer of Tamnavulin in the hamlet of Tomnavulin. To the locals a generation or two back, it was Toman a' Mhuilinn - the little hillock of the mill. Unfortunately to whisky travellers, the sign in English said 'closed to visitors'. Despite this, seeing the source of a famous Scottish whisky, in the flesh so to speak, still gives the whisky geek a wee thrill. It's probably like train-spotting. Within a few miles of the house, we had the aforementioned Tamnavulin, Braeval (or Braes of Glenlivet as it was), Glenlivet, Allt a' Bhainne, Tomintoul, Benrinnes and Glenallachie. Cragganmore, Glenfarclas and the whisky metropolis that is Dufftown were only slightly further afield.

As we soon found out, this a feature of travel around Speyside. Especially if you take some of the back roads. Distilleries seem to loom up every few minutes.

Despite most lying in 'hidden' glens it is difficult to find much romance about many of them. Most are simply factories with the kind of architecture you'd expect from factories that were built or re-built in recent decades. For every Strathisla there's an Allt a' Bhainne and Aultmore.

What counts though is the welcome, the experience and the liquid.

First stop for a tour was the famed Aberlour. As the Founder's Tour was all booked, I had to settle for the Aberlour Experience. As experiences go, it's not a bad one. Indeed, for a standard tour it is worth the £12.50. Having been rebuilt after a fire as well as modified and enlarged, the architecture is a bit grim save for one or two buildings of the old 'vernacular' which are more pleasing to the eye. We get a glimpse inside one of the warehouses but that's as far as it goes.

The tasting though is excellent. 6 drams including a decent measure of new-make spirit. We also get the two single-cask cask-strength drams that are available for bottle your own - these are both 16yo with one first-fill bourbon and one sherry. The bourbon has a nose that I could caress all day - the taste and finish don't reach such heights though. The sherry is an all-round stoater. It is purchased and comes with its very own whisky coffin. The 12yo French release at 43% is like juice in comparison. The 16yo follows before we finish with the mighty A' Bunadh.

The next day sees us leave one distillery that is very much alive to encounter two that are in different stages of death-rebirth or even a zombie-like purgatory.

Whiskybroker Braes of Glenlivet 23yo

Don't do notes very often but sharing a dram with a partner who possesses a very advanced sensory system can see vague ideas verbalised in a semi-coherent way. Here goes...

Braes of Glenlivet (Braeval), Single-cask 23 years old, 54.2%, Hogshead 1074 (Whiskybroker)

Tasted neat
Nose: Lovely! Weetabix, lemon and kiwi with cut grass
Palate: rice-pudding with a kind of citrusy shoe-polish taste and texture or maybe a lemony Cowans' Highland toffee? Quite classy.
Finish: fades slowly with some salt and dark fruits - blueberries, prunes?

One to sit and savour. Superb value too. What is there not to like?

Currently available from Whiskybroker for £44.

Aged malts in Kenmore and Glenturret

Another wee jaunt to take advantage of our Indian summer sees us pack the tent and head for Highland Perth/Stirlingshire. We make for Kenmore - the ceann mòr or 'great head' of Loch Tay via the appropriately named Glen Quaich. Quaich of course being the Anglicised form of 'cuach' or 'drinking cup' with which the Scots drank their whisky on ceremonial occasions.

We pitch up near Tom na Moine - hillock of the peat. Gaelic names seem 'romantic' to those with no knowledge of the tongue and whilst some are descriptive in either beautiful or bizarre ways, most are simply mundane. Our own portable peat comes in the form of Caol Ila Distillers Edition and some Longrow CV. The Longrow is a new dram for me but one I'll seek out in future. It's dark and treacly and I start thinking of a fermented blueberry muffin.

We head to the Kenmore Hotel and are pleased to find a well-stocked bar with many familiar and not so well-kent bottles. I go for two Connoissiers Choice. First is Braes of Glenlivet 1975. The date of distillation awes me to no end. I was a wee lad when this went into the cask. The price at £3.60 for a 32 yo stretches that awe a bit further. This is nice stuff - light but with lots of cereal and vanilla flavours. It prompts a discussion on why distilleries like this (as well as Imperial, Rosebank and others) get closed down, or are not at least given a new lease of life in today's malt-friendly times. I have since read that 'BoG' has reopened but is now known as Braeval.

Next up is the CC Caperdonich from 1980. This one is a comparably youthful 27yo but like the former, is a mothballed distillery. Caperdonich has its fans and was recommended to me at the recent Whisky Fringe. Having tasted this and the CC 1969 40yo, I have to admit to being underwhelmed. It's a little spicy with some toffee in it but the wood is a bit too much for me. The finish could be longer too. I still feel privileged to taste this stuff though.

The trip back the next day sees an impromptu visit to the 'home of the Famous Grouse' at Glenturret. The setting is magnificent. I'm also pleased to try another new dram. The sample of the standard 10yo at 40% is pleasing but not overwhelming. However, a visit to the dramming bar sees us try the humongous single cask 14yo at 59.7%. Its earthy but sweet and fills the mouth. Has a long slightly oily finish. I've never seen this before. Is it a secret or do I have a sheltered life? Who knows but at £80odd for a bottle, the price has tempered my enthusiasm. I am left though wanting to keep an eye out for an independent bottling that's more pocket friendly.

The welcome though at Glenturret is warm and friendly. This welcome on top of the some excellent whisky and stunning scenery reminds me of why people come to Scotland. Just as well, given that our national fitba team is currently sweating over possible defeat to Lichtenstein of all nations!