On a recent pass through the big, friendly city of Glasgow, Scotland, I took a detour into the hills outside of the town and up to the old grounds of Glengoyne Distillery.
Thanks to Glengoyne staff tour guide Bill Gallacher, I got a look into the inner workings of a whiskey forging operation that operates around the clock. You can read more about the Scotch distillery process in our feature story about Glengoyne here.
The onsite tour ends with a real treat. VIPs are taken to a combination tasting and blending room and presented with all the tools and ingredients they need to blend their own personal brand of Scotch.
Six base whiskies are standing by — from mild, sweet and floral Southern Scotland blends to the heavier, smoky flavors of the Northern Highlands. Putting to work a collection of droppers, beakers and test tubes, the amateur distillers blend the aromas and flavors they favor — keeping precise track of how many milliliters of each brand they add.
In the end, the VIP bottles and names their whiskey — signing an official form christening it and labeling their flask for all to see.
I was an amateur boxer for years, and my nephews still call me Uncle Boom Boom. So, I signed off on Boom Boom’s Blend. I keep the bottle nearby for a sniff and quick taste of my genius.
Below are just some of the imagery captured as I strolled through the centuries old art of creating Single Malt Scotch Whiskey:
Glengoyne Scotch Distillery, Scotland
The Glengoyne Scotch Distillery just outside Glasgow is a long-time creator of Scotland's signature spirit.
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Bottled from the Source
The Distillery's Burn's beautiful waterfall backdrop points to the source of the water in Glengoyne's simple recipe.
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Scotch Barrel Sizes
Glengoyne Scotch can age and travel in these different sized barrels.
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Distillery Tanks
Distilling cooks and purifies the barley, water and yeast mixture, raising the proof.
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The Mixture Cabinet
Glengoyne's master distiller's keep samples of various whiskey mixtures in a tasting room cabinet.
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Barrel Out the Honor Roll
The names of folks who contributed to Glengoyne over the years are posted onto these Scotch barrels.
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A Proper Tasting
Special visitors to Glengoyne DIstillery can enjoy a special sample tasting of different aged bottles.
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35 Year Old Glengoyne
This rare bottle of 35 year old Glengoyne Single Malt Scotch on display in the distillery shop sells for £2,850.
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Private Mix Ingredients
Special visitors to Glengoyne Disillery can mix their own blended Scotch whiskey brand from six regional spirits.
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Floral or Butterscotch
Scotch samples to use during private blending can range from floral to sweet to smoky peat.
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Boom Boom Blend
I was an amateur boxer for years, and my nephews still call me Boom-Boom. As a result, I give you my own Blended Scotch Whiskey from Glengoyne DIstillery.
