We set out just after dawn. Our boots steadily scrubbing the well weathered pavement as we crossed the faces of the white wind-rattled harbourfront homes. The sun shone down gloriously from a pristine blue sky as we turned left onto Lennox Street, now heading uphill with a quickening pace. It was a perfect Islay spring day in every way imaginable, and yet somehow all of this was secondary to the destination. 

There were just the three of us alone on that road. Marching over the hills; past the stone-walled fields; beyond Laphroaig. The only sounds: our footsteps, the wind, and the ocean. Then, past the old croft on the left, while rounding the bend to the right around the hill, it came into view. An alabaster visage as though conjured from a dream. Simultaneously surreal and hyper-real. 

We had arrived at Lagavulin.

We certainly enjoy writing about whisky here. By and large we write about the whisky itself, once it's in the glass. Here's a pared down description of the whisky-making process from start to finish. The overall steps in the production of all whiskies are the same everywhere on earth, but I'll only discuss the processes specific to single malt Scotch making, and I'm using a lexicon appropriate to that region. Other whisky-making regions have their own special techniques and nomenclature but in the interest of brevity I shall skip over these variations.

Album Grain Processing: Malting, Milling, and Mashing.

Malting

Malting is the process of generating enzymes within a grain which will allow the conversion of starch into sugar during the mashing process (outlined below). The malting process results in malted grain, or "malt". Grains are steeped several times in warm water, allowed to germinate and dry, and then kiln dried using either hot air or smoke. It is during the kiln drying that peat smoke may be used which imparts peat flavour into the malt.

Only about seven distilleries malt their own barley, the balance buying malt directly from malting houses.

On March 7th, 2013 ScotchBlog.ca along with Forty Creek Distillery hosted a tasting at Quinn's Steakhouse and Irish Bar.

Guests were treated to some of Canada's finest whiskies created by local distiller, John Hall, at Forty Creek Distillery in Grimsby, Ontario.

The tasting started with three single-grain whiskies: 100% rye paired with spiced fruit, 100% barley with sharp Guinness cheddar, and 100% corn with spicy corn dip and tortillas. None of these whiskies are available for sale as John insists of selling only blends.

The tasting moved on to Forty Creek's bottles: Barrel Select paired with a sweet and sour beef meatball, Copper Pot with chili orange toffee and figs, Confederation Oak Reserve with smoked pork belly and raspberry bbq sauce, and finally the very limited Port Wood Reserve with a custom R&R dark chocolate ganache with rum-soaked raisins.

John led nothing less than a masterclass on how he makes his whisky, his motivations for establishing the distillery, and ruminations about the industry in general.

A very special thanks to Kelly and Quinn's for the expertly prepared food pairings!

Thanks very much to all who attended. Please enjoy this photo gallery of the evening.

Hellyers Road is Australia's largest single malt distillery. Their Original expression comes without an age statement at 46.2% and is made entirely of Tasmanian malt. The wine bottle which contains this whisky comes complete with a screw top, and the back label describes "tenacity and vision," notably lacking any mention of the whisky's character.

Nose: Despite clear indications on the label, grain alcohol features prominently on the nose. Too much oak, grassy, a hint of smoke, something reminiscent of sea salt, a touch of black licorice. The nose is unrefined and lacks any significant depth.

Palate: The plum note and mint undertone is a nice but cheap cocoa packed with heat and uncomfortable spice are sure to trigger an involuntary grimace.

As one of the UK's oldest and most prestigious wine and spirit merchants, Berry Bros. & Rudd enjoy a century old whisky tradition anchored by the Glenrothes distillery. They also produce a highly regarded independent bottling line that can be hard to get your hands on outside the UK. You can deduce just why it's scarce by perusing the label details on their limited releases. In this case we whisky lovers find the words that make us spend our money, specifically, "cask strength", "unchillfiltered", "uncoloured" and even the two cask numbers (309796 & 309881) that this bottle was drawn from. So, before we even peel the cork seal off, we are bewitched by the prospect of uncompromised whisky. 

For the purpose of immortalizing this unique bottle, I am pouring a sizeable belt of this 58.5% ABV, pale straw coloured liquid into my wide-bowl glencairn glass.

On January 24th, 2013, ScotchBlog.ca along with Gordon & MacPhail hosted a tasting at Quinn's Steakhouse and Irish Bar.

Guests were treated to five single-malts casked and matured by Gordon & MacPhail, two made by the company's distillery, Benromach, and finally their whisky liqueur, Dunkeld Atholl Brose.

Single malts included Bladnoch '93 with a spicy chocolate, Allt-A-Bhainne '96 with an orange BBQ pulled pork slider, Craigellachie '93 with a Thai vegetable rice wrap and chili dipping sauce, Mortlach 15YO with oxtail truffled mash sheppard's pie, Benromach 30YO with a coconut shrimp and spicy dipping sauce, Aultmore '00 with a vanilla poached pear, and Benromach 10YO with a raisin and cashew butter tart.

The tasting was led by Gordon & MacPhail's managing director, Michael Urquhart, who provided some of the most in-depth distillery and expression discussion we've ever experienced. The evening could only be described as a master class.

Thanks very much to all who attended. Please enjoy this photo gallery of the evening.

Its 10:30 PM on a mild May night in the highlands of Scotland, and I am gazing out towards the North Sea as I stumble in the dark through the walled garden of Glenmorangie House. Picking my steps carefully in the wet grass, a camera tripod in one hand and a wide tumbler of Ardbeg Uigeadail in the other, I am grateful for the wellies I have been provided by the staff as my fellow travel companions get situated for some stargazing and photography. It is our last real night in Scotland, the end of a whisky odyssey that began 12 days earlier, and has taken us from the tasting lab of The Whisky Exchange in London to the Spirit of Speyside festival in Dufftown, from the island distilleries of Islay and Jura to the peak of Ben Nevis, and ended here at the Glenmorangie House outside Tain.

The Glenmorangie House is a 17^th century country home 45 minutes north of Inverness, situated among the ruins of Cadboll castle, which is now owned by the Glenmorangie Distillery and provides guests with luxury hotel amenities in the atmosphere of a relaxed country house party. For a whisky traveller, Glenmorangie House represents the pinnacle of Highland hospitality, receiving visitors with open arms and offering an unmatched experience of stunning landscape, Scottish tradition, and opulent comfort. Not to mention the full range of Glenmorangie and Ardbeg whiskies to be enjoyed, paired skillfully with locally sourced, Michelin-star cuisine. Our group was generously offered the opportunity to experience a stay at the house before our tour of the distillery itself the following morning, where we would witness the production of the spirit itself.

In the LCBO's $40-$50 price bracket, you take a bit of a chance trying a new bottle. Generally light on complexity, the choices range from biggest bang for your buck (Glenfiddich 12YO) to bland and immature expressions best suited to cooking (Glen Parker Single Malt). With this in mind, we took a stab at this Ardmore with some trepidation.

Nose: Light seaside peat of the sort barely kissed by Islay iodine. Creamy cherries and cloves with smoke and fennel. Dried fruits come out with a drop of water, which is highly recommended.