I visit The Balvenie Whisky Distillery in Speyside, Scotland. скачать в хорошем качестве

I visit The Balvenie Whisky Distillery in Speyside, Scotland.

This was a visit I was looking forward to having enjoyed the whisky for many years. With a little time to spare before my appointment at The Balvenie, I visited one of the many whisky shops scattered throughout Speyside, hoping to relieve my wallet of some weight. It was to be an unsuccessful mission. The welcome on a gloomy, quiet day was very underwhelming. I walked out empty handed, having experienced no passion at all from the owner. Unfortunately, this is not that uncommon – hence my Editor’s Letter. I got a little confused upon arrival on where to park. For your reference, you use the Glenfiddich Car Park which is adjacent to The Balvenie. So many distilleries! I was met by James, the distillery ambassador who, fortunately, was upbeat and welcoming, I could sense his love for the brand immediately. This wasn’t just a job to ensure all mortgage payments were met, but something he truly enjoyed. Walking past Glenfiddich and meandering along the pathways that connect the two distilleries, I had a real sense of place, of history and of sereneness. The small lake, OK, more a large pond, gives soothing sense of calm. I looked over the almost still water to the iconic building that houses the malting floor. Stopping to take photos James and I chatted about how The Balvenie genuinely is a craft distillery, even with its size. Can a business as large as Balvenie can be classified as “craft”? I firmly believe it can. Let me persuade you:- The Malt Master David Stewart MBE started as The Balvenie in September 1962 at the age of 17. He served a 12-year apprenticeship (including 2 as a clerk), where he learned how to make exceptional whisky. To put that into context, my calculations put that at almost 22,000 hours. More than double the 10,000 hours it is generally accepted to take to become an expert in anything. David has become one of the most highly regarded malt masters on the planet. It interesting to note that during the years of his long apprenticeship there was only one Glenfiddich (also owned by William Grant) and one Balvenie expression, so it was a time for absolute focus. Things move slowly at The Balvenie, they are not a distillery to jump on the latest bandwagon and expressions like Peat Week may have been in the making for over a decade. Their limited-edition bottles tend to be on the 14–17-year range with some, like the Red Rose, being an exceptional 21-year-old. Other giants of the industry, such as Dr Bill Lumsden, are frequently consulted. Barley For obvious reasons it would be far too challenging to grow all their own barley, but a good proportion is from their own 1000-acre farm, Balvenie Mains. The farm overlooks the distillery. Here, the only nod to modernisation is the use of a combine harvester, everything else being done in the same way it has been done for decades. The work is overseen by farmer James Wiseman's and his son Duncan. Floor Maltings The Balvenie is one of the last remaining distilleries to house their own floor maltings in what is an iconic building. As soon as you enter you feel the sense of scale and the sheer physical labour it must take to turn the barley. This is no small room, but a sizeable, historic warehouse. Prior to being spread on the floo,r the Wiseman’s barley is steeped in natural spring water that has filtered down from the hills above the distillery. The steeping takes 26 hours before being drained for 23 and then laid out ready to be turned ensuring the correct temperature is reached to allow germination. Robbie Gormley, the maltman will then test the grain to check readiness for drying by writing his name with a grain on the floor. From here the barley is dried in the kiln with just a hint of peat. Read the full article at www.clandestine-whisky.com