Glengoyne Distillery

Glengoyne Distillery is unique in that the distillery and all processing plant lies on one side of the road and the maturation sheds lie on the other side of the road. Nothing unusual in that, you may say. However, the road highlighted is actually the demarcation of the Highland fault line. Therefore, Glengoyne Distillery produces single malt whisky that is distilled in the highlands, and matured in the lowlands.

I took the opportunity today to visit this delightful distillery only a short and latterly very scenic drive north of Glasgow city centre. The Glengoyne Distillery really is a delightful spot and was at its best today in the glorious summer sunshine.

It is a very well kept distillery and visitor attraction; it is spotless. When I arrived, there was even a chap out varnishing the oak whisky cask that makes up part of the Glengoyne Distillery entrance.

A short walk through the courtyard takes you initially to the distillery shop. Here you can buy all sorts of Glengoyne Distillery items; including some rare, exclusive expressions. If we didn’t sell many of these Glengoyne expressions ourselves, I’d have been sorely tempted.

Just up from the shop is the initial part of the tour where you can learn all about the distillery itself and the distillation process involved in making whisky. Glengoyne Distillery prides itself in having the slowest maturation process of any distillery. Glengoyne Distillery attributes its high quality, smooth tasting malt to this slow distillation, which is about one third the normal rate.

When I visited today, the Glengoyne Distillery was undergoing some alterations to one of the large stores off the courtyard. A peek inside the huge doors revealed what will become another part of the tour; beautiful oak display cabinets, some 3 metres tall, each displaying differently finished expressions.

Glengoyne whiskies really are superb. If you haven’t sampled them, do try their “entry” expression – the 10 year old. This is a gentle, sweet, 10 year old single malt whisky which won a gold medal at the 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

We particularly like their 19 year old “Summer Distillation” – a fantastic dram.

If you fancy a great day out, you can do an awful lot worse than visit the Glengoyne Distillery; a great distillery staffed by some lovely, knowledgeable people. You will not be disappointed.