Drovers Dram West Highland Walkway

The Drovers Inn is a hotel on the northers shores of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and a good place to start to hike the famous West Highland Walk. The walk was invented by Tom Hunter from Glasgow in 1974 and officially opened by Lord Mansfield in 1980, making it the first official long distance hiking trail in Scotland. Because the hotel lies smack in the middle of this trail, it is no surprise they have their own miniature bottles to offer to hikers. Insiders claim it contains a Lowland single malt.

The nose is light and grainy on white fruit, lots of oak and some citrus. I’m fairly certain this is not Auchentoshan. After a few moments in the glass, it becomes more fruity and less woody. Some marzipan appears, together with hints of wild heathery flowers. The longer it breaths, the more floral it becomes… and starts to smell like Glenkinchie.

Unfortunately the arrival is weak. Very weak, in fact. A flat, flowery malt, mildly spicy, which becomes sweeter on honey and crystal sugar. Fruit? Only some oranges and a hint of young apples.

The finish is sweet, but mercifully short.

Well… nothing to worry about, just a curiosum. I suppose if you did the hike and stayed at the hotel, this might be a nice souvenir.