Whisky Travel Pics

The tasting was excellent. I love getting to try scotch that is not bottled for general sale. But then it sucks when you taste something you really like but can not by a bottle to take...

This also turned out to be a great distillery stop for the non-scotch drinkers in the group. Dalwhinnie, as you all know, is a light scotch and very approachable to those new to scotch. It was a hit with those that 'don't like scotch'.

@TracerBullet thanks for sharing your photos and insight. I really like the way you captured the steamy fermentation room at Bruichladdich. The last pic you posted with the mini glencairn in hand is good too

@cricklewood kind of makes you wish you were there...

@Nozinan exactly. One day soon, I've been trying to convince my brother to go.

@cricklewood Go if you can! I think you will have a great time! The guy trip I setup with my dad, BIL and friend was great. The guys still regularly talk (via text) about the trip. My wife and I plan to go back to Islay in a couple of years for our 30th wedding anniversary.

In 2018, Ardbeg had the Ardbeg Escape Tour (I think it is still touring in 2019 too). After completing the escape room, my friend and I got to meet Brendan McCarron, Head of Maturing Whisky Stocks for The Glenmorangie Company. We mentioned to him that we were going to Islay in November. He gave me his card and told me to email him closer to the trip and if he was on Islay, he would meet us, and if not, he would make sure that we were taken care of when we visited Ardbeg.

Unfortunately, Brendon was not on Islay when we were, but he did contact the distillery and let them know we were coming.

The tour looked like it was only going to be the four of us but at the last minute, a Japanese woman joined the group. Still a nice small group.

Barrels waiting to be reused...

The yeast doing it's job! We got to taste the wash. You can taste the peat.

Near the end of the tour. This is our tour guide, Ron. He was great! We are in 'The Chairman’s Study'. At this point Ron looked at the young woman who had joined our tour at the last minute and said "You are lucky to be with this group!"

Here is a better shot of the bottles in The Chairman’s Study.

And The Chairman’s Study would not be complete without a picture of Shortie!

We enjoyed quite a few rare drams including the Twenty Something. We all wished our wallets could handle purchasing a bottle of that! When then moved to the regular tasting room and enjoyed a few more.

@cricklewood, Ardbeg tour?....I'm your bother from another mother.

@paddockjudge We went to Ardbeg in 2017 too but not everyone on the trip were into scotch so we only visited the cafe and the shop. In 2018 we were all in. We toured every open distillery on Islay. Unfortunately, Ardnahoe was not yet open.

@TracerBullet, that's my kind of tour, all in!

@paddockjudge set the date!

Here are a couple more (bad) pictures when we were going by Ardnahoe. Here is the sign.

And a really bad one of the distillery from a great distance. Good thing I had the zoom lens on the Nikon!

It's been awhile so time for more pictures! Kilchoman Distillery

Malting floor

The Kilchoman blue is present all through the distillery.

New make spirit! No we didn't get to try it. Bowmore was the only distillery where we did get to try new make.

Kilchoman is one distillery that bottles on-site. This is their bottling line.

Kilchoman cask #1.

There were tastings throughout the tour. I could have stayed in this warehouse with my dram...