City visits are not really my style. I usually prefer to wind down by getting lost in the wide outdoors. Sometimes, however, new experiences call, and I am forced to head for the hustle and bustle instead. In October, my friends and I took a visit to Edinburgh. We wanted to experience culture, whisky and according to friends who live in the area, a few of the best pubs in Scotland.
Our first whisky-based experience of the trip was the Scotch Whisky Experience, which can be found at the top of the Royal Mile. This part museum, part theme park experience came well recommended by other people who had visited before, but I was worried it might be a bit expensive for what it was and not that interesting for more seasoned whisky nerds such as myself.
Tour Style: At first, we were led into a digital Scottish glen, where we waited for others to file in behind us. We were then introduced to the tour and to whisky by a video projected onto the wall in front of us. After this, we were greeted by our guide, who walked us through a series of rooms, which were themed around different aspects of the whisky-making process.
The films were well-made, if a little light on information. Each one was embellished with animatronics and flourishes that made them feel more interactive. Our tour guide mixed humour and cynicism in the perfect amounts, introducing each film and guiding us through the spaces. The highlight was the final section, where we were introduced to the whisky-making regions of Scotland and given a whisky to taste that was indicative of one of the regions.
The next stage was being guided through to The Diageo Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky Collection, which is an exhibit made up of 3,384 bottles of whisky that were collected by a Brazilian collector and sold to Diageo in 2006. This is an incredible collection that I would have loved longer to take in.
However, as Gold tour bookers, we were taken through to a tasting room and presented with four regional malts to add to the one that we had tried earlier.
Tasting: The tasting room was comfortable, and our guide was eloquent and a lot of fun. This elevated what was a collection of entry-level whiskies to an enjoyable experience that I was sad to depart from when our time was up. It didn’t feel rushed, and it was a good way to end the tour.
Overall: I was actually surprised by just how much I enjoyed the experience. Although the videos were a little light, they were all well put together and never felt too long. Each section was interesting, and the collection was fascinating – so much whisky history in one room. The tasting was well pitched, and although the drams were on the whole a tad disappointing, it was good to taste through the different regions at the end.
Link: https://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk/