Glenfiddich Explorers

Visit to Orkney

By Ian

Last week I visited Orkney with one of our US ambassadors, Heather Greene.

Heather had missed out on a trip round Islay with a few of our other ambassadors in April due to the Volcanic ash.

Islay is a wee bit quiet right now so we decided to visit the Orkney Distilleries instead and a few other Distilleries on the way north from Dufftown, home of the worlds most awarded single malt whisky.

So with the help of a few industry friends, Richard Patterson, Alan Winchester and Russell Anderson we did just that.

Dalmore was the first Distillery, quiet at the moment but very special and of course doing extremely well just now with quite a range of single malts, I purchased one through the shop , King Alexander III, having tasted it I had to have it, good job on this one Richard.

Our next stop was Old Pultney where we just happened to arrive at the Distillery when Malcolm, the manager, was just coming back from lunch with his boss Derek Sinclair, Malcolm very kindly showed us round the Distillery, love the wash still, it looks ike a divers helmet, he was also over generous and gave us both a bottle of 12 year old Pultney, brilliant!

We took the late afternoon ferry from Gills Bay to St. Margarets Hope, had a late. dinner with a few Scapa`s and Highland park`s just to get the feel for the place.

On the tuesday we had an appointment to see Russell Anderson,manager at Highland Park, I`ve known Russell for a few uears now but last time I visited HP he was elsewhere so Erik, His Brewer to us round. Russell evetually joined us having spent sufficient time pacifying his new health and safety people who were up visiting from the mainland.

He was very generous with his time and showed us the new dramming room and boardroom, very plush and a fitting addition to a very attractive Distillery. HP are about to bring out a 50 year old, very limited in number so watch this space.

In the afternoon we visited Mick Swannay at Scapa, a visit I arranged through Alan Winchester, general manager of the Chivas Distilleries and an old colleague, Alan and I used to live quite close to each other and often we would meet up the hill from Glenfiddich walking our respective dogs, many`s a chat we`ve had at 7 AM overlooking the Distilleries of Dufftown.

Mick toured us through an immaculate Scapa, freshly painted and just closed for an extended silent season. Scapa will increase it`s production when they start again, doubling to 16 mashes a week.

He tells me they are replacing the Scapa 14 with a 16 year old, can`t wait, I already like the 14, wholly matured in American, you get access to the naked flavours of the Distillery.

Below are a few pics from the trip.

The above two pics are Scapa Mashouse, top and Stillhouse, the still shape is odd and used to be aLomond Still but the rectifier column has been removed from the head of the still

The stunning coutyard at Highland Park.

Our Ambassador for New York, Boston and Washington area, Heather Greene at the Italian Chapel on Orkney.

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