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The Whiskey Roadby Carole Kotkin
But, I was there to taste whisky. My first stop was the Scotch Whisky Heritage
Centre where I learned that everyone here takes whisky very seriously. Ordinary Scotch is
made by blending forty or more single malts, thus suppressing the distinctive character of
each. Single malts, so called because they are not blended with other whiskies after
distillation, are the original form of scotch and were the only type made until the
mid-19th century. They are an elemental creation, a concoction of earth, water, fire
and air that uses only three ingredients: malted barley, water and yeast. It is a
two-step process-a fermentation of barley, yeast and water, yielding a simple beer,
followed by a distillation which yields the actual alcohol. The same basic process
is used in every malt distillery in Single malts have recently become very popular in the United States with American sales increasing by more than 50% in the last five years. Connoisseurs drink it straight or with a splash of water to bring up the aroma. Most malts require a minimum of 8 to 10 years to develop character, and may be best after maturing even 12 to 15 years before bottling. Twenty or 25 year old whiskies can be wonderful if the whisky can stand up to such long aging. Beware of malts older than 25 years. These bottles are usually priced for their rarity than their quality. Unlike wine, single malt do not improve with age in the bottle and it loses character gradually once it has been opened. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society which is comprised of members of the trade and aficionados staged a whisky tasting and dinner that introduced me to how well single malts go with strong country cheeses, smoked fish and coarse brown bread and butter. The Society, in conjunction with Forbes Magazine will stage a single malt tasting paired with cigars at The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables on November 19. Tickets are $60.00. Call 1-800-990-1991 for reservations and information. Man cannot live by whisky alone, and a trip to Scotland would not be complete without sampling the cuisine. Haggis (oatmeal and innards enclosed in a casing) and cock-a-leekie (a chicken and leek stew) just about summed up my previous knowledge of Scottish food. Scottish cooking has been so maligned that few people who travel to Scotland ever think of it as a food destination, but a new generation of chefs has breathed fresh life into Scottish kitchens. This transformation began with Scots traveling abroad in increasing numbers and bringing new ideas back home. Scottish chefs took up the challenge of meeting the higher expectations of their customers and suppliers sprung up round the country to provide them with new foods to work with. There were always excellent raw natural ingredients, of course. The world's best Aberdeen Angus beef dot the pastures in the south. Sweet berries are in abundance. Fish are cooked minutes after being caught, since no single place in Scotland is more than 40 miles from the sea. The western part of the country is known as the salmon lands, and a combination of smoked and fresh salmon are signature dishes here. In other areas herring, haddock, cod, whiting and a variety of shellfish are plentiful; rivers are filled with trout. And while smoked salmon is king of Scotland's flourishing preserved fish industry, other varieties include Arbroath smokies and finnan haddock (both smoked haddock ) and Loch Fyne kippers (smoked, salted herring). In the center part of the country there is a bounty of game and wild mushrooms. Restaurants are now booming in a country where people used to prefer to eat at home. Most of the cooking is simple, hearty and unpretentious. The cuisine is based on foods native to Scotland-sweet mountain lamb, delicate salmon, carrots, potatoes, and leeks. In Edinburgh alone about eight new restaurants opened this year with menus featuring local produce in an international style. Edinburgh has more restaurants per person than anywhere else in Britain. Edinburgh, is a capital city of great history with plenty of open spaces, fine buildings and museums. It is the birthplace of writers Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Sir Conan Doyle and Robert Lewis Stevenson and inventors James Watt and Alexander Graham Bell. The city proudly displays exhibitions dedicated to their work. Edinburgh is a joy to explore on foot. Elegant architecture is complemented by beautiful parks and gardens-good places to rest after walking the narrow, cobblestone streets of Old Town. The city is dominated by the Royal Mile, a pedestrian walkway between Holyrood Palace (the Queen's summer home) and Edinbrugh Castle (housing the Scottish crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny). Shoppers will have fun on Princes Street; find British designer chains on George Street; antiques on side streets off Princes; and the Victoria Street shopping arcade for bric-a-brac. The August Edinburgh Festival draws a million people for the largest arts festival in the world. For anyone with a passion for golf, a visit to Scotland is almost a pilgrimage. Just 50 miles east of Edinburgh is Gleneagles, a grand 830-acre world-class resort in Perthshire considered to be a golfer's heaven. There's even fun for the golf impaired-- the blissful relaxation of a day at the health spa, or the traditional Highland pursuits of horseback riding, hunting, shooting and fishing.
We spent a day in Elgin en route, shopping at Johnson's for cashmere and visiting the Elgin Cathedral and the Biblical Garden. Elgin is one of the most important centers of mediaeval Scotland and its long history is recalled by the numerous historic buildings and sites. There's a pub on every corner serving whiskies and beers. From Elgin we visited one of Scotlands special towns, Inverness. Called "Capital of the Highlands" it is nestled on the shore of Loch Ness (this is where the monster lives). Keep your camera handy for shots of breathtaking mountain and moorland panaramas. This is a good place to shop for woolens at James Pringle Weavers. What to Do: For a list of distilleries open to the public, call The Scotch Whisky Association, 0131-222-9200 in Edinburgh. The British Tourist Authority is a good source for all kinds of tourist information: 1-800-462-2748. Where To Eat: Where to Stay: Along the Whisky Trail |
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TM
With
visions of "Braveheart" and Mel Gibson fresh in my mind, I headed for the
Highlands to participate in a whisky tour of Scotland sponsored by Aberlour Single
Malt Whisky. Almost as soon as I stepped off the plane in Edinburgh, I discovered
unequaled scenery, warm, friendly people and interesting places to visit. From rugged
mountains to lush gardens, cosmopolitan city streets to sleepy villages, tranquil lakes to
swirling salmon rivers, the landscapes of Scotland offers an exciting range of activities.
Scotland. Differences among single malts can be
intangible or apparent, but they create a world of tastes that, like fine wine, express
their geographic origins, climate and methods of production. The quality of water
and barley, the degree of peating, the size and shape of the copper stills; and the type
of oak casks used add to the particular character of the different single malts. It is
interesting to note that the barrels for aging were previously used for either bourbon or
sherry. Germinated (malted) barley is smoked over peat (usually composed of heather, moss
and even seaweed) fires to give the whisky its smoky tang, mixed with water, fermented,
distilled in pot stills and aged in wood barrels. 
There are
four categories of malt whisky-Highland, Lowland, Campbeltown, and Islay-which correspond
to geographic areas within Scotland. Whiskies from the same area may vary, but in general,
Islay and Campbeltown malts are somewhat heavier and more powerful. They include
Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Ardbeg, Talisker, Highland Park, and Springbank single
malts. The Highland malts include Edradora, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Cragganmore, The
Macallan, and Knockando. Lowland malts such as Rosebank, Glenkinchie, and Auchentoshan are
more delicate and less assertive. The important area of the northeastern Highlands
that is known as Speyside, produces whiskies such as 
Aberlour,
Dalwhinnie, Glenmorangie, and The Dalmore that are considered to be the finest made. 
Gleneagles has an international reputation for their
excellent cuisine. On the frequently changing menus, local specialties like wild
game (buckshot is sometimes found in the wild pigeon), wild mushrooms and herbs, and
exceptionally fresh fish are the star players. Executive Chef Mike Picken, who supervises
a kitchen brigade of more than 50, says, "Scotland can match any country in the
world when it comes to the quality of ingredients. Our goal is to serve the finest and
freshest food anywhere: Black Angus beef from Aberdeenshire, Howgate Farms cheese, Border
lamb and Tay salmon, home-smoked fish; and to supplement Scottish produce, ingredients are
flown in daily from Rungis Market in Paris." In the kitchen these superb
ingredients are prepared with considerable technical skill and artistry to combine
traditional and modern Scottish fare with a French flair. It's all complemented by an
outstanding wine cellar.