We had a chance to make a short visit to Edinburgh this past week, and were thoroughly impressed.  The Scottish capital is a must-visit for the whisky enthusiast, and for admirers of Scottish history and culture in general.  While Edinburgh contains the Scotch Whisky Experience (a visitors center and shop originally created in the late 1980′s by a consortium of whisky companies), it also contains the largest selection of quality whisky bars we have ever witnessed. While we recently covered the whisky scene in Paris, Edinburgh is far superior in …

The Longmorn Distillery, unlike its sister distillery Benriach, has been a consistent producer since its start in 1895.  Meaning “place of the holy man,” Longmorn is situated in the north of Speyside, next to Benriach.  Both distilleries were founded by John Duff, but like most distilleries Longmorn passed hands multiple times.  In the 1970′s Longmorn merged with The Glenlivet, and hence was part of the acquisition by Seagrams in 1977.  Now part of Pernod-Ricard, Longmorn pumps out 3.5 million litres a year, the majority ending up in blends.
In an effort …

When I decided to start stocking my bar at home with a collection of single malts, I referenced my experience tasting single malts at the many bars I’ve worked at over the last decade. I enjoy drinking heavily peated mosters like Lagavulin and Laphroaig after a long hard night when things are moving towards after-hours. For relaxation at home, I would like to turn to a savory, smooth and sweet malt. The Balvenie Doublewood was an obvious choice.
The Balvenie distillery was named after the adjacent Balvenie Castle in Dufftown(Speyside). …