Standing the Test of Time From its hillside home in the Scottish Highlands, The GlenDronach Distillery has been creating the finest richly sherried single malts for nearly 200 years. In 1826 the exuberant and extroverted James Allardice founded the distillery and produced his ‘Guid GlenDronach’ single malt. Down the years, the distillery he created has thrived under the stewardship of far-sighted investors like Walter Scott in 1847 and Captain Charles Grant in 1920. In more recent times, GlenDronach was bought in 1960 by William Teacher & Sons. But in 2008, nothing less than a complete renaissance began.

After Breakfast we head into Speyside for our first of two visit’s of the day, Glenfiddich & Balvenie Distillery’s (It has taken over 125 years and 5 generations of family ownership, passion and drive to ensure Glenfiddich is the most-awarded Single Malt in the world today). This in-depth 2 and half hour visit will allow enthusiasts to discover the true art of whisky making. (Lunch in the Glenfiddich Restaurant) Balvenie unique single malt. Thanks to a unique combination of natural alchemy and centuries old craftsmanship, The Balvenie is unique among single malts. For the Explorer/ Draw your own Dram Tour, for me this is one of the Must-Do Distilleries.

The distinctive character of Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, for which only three essential ingredients are required; pure spring water, malted barley and yeast, is due to the Grant family’s commitment to traditional distillation methods, combined with the unique size and shape of the Glenfarclas copper pot stills, the specially selected oak casks, and the style and location of the warehouses. after our visit we head north towards Elgin for your next Malt Whisky Experience BenRiach.

In April 2004, 3 entrepreneurs, led by Scotch whisky industry veteran Billy Walker, acquired the distillery, which was previously under the ownership of Chivas Brothers. The BenRiach Distillery Company was then born. Now BenRiach, located in the ‘Heart of Speyside’ – just south of Elgin, is once again producing its very special Single Malt Whiskies…as an independent distiller. The distillery manager would oversee the slow and deliberate crafting process of BenRiach whisky – managing the transformation from malted barley to wash, to distilled spirit and into high quality oak casks, in which the whisky would then mature. This was the beginning of the BenRiach Whisky.