On our recent bout of being tourists in our home town, we headed up the Royal Mile to the Scotch Whisky Experience. Edinburgh itself doesn’t contain any whisky distilleries, so tourists in the city seeking knowledge of Scotland’s great liquid usually end up here.
“Does it include a tasting?” asked almost every single person in front of us in the ticket queue. The girl working the cash register patiently explained that on the basic (silver) tour you get to taste one whisky; on the gold tour you get an additional four. We went for the silver tour, figuring we could always taste whiskies in a less structured environment such as, say, any pub in Edinburgh.
The Experience starts with a Small-World-esque ride in a cask through the various stages of whisky production, complete with accompanying aromas. After the ride there are some info panels for you to read as you mill around a bit waiting for your entire tour group to get there.
You’re all shuffled into a room for a live presentation about the four main whisky-producing areas (Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside and Islay) and what characteristics you can expect to find in these whiskies. This part is my favorite, since it imparts knowledge that is directly applicable in real life. Most visitors to Edinburgh, when faced with an extensive whisky list for the first time, panic under the weight of their own lack of preparation. Asked for their order, all they can manage are some vaguely fishlike mouth movements. The waiter gets sent away time and again, and valuable whisky-drinking time is wasted. Nobody wants that.
But I digress. Back to our Scotch Whisky Experience! After the presentation, you’ll receive a taste of a whisky from the region of your choice, which you will enjoy in the next room, the one housing the world’s largest whisky collection. It’s a beautiful display, although fills me with sadness to think that all this whisky will never be tasted. Luckily there is a dram in my hand to cheer me up.
The tour ends with a guided tasting and the distribution of little boxes so you can take home your souvenir glass. You then move into the bar, which serves a dazzling array of whiskies. I’d definitely recommend lingering here for a wee while to enjoy another dram or two. The bartenders are extremely knowledgable and friendly, and are happy to guide you to a tipple you will enjoy no matter what your tastes or experience level. (Always on the hunt for my next sip of smoke, I was happy to take the bartender up on his suggestion of an Ardbeg Uigeadail on my last visit. Yum.)
You exit through the gift shop, a good place to pick up some whisky-themed souvenirs and gifts for the scotch lover in your life.
Who should go? Most anyone who’s interested in whisky, especially newbies, fanatics, and people who like booze-themed amusement-park rides; visitors to Scotland who won’t have a chance to visit a distillery while here.
Who should skip it? Teetotalers; anyone not interested in whisky; those with limited time who will have a chance to visit a distillery in Scotland (you’ll learn much of the same stuff about the production process at the distillery). But even if you skip the Experience itself, a stop in the bar is worthwhile for anyone interested in drinking some tasty whiskies.