Glengoyne Distillery

The word whisky comes from the Gaelic ‘uisge beatha’ which means ‘that’s Dad’s Christmas present sorted’.

Of course, today’s Big Deal on a Glengoyne Distillery tour is not just for Dads. It will put a huge grin on the face of any whisky lover.

Within easy reach of Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh, Glengoyne Distillery, producers of Scotland’s slowest-distilled single malt whisky, is situated in the picturesque Blane Valley.

Picturesque distillery, beautiful whisky

Today’s Big Deal shows you how they craft their beautiful whiskies and gives visitors a taste of four of their finest malt whiskies on the gold medal parade tour.

The offer is for two people and is valid from early November to the 30th of March 2018. The experience takes approximately 90 minutes.

The Gold Medal Parade is so named because, between them, the whiskies you’ll taste have won seven gold medals at the industry ‘Oscars’ – the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC). 

The magic of maturation

This is how it unfolds. Guests are welcomed with a dram of Glengoyne 12 Year Old before touring the distillery.

Then you will follow the journey the spirit makes – through mashtun and washbacks to the swan-necks of the copper stills.

Along the way, you’ll discover how the distillers capture every ounce of flavour before the spirit is sent to the cask. In the cool confines of a stone warehouse, you’ll see where the magic of maturation takes place. 

Guests will learn how whisky ages – from the difference the wood makes, to how the spirit deepens in colour over the years. 

And then it’s time for the gold medal parade.

The parade

The parade starts with the Glengoyne 18 Year Old: awash with red apple and ripe melon, it is full-bodied and beautifully rounded.

Then the exquisite Glengoyne 21 Year Old, a deep copper colour – with Christmas cake, sherry and cinnamon. 

The tasting will finish with the Glengoyne Cask Strength - amber gold and bursting with biscuit sweetness and ripe bananas.

After the tour, you might want to stroll up to the waterfall and the hidden glen – it’s a tranquil spot, the perfect end to the tour.

Guests receive a complimentary Glengoyne glass on this tour.

Happy visitors

Previous visitors to the distillery have been very positive on TripAdvisor. Recent reviews include the following. We’ve edited them for length:

‘Fantastic wee distillery. Not far north of Glasgow, Glengoyne is a favourite with locals and tourists alike. A picture postcard small-ish distillery in a beautiful setting… hard to believe that Glasgow’s only 30 minutes away. The tour was very good and our guide was very helpful and informative… I’ve done a lot of distillery tours in my time – Glengoyne is certainly up there with the best I’ve experienced.’

‘Beautiful small distillery… It manages to retain the old world charm of stepping back in time to when the local farmer was making the whisky during the winter months in the mountains. There is an unhurried feel which is often lost on other distillery tours.’

‘Our guide was lovely and knowledgeable. We did the gold medal tour and we loved it. I can really recommend this distillery.’

‘Gold medal tour. Relatively small distillery with very friendly staff… Very fine whiskies. Unhurried is the right subscription of this tour.’

Ideal Christmas present

The idyllic setting of the distillery, the expertise and traditional craftsmanship on display and the superb malts all add up to a brilliant experience for any whisky aficionado.

Today’s Big Deal would make a Christmas gift that any whisky-lover will remember for a long time.

See you on parade.