We arrived in Scotland in mid-June, amidst an extended heat wave that ratcheted up the already steamy, sauna-like conditions from all the boilers. The relentless churning, pumping and whirring created a constant din, but what really hit us was the heat. (Elizabeth Arbour/Submitted by Adrian Ma) Ma, left, speaks with Callum Fraser, manager of the Glenfarclas Distillery in the Speyside region of Scotland. We saw for ourselves the massive mash tuns, where the grains and water are mixed, and the different stages of the distillation process. Mix it together, make alcohol, boil it up, put it in a cask and drink it."įraser had kindly been leading my wife Liz and me on a tour through the Glenfarclas plant. "It's not something that's overcomplicated," said Callum Fraser, manager of the Glenfarclas distillery. There are seemingly endless varieties of Scotch whisky, yet the methods and ingredients remain true to how it was produced hundreds of years ago. And, most importantly, I would decide afterwards whether to keep it, sell it or open it. I would visit distilleries and meet the people who make it. So I decided to go to Scotland's famed Speyside region in the rugged Highlands, where most of the country's whisky production happens. I resolved that if I was going to open the most valuable bottle of whisky I've ever owned (and possibly ruin all other whiskies for me), I would first learn everything I could about it. Should I keep it, hoping the value increases? Should I sell it now and spend the money? Or should I open it, perhaps to mark a special enough occasion? And if so, what occasion would be appropriately special? I was honoured by this gift, but I also found myself feeling a strange sense of unease. Then he showed me the bottle's label: The Glenlivet, Special Jubilee Reserve, aged 25 years. So when, several years ago, I received a bottle of Scottish whisky as a gift from my Uncle George when I visited him in Hong Kong, I was excited. It's the perfect libation when the moment calls for reflection or reverence, not raucousness.įor most of my adult life, whisky has been there to mark the most profound occasions: job promotions, my wedding, the birth of my children. Good whisky is meant to be sipped and savoured - slowly. When I want to get serious about a drink, it's got to be single-malt whisky. Scotland has an incredibly diverse whisky culture rooted in centuries of craft, heritage and regional pride. However, my absolute favourite is single-malt Scotch. I've got sweet American bourbons, spicy Canadian ryes, Irish varieties and a couple of award-winning Japanese bottles. My kids hunt for sea glass whenever we visit a beach.įor nearly two decades, I've been curating a modest collection of this liquid ambrosia. Some people collect comic books, others store vinyl records. Nearly everyone I know is into collecting something. For more information about First Person stories, see the FAQ. This First Person column is written by Adrian Ma, who lives in Toronto. The Sunday Magazine 17:56 Sunday Documentary: Adventures in Whiskyland
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