Exploring Scotland’s Iconic Food, Incredible Distilleries, Hidden Gems, and More!

Welcome to Mr Lyan’s Taste Trips — episode TWO!

Join us as Mr Lyan travels across Scotland’s stunning West Coast & Highlands — tasting his way through wild landscapes, buzzing kitchens, and legendary distilleries. Along the way, he gets to know the passionate chefs, bartenders, and producers helping to shape Scotland into one of the most exciting gastronomic destinations in the world.

We’re diving into crispy rolls at The Hutch, savouring a hauf and a nip at The Still Pot, wandering the iconic Barras Market, enjoying modern fine dining at Fallachan, exploring honey in Inverness, foraging for ingredients… and then, there’s the whisky.

This episode features a behind-the-scenes look at The Singleton’s award-winning home in Glen Ord, named World’s Best Whisky Distillery Tour, as well as a deep dive into Lagavulin on Islay — and we’re making cocktails too!

And stay tuned, as we’ve much more to come.

00:00 Episode Intro
01:04 Welcome to The Pot Still, Glasgow
03:28 Fallachan Kitchen, Glasgow
07:24 Breakfast at Hutch, Glasgow
08:58 Exploring Barras Market with Andy Gemmell
10:54 Travelling to Inverness
11:43 The Singleton of Glen Ord Distillery
17:03 Struan Apiaries
20:17 Make a Non-Alcoholic Oat Cordial Highball with Mr Lyan
22:05 Looking for the Loch Ness Monster
23:09 Welcome to Islay
24:09 Welcome to Lagavulin Distillery
29:23 Foraging with Thomas Dunn
31:25 Enjoying Fresh Seafood on Kilnaughton Beach
33:05 Making Cocktails at The Gate, Glasgow
37:22 Closing Credits

Find out more 👇 https://www.malts.com/en-gb/articles/mr-lyans-taste-trips-scotland-west-coast-highlands-whisky

I’m in beautiful Scotland, home of ancient castles, bagpipes, and the Loch Ness monster. Woo! And although we all know
Nessie isn’t real. The love for the incredible produce
from this magical country very much is. In this episode, I’m going to be experiencing
the buzzing food and drink scene. From the breathtaking Highlands, to the surrounding Scottish islands. I’ll be tasting my way around and meeting some
incredible characters along the way. Who are cementing Scotland as one of the finest
gastronomic destinations in the world. And I’m going to kick off
my epicurean trip in Scotland’s second city, an often overlooked gem. Now lots of people,
when they think of Scotland, would think of Edinburgh, but Glasgow deserves
to be really high on people’s lists. Weegies are some of the most hospitable
and funniest people on the planet, and the food and drink
scene here is phenomenal. There’s loads to explore, so let’s get started. When most people think of Scotland, they’ll probably think of whisky, and rightly so. Scotland has the
largest number of distilleries and some of the
most iconic on the planet. In fact, Scotland alone produces
90% of the world’s single malt whisky. So we’re kicking off our journey
in one of the great temples to whisky, and one of my all time
favourite pubs in the world. The Pot Still. The Pot Still is an iconic family-run pub, at the heart of the city centre. It’s been around since 1867, but nowadays, it’s owned by an old pal of mine
and legendary publican, Frank Murphy. Who’s known for giving
the world’s best hugs. Good to see you. Always so good to see you. (kiss) Missed you.
-(laughs) And with over 1000 whiskies on offer, what better place is there to start? So, darling. How are you? Hello beautiful
-Good to see you. What are you having? A half and a nip, please.
-Okay. I’ve pretty much come off the train
to here many a time to come and have a nip
and a little catch up, actually. It’s the beautiful thing
about being here. Not often enough, but always fun.
-I know. Cheers, brother.
-Slàinte mhath (Cheers in Scottish Gaelic) Slàinte (Cheers in Scottish Gaelic) I think it’s one of
my favourite facts about here, that you were
once ranked the top restaurant on TripAdvisor for the best pies, proper Scottish pub fare. There’s a restaurant we go to that got bumped down a place,
because we got to number one. I had to actually go and apologise. I didn’t go back for a couple weeks
after that happened. (laughs) But give us a bit of background, you have this with your sister,
Geraldine? So I worked in my dad’s pub,
until my dad fired me, which was a- (laughs) So eventually
I had to make my own way, and that’s how
I ended up in here. It’s legendary for so many reasons, but I do think
it is the magic of being able to just come in here, feel looked after, and feel like you’re in a family spot. I mean, it’s a- it’s a beautiful bounty of whisky, but it’s the way that you,
your team, you make it all so accessible. I’m quite chuffed that I’ve probably
got more people into whisky in Glasgow, than maybe any other bar,
which is a nice thing. Especially when you walk in
and you can feel a little bit overawed. And I think that’s the- it’s the magic of
a traditional Scottish pub, that you sit in the corner, you’ll end up with
a conversation with somebody. Whether you like it or not. Exactly, but it does- it creates those bridges and that’s what sharing
a dram is all about. And I think here does it so perfectly. Scotland has a natural larder, boasting some of the best ingredients you’ll find anywhere in the world. Its climate means you have this incredible ptoduce,
all across the country, which is why the
Scottish culinary scene is so rich. I’m here to visit,
what I think, is one of the
finest restaurants in Scotland, if not the UK. Fallachan is owned by chef,
Craig Grozier. He’s creating the best
in modern fine dining. I want to learn how he’s using
incredible Scottish produce in experimental
and forward-thinking ways. So good to see you.
-You too, man. How are things?
-Wonderful. So excited to be in.
-Good. Thanks for visiting
our humble abode. Well, I figured
I might as well be useful, while we’re getting
things set up, right? You want to do some prep? Yeah, let’s do that,
then I can catch up- Let’s get you suited up. Here you go.
-Oh, look at this. Got some lovely
Loch Fyne langoustines here for you to prep. Oh, beautiful. It’s been really exciting
watching everything you’ve built up for Fallachan. The guys that we’ve got
here are fantastic. Everyone cares, everyone wants to
put good food on the plate. Yeah. Cares about where things
are sourced from. And being in Scotland, we have such
an unbelievable array of produce. Yeah. For me, working and travelling around the planet
and then coming back to Scotland and realising the cornucopia
of ingredients that everybody else in the world
would love to have on their doorstep. And so things like
these amazing langoustines and- Well, we should probably sit
and taste some of this. Probably sit and eat some.
-Aye. Amazing. So aside from having some beautifully cut
Lion’s Mane mushrooms. Oh, no!
-Oh, that’s it. Very well cooked
langoustines as well. Oh, I took the tail off, I’m sorry.
-Oh, mate! I know, I’ve gone and
ruined the whole thing. We need a new one.
-This can be mine. (laughs) I mean, this is a stunning dish. This looks beautiful. What brought you back to Glasgow to open your restaurant, then? When you go to places
like Japan, and you’re visiting Tsukiji Market, and they’ve got produce
from Scotland. 100% do. And you’re sort of going- that’s from home.
-Yeah. And then when I got back here,
I was like, we have so much produce here-
-Yeah. that is just world class. From the game
to the wild mushrooms and- you can get wild mushrooms in Scotland,
all year round. So all these certain things for me, they drew me back. You’re kind of proud
of what we have here. Yeah. And you kind of feel like you’re tapping into
something that’s secret, that no one else is utilising. Yeah. Even under the rumble of
the occasional overhead train, the setting is exquisite. However, I want to learn
how Craig uses foraging to find such incredible ingredients. It was kind of a little bit of a- meditation in motion
to go out and pick a lot of mushrooms in a green place,
you know. It’s the kind of the therapeutic nature
of being out in nature. Yeah. Also that sense of
not only satisfaction but, there’s that primal sense of joy
of going, I’ve discovered or
I’ve captured this like wonderful, thank you,
bounty of incredible ingredients. When I grew up in the Highlands-
the sea was there. Yeah. The shore was there,
but the mountains were there. The fields were there,
the forest was there. So I think being able
to tap back into that, the wild flora and fauna of the country,
I was like, wow, this cuisine of Scotland is, it’s world class and we can basically- pluck what we want. With the evening coming to a close
and the crew being treated to some of the best
modern Scottish fare around. There’s still one more course
for me to almost ruin. So, piping from the top,
using your fingers to guide, lean over it like so, yeah. Exactly. Start at the bottom and come away. Oh, I’ve gone high! (laughs) Go more on the next one, eh? (laughs) Why have mine also gone into- (laughs) We’ve got a little nubbin, and a boob of a meringue. (laughter) Morning in Scotland, means one very important thing. And that’s kicking off the day with a proper Scottish delicacy of a morning roll. The ideal breakfast on the go. And the best place for it,
is Hutch, a hole-in-the-wall café,
in the centre of the historic Barras Market. Owned by
the unofficial mayor of Glasgow, Andy Gemmell. Hello, mate. How you doing? Great to see you.
-Good to see you, welcome to Hutch. Thanks, this is mega. I’m so excited to be able to kick off
with a morning roll. First question, and there isn’t really
a right answer for this, is soft or crispy? But I’ve given you crispy,
so you’ve got no choice- (laughs) in the matter at all. And I went for
a wee square sausage. The only country on the planet
where you got square sausage. I also don’t understand
why nobody else has done a square sausage. I know, it’s amazing. And yeah, it’s the best way
to start the day. Breakfast is a massive part of Glasgow,
and Scotland as well. Maybe not the healthiest. (laughs) Whenever I’m back up here- because you can’t get this
anywhere else. No. You can’t get haggis and tatty scones
in other parts of the world. But there’s also
something really special about being able
to come back here and have it,
because it’s phenomenal. I think if you go to
a lot of different countries, Mexico or Japan,
where you’ve been, like- they’re so proud of their, you know,
their culture and their cuisine, and I think now
Scotland is going through that part, where it’s kind of gone- do you know what,
we’ve got stuff we’re proud of, and we’re able to talk about it. It’s not in our nature to do that.
-Yeah. We’re not showy, sort of people all the time,
-Sure. but it’s starting
to come through as a culture, we’re prouder of what we stand for. Right,
this looks amazing, I can’t wait to tuck into this, let’s grab rolls
and take a wonder, eh? Let’s do it.
-Oh, mega. Alright, mate? This is the perfect start, yeah. Ah, good mate. It’s also a real treat
to be in the Barras when it’s closed. Like, this is amazing. I’ve fallen in love with the whole area,
to be honest with you. I mean, it’s not just the fact
that it’s 102 years old and everything else, it’s going through an evolution.
-Yeah. Not gentrification.
-Yeah, yeah. It’s going through an evolution,
at the moment. So there’s this sort of like old school
and new school meeting. Yeah. Which can be a beautiful thing
when it happens, and it is starting to happen,
and it’s going to take time, but I mean this is like
Borough Market, 25 years ago. Yeah, right? So I mean,
this is incredible, to be part of that community aspect,
is so crucial in this city. right? Like it’s a part of
the Glaswegian character. Yeah, I mean Glasgow is like- I always call it one of
the loyalest cities in the world, as in, I think that once you’re
in with a Glaswegian, or in with Glasgow,
you’re in. Yeah. But it takes a bit of work.
-Sure. We can be quite a stubborn city, that’s where the food and drink scene,
I think, kind of stuttered a little bit, for many years. It’s like when a restaurant
brand comes up here and everyone from London is going,
this is the coolest thing ever, it’s coming to Glasgow. And the Glaswegians go- is it, aye? (laughs) It’s the best saying, ever. Like, we’ll tell you if it’s cool. Just because someone else says
this is good, that doesn’t mean
we are going to like it, you know, just give us-
we’ll tell you when we’re ready. If I think about Glasgow and, you know, even the contrast
from when I was living in Edinburgh, it was such a cool city,
like it had its own character and- you know, humour- like that to me
is a big part of Glasgow life as well. Like they’re the
funniest people on the planet. I don’t know if you remember the late,
great Anthony Bourdain, when he came to Glasgow. we’ve actually got
this slogan right across Hutch, kind of summarises Glasgow.
-Yeah. Glasgow is maybe
the most bull**** free place on earth. They call it- he likes to call it,
the antidote to the rest of the world. And I think what’s really funny is most of the people in here,
think that says artichoke. (laughs) And I’ve not told them
any different. So I’ve just left it,
as artichoke. Glasgow is the gateway
to the rest of Scotland, making it super easy to explore the rest of this beautiful country. So right now I’m on my way north to the Highlands. Inverness is a historic city, with human settlements here
dating back to 6000 BC. But nowadays it’s known for
its iconic castle, which features in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and as being the capital of the Highlands, with its close proximity
to the famous whisky region of Speyside. And, of course, Loch Ness. Speyside is one of the most famous
whisky regions in all the world, with a huge concentration of distilleries. But I’m here to show you that there’s so much more you can discover. So I’m taking a quick 20 minute trip out of Inverness, in the opposite direction and into the Highlands whisky region. The Glen Ord whisky distillery is nestled in
the heart of the Black Isle peninsula and has been since 1838. It’s now home of The Singleton, who last year won
the world’s best whisky distillery tour, and I’m excited to find out why. Yes. How are you, man?
What’s happening? Ace. This is very cool surroundings
to catch up in. Yeah, it’s cool isn’t it? Yeah. Yeah, not your
average distillery bar. It’s so great. And I think it’s- there’s all of the hallmarks of it
being one of the like, you know, beautiful
old traditional distilleries. But then it’s got
this kind of wonderful modern touch. Yeah., it sums up
the two sides of The Singleton. We have an old school
single malt whisky production that follows all the classic cues,
that you would expect. And then the modern side
comes from how you enjoy it. Yeah. This is a single malt whisky
that is designed to be enjoyed, yes, neat and to toast occasions
and things like that, but also as part of delicious drinks. So I think what we’ll do is we’ll go- show you around the distillery,
introduce you to some of the team. Amazing. Show you what makes
that kind of house style, that I love to talk about,
and maybe even make you a drink? This sounds ideal.
-Okay, cool. Right, let’s go.
-Perfect. I’m keen to learn more about this modern
take on a historic whisky. Kyle, thanks so much. It’s so wonderful to be able to be
in this still house, like this. Especially with the sun pouring in. It’s a very beautiful place to be. It’s a pleasure to have you here. One of my favourite things
about whisky is, is how much
it beds into the community. And you have a familial connection
to The Singleton of Glen Ord, right? Yeah, absolutely. So my family are,
at least on my dad’s side, they’re from this area.
-Amazing. So, feels close to me. But it’s my grandfather,
especially, he’s been working here in different respects,
since the 1980s. Amazing. I’ve found some old helmets
and signage in his yard, and stuff like that. And he’s someone that’s
really well known on site as well. So it’s amazing for me to work in this space
and have that connection the whole time. That’s really wonderful. So tell me about some of the whiskies
that are made here. Good ones,
for a start. We make some
incredible whisky and have done for
a very long time. But it’s also whisky that is really just
packed full of flavour. And that’s coming through
the unique process that we have here. Okay, and what’s what’s different about
the process that ends up happening here? Well, I think with our whisky,
we’re really looking to take our time. I mean, with Scotch whisky,
that’s often a given, but we’re going to go
one step further with that. Yeah. We’re going to slow down
every step of the process. And we’re going to do that
through something we call ‘slow craft’. Okay, and what is it that
that slowing down does? Be it the mashing,
you’re going to get more sugars. Yep. If it’s the fermentation,
which is 75 hours every time, we’re going to extract more notes
of things like dried fruits, we let the yeast work longer. And then when it comes to distillation,
we’re going to get more heat. We’re going to get a bit more spice
inside the spirit as well. Amazing. So that’s very much
the philosophy and the ethos of what happens here
at The Singleton? Absolutely. It’s something we’ve been doing
for a long time, working on it,
perfecting it to the point that we are now. It’s time to taste The Singleton, and see how the slowing down of processes
affects the flavour. But before I do, I’m being treated to a
taste of a very special experimental cask. Wow, look at the colour on this. Yeah, this is a mezcal cask. Slàinte, cheers.
-Cheers. It’s really unusual for a non-peated whisky
to have such a kind of smoky character, but- That is mad! Yeah, it’s a lovely balance. I think, with a lot of kind of
experimental casks, you don’t know
how it’s going to turn out, but this one has been really- been really lucky with this one, anwyay.
-That’s amazing. Oh that’s great. So when you’re welcoming people
to either the distillery, or actually whisky in general, how do you like to be able to kind of get them to be introduced
to the category? Erm, whenever I do tastings,
I tend to like let everyone know that they can actually do it.
-Yeah. And obviously this works, The Singleton works perfectly because it has that flavour profile
that everyone can detect. Yeah. The spikes of flavour,
they all jump out. And it’s just showing people,
because the hardest thing is, is putting it into words.
-Yep. Everyone can smell,
everyone can taste, so it’s just using really simple,
approachable language, and it helps when you have a single malt-
-Yeah. that everyone finds enjoyable. So beautiful single malt whisky. How do you feel about it
being mixed in a cocktail? I love it. Like first of all, whenever
I see a single malt on the menu, I want to hear about the process, I want to hear about why, I want to hear
if they tell the story of the place. Because great single malt
is a product of a place, and it’s the product of people. And if you are able to, in an amazing bar,
anywhere around the world, tell the story of
a tiny town in Scotland- Yeah. like it’s so cool.
-Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, it’s like we give it
a bit of a ‘Yes, Scotland’. Absolutely, yeah. And it is, it’s what’s so exciting
in whisky at the moment, right? Being able to look at it
in that modern lens and understand that,
actually whisky has always been mixed, but in like a way that we can think about it in the modern day and- and actually present,
this is what’s happening in Scotland, and actually you’re seeing it
in bars around the world. It’s cocktail menu dynamite, right?
-Totally. It’s got the story,
it’s got the unique flavour profile, and it’s just about kind of,
telling a story across bar. At the end of my
adventure around Scotland I’m going to create a cocktail
inspired by my trip, using ingredients and ideas
that I’ve picked up along the way. Ervin has kindly gifted me
a bottle of 18-year-old The Singleton, which will make
a great cocktail base. I’ve managed to pick up
some incredible whisky, but I need something
similarly superlative. for my Scotland inspired cocktail. And given the landscape here, there’s some really magical ingredients
to choose from. But there’s something extra special, that’ll be the real bee’s knees. Wow, the noise is amazing. Wow. Right, let’s start
your beekeeping experience now. This is quite something. (laughs) Do you want to
have a hold? Oh, wow. It’s warm. Every hive is 32 degrees. That is crazy. Winter, summer- everything. As a young biology student,
I did my paper on social insects. Right. And I was amazed by bees. And you watch them like this,
and you see them interact. And it’s beautiful to see them-
-Yeah. kind of dance together. Well, they do a special dance,
to tell the other bees where the nectar is,
and where the pollen is. You know, so they’ll go
and do their figure of eight dance, and- that tells them the direction,
when the sun’s out, and they can go back and forth,
back and forth, and collect their nectar. And obviously, it’s super crucial both as,
you know, a thing to protect, because they’re beautiful creatures, but they’re also very important
for our environment. Well, if we don’t have bees,
we’re not gonna have any fruit, any flowers, or anything like that. So we need bees to survive.
-Yeah. So I’m an absolute honey obsessive, Tea and honey are the things I think
are some of the most magical products. And you find such variance in the aromas.
-Yeah. So what is it about Inverness honey
that makes it so special? We’ve got the best heather moors
in the world. Scottish heather honey
is the best in the world, because it’s the most organic honey,
you can get. Because the heather moors have
never been touched with chemicals for thousands of years.
-Right. The heather honey is a very strong,
robust honey, that is quite different
from a blossom honey. A blossom is a light honey,
light flavour. Heather honey is dark and rich
and it catches your throat. You know,
if you take a nice spoonful, it’s- it catches your breath and you know,
it is the best honey in the world, I think. And it’s also,
if you happen to burn yourself, put honey on your hand
and it gets rid of the burn. Oh, amazing.
-You don’t get blisters. Magical product. Yeah, honey is an amazing product. Watching Nigel and his bees hard at work,
is truly captivating. But speaking as
a self-appointed honey geek, I have to say, that this is like no honey
I’ve ever had before. That’s incredible. God, the journey of
the flavour here though- you’re not just getting sweetness, I think that’s the interesting thing.
-It’s a flavour. Absolutely. And that obviously there’s that waxy,
kind of unctuousness to it as well. This is incredible, wow. Nigel has gifted me two types of honey. One blossom honey,
and one heather honey. Two great ingredients to add to my Scotland inspired cocktail,
that I’ll be making at the end of my trip. Here’s a wee present for you, Ryan. Some honey, blossom honey,
-Thank you. heather honey. Hope you enjoy.
-Thank you. One of the wonderful things
you often discover when you’re travelling around, is these incredible local soft drinks. The things that have been
part of the landscape, often borne out of the culture, and the ingredients, much in the same way
like a country’s favourite spirit. And one of the wonderful ones
from Scotland was barley water. It’s an incredible local, kind of cordial. That’s a great thing to be able to
lengthen soft drinks, but it’s also a great ingredient
to add body, texture and is aromatic,
to your non-alcoholic cocktails. We’re going to use some oats
to do a little take on a barley cordial, roughly chop up some fresh ginger, and with that, we’re also going to use
a little bit of cranberry sauce. So something that’s got a little bit
of sweetness and acidity already in it. We’re going to use some rolled oats, some fresh thyme
to give it a little bit of greenness. And top this off with some boiling water. We’re going to use this cafetière,
as a quick way of brewing it and extracting all the aromatics. And what we’ll end up with,
is this kind of wonderful oat cordial, using some of the cranberry,
the thyme, the ginger aromatics. I’m going to use it
in a nice chilled highball alongside some non-alcoholic spirits. We’re going to use some of our
non-alcoholic Seedlip Spice, alongside our oat cordial. Quick stir just to make sure
everything’s incorporated. Lots of ice to give it
journey and length. And then we’re going to crown it
with some chilled soda water. Going to garnish this with a little bit of,
kind of fresh citrus on the top. It’s really refreshing. It’s got lots of length to it. It feels just as adult as having any other highball,
your gin and tonic, your whisky soda. It’s a wonderful way
to be able to kick back with friends. Cheers. I’ve long maintained that Scotland, is the most beautiful country
in the world. One of the things
that always astounds me, is the breadth of landscapes
it has within it. From the white sandy beaches, to snow-capped mountains, to glacial lakes. It really has everything. Woo! (laughter) Oh man, this is so great. If I lost my glasses,
then I’d be really screwed. Now, Loch Ness is so huge, no wonder there’s only been
a few accounts of people spotting the famous
Loch ness monster. In fact, Loch Ness contains
more water than all of the lakes, the rivers, the reservoirs of England
and Wales combined. So maybe we’ll hang here
and wait for Nessie to come to us. It’s a beautiful place
to be able to kick back, a gorgeous sunset, a nip in hand. Slàinte. Right, so I’m on the move again, and I’m now heading to
a very special part of Scotland. I’ve arrived on Islay. It’s taken a train, a plane
and an automobile to get me here. But I’ve made it to one of
the whisky capitals of the world. This is top of every whisky lover’s bucket list. With people travelling from all over the world to make it here. There are ten operational distilleries
with four more in the works, all on this tiny 240 square mile island with a population
of a little over than 3000. Let’s settle into island life,
grab a dram and get exploring. Islay is traditionally known for its peaty
and smoky whiskies, due to the peat bogs you can see
whilst travelling across the island. However peatiness is often something
that’s quite misunderstood, often lumped into one flavour category when it can be so much more nuanced, and can go way beyond
simply the idea of smokiness. There’s even some unpeated expressions
on this island, and the inclusion of peat
can be really varied. I’m about to go discover
real masters of the use of peat, and I’m going to go visit a distillery that really expresses this
in such an interesting way. I’m heading to Lagavulin Distillery. Hi, Karen. Hello, lovely to meet you. Welcome.
-Thank you. What a gorgeous day for it. Yeah, you’ve been really lucky. So thanks for bringing the good weather
and welcome to Lagavulin. Thank you, and obviously
this is not a young distillery. It’s been here for quite a while, right? It’s not, there’s an amazing
amount of history here. So yeah, Lagavulin
was legally established in 1816. Right. By a local chap called John Johnston,
who was a farmer. Yeah, so a long time ago. And whisky is obviously
big on Islay. It’s a huge part
of the island as well, right? It’s massive.
-Yeah. So there’s obviously
many distilleries on Islay, so it’s good,
healthy competition between us all. It’s a special place to be. Yeah, I mean it’s one of
the things I’ve always loved about the whisky industry, it’s- you know, people work in them
for generations. And it’s a big part of the community. I’m lucky enough to say I was brought up in
the village of Lagavulin, just across the bay.
-Amazing. You’re an Ileach? Yeah, I’m an Ileach,
I’m an Ileach. And it’s a beautiful thing about whisky,
you know, you can travel and you can- you can drink this everywhere from,
you know, New York to Sydney,
and everywhere in between. And that whisky carries
a little bit of Islay to it. But I think coming here, seeing where it’s made
and meeting the people behind it is- I think that’s what is-
it’s a very special trip to be able to do. It’s really good, it’s really special.
-Yeah. I want to learn more about what makes
this world renowned whisky so special. Kirsten, you’re part of
the production team here, so you’re actually making this
super iconic whisky? Yes, I am very proud of that. That’s amazing. Erm, but yeah,
we run it from grain to cask as we say. So from taking the malt in,
going all the way right through the stills, till we fill the tanker
and send it away. And how long have
you been here then? So I’ve been doing this job
for just over a year and a half. And on Islay for
two and a half years. So what brought you to Islay? Yeah, I mean-
(laughs) This. Lagavulin is one of
my favourite distilleries, so to get the job here
was just an absolute dream. And Islay is like,
it’s the place to be for whisky. So I feel forever thankful to be here. So what is it about
the way that you produce things that leads to Lagavulin
as its own style? So the grain arrives with us,
it’s already peated. We do 30 mashes a week, We fill up eight washbacks, they are fermented
for about 55 to 65 hours, which is quite a short fermentation
compared to other distilleries. And then we run it
through our four stills, and we do that for 11 hours. So that’s one of the longest-
-That’s a slow distillation. yeah, that’s
a really long distillation. Which gives amazing
copper contact and creates that beautiful,
smooth Lagavulin finish. And the peat itself,
so you’re using local peat, is that right? Yeah, just from up the hill.
-Amazing. You guys will have driven through
Port Ellen today. Yeah. It like permeates,
the smell’s everywhere on Islay. It’s the smell of Islay. And the thing is
you get peat up in the Highlands. It’s a very different peat
to what we have here. This is surrounded by salty air. So there’s that maritime saltiness
that goes into the peat, which then transfers across
into the spirit and the end product. Amazing. So it’s not just it- the kind of, the weather battering
the distillery and the warehouse, it’s literally growing through
from the peat itself. Exactly., yeah.
-It’s incredible. So, this magical material is peat. So when we were at Singleton,
we had an unpeated spirit. Whereas when you come across
those smokier styles of whisky, particularly like you get on Islay, the whisky is made
and that smokiness is coming, using this material. The island’s covered in the stuff, so as you’re driving along,
you’re driving over these peat bogs. And these are deep in the ground, you take off the top layers of turf and you have
these wonderful materials that have been decomposed
and condensed into this incredible fuel. And because it’s packed full of all of
the things that are part of this landscape, it takes on a certain terroir to it,
and it gives this wonderful, complex character that is so signature
to a lot of the whiskies that we’ll find on this island. The smell of sea salt
and peat in the air is a beautiful thing to experience. However, I want to taste
how that translates into the famous, Lagavulin whisky. Well, this is very delicious. It really is. So we’ve got our
delicious Spicy Margarita. So we’ve swapped out the smoky mezcal for our lovely, Lagavulin scotch. It’s always been
one of my favourite things. Of course,
a neat dram’s amazing, but being able
to help people understand it, open out those flavours, a cocktail’s such a great way
to introduce people to it. Absolutely,
I think a cocktail now is a really good way. We have lots of whisky enthusiasts
come to visit use here, but we also have people
that are new to whisky. So it can be a way of,
you know, bringing whisky to people’s lives.
-Especially when it’s this delicious. Cocktails are, of course, a great way
to experience spirits in different ways. But there’s something so special in tasting whisky neat,
in the distillery where it’s made. So actually,
some of my favourite memories of being able to drink this dram, are being able to visit Islay. And I think,
being able to be by the coast, get that sea spray coming in or,
you know, trying it in the warehouse where it’s a little colder
and you start to reveal different sides of it, but you start to then remember those, you pick it up,
when you go back to the whisky, and you could be anywhere,
and you’re transported back to Islay. I mean, it’s incredible. It really is.
-What a wonderful dram. I’m coming to the end of my taste trip
around Scotland. And Karen has kindly gifted me a bottle of 16-year-old Lagavulin
for my Scotland inspired cocktail. However, I still feel like
I need a couple more ingredients, and thanks to an old friend of mine, I’ve got an idea of how to get some. We’re actually off to Islay after this, and I know you’ve spent a lot of time on the island. Yeah. Do you have any favourite ingredients
that you used to love to pick up from there? Yeah, there’s some great
shoreline ingredients, erm, just now that
you’ll actually be able to pick. Don’t eat the hemlock. Don’t end up like Socrates. If you’re not up to date
on your Greek philosophy, this face should tell you
all you need to know. However, foraging is a great way to pick up some brilliant ingredients. As long as you stay away
from the hemlock, of course. We have these very pretty primroses, so you can use the young leaves
almost like a salad leaf. But what we’re going to look for
are these beautiful, very delicate flowers, and they’re going to give this wonderful,
like, soft, kind of buttery vanilla-y, sweet accent. So everybody might know them as being a little bit bothersome,
but actually nettles are a wonderful ingredient
and a very traditional foodstuff. So they’re an amazing way of being able
to either make a great soup, or accent some of your cocktails. So it’s helpful to have a pair of gloves because yes,
they can kind of sting a little bit. But what we are looking to be able
to pull out is actually this incredible, almost peach, elderflower-y fruity note
that you can still attract from the leaves. So I’m very fortunate to have
some knowledge of these local landscapes and have a bit of experience
with some foraging. But the key is not only seeking out
these wonderful foods, these incredible ingredients
and celebrating the biodiversity. It’s also really important to be careful. You want to be able to make sure
you’re looking up the right backgrounds, a lot of the research and the resources
to help guide you. So it’s probably best
to get a little bit of extra help. Isn’t that right, Tom? Now, it’s not only
plant life which there is
an abundance of on Islay. One of the best things to do here
is have some fresh seafood delivered to you right on the beach front. Grab a dram and pass some time
taking it all in. Whenever I meet anybody
when I’m travelling around the world, I often talk about how the fact that Scotland is the most
beautiful country on the planet. It really has this
incredible allure to it. And when I was living here,
I lived here for seven years. It really kind of captivated
in all of these ways. The beautiful landscapes, the incredible humour. But it’s really when you get
to spend time with the people here and you understand
this incredible connection they have to these wonderful histories. You know, you have whiskies dating back
200 years and their heritage. But this modern side of Scotland that’s really looking
to push things forward. And, you know,
we saw it visiting Craig, seeing some of the way that,
you know, he taps into his connection
to the landscapes and being able to walk
into The Singleton, and looking at this idea of
the way that whiskies move forward as the world has evolved. It was incredible to visit Lagavulin, one of the most iconic whiskies
of the world, a distillery that so many people travel all the way across the world
to come and visit. Of course, getting a hug off
big Frank and understanding- how do you connect people
to these really special liquids? How do you make it accessible? How do you help people understand how much is going on trapped
in these little golden gems of liquid? So it’s been absolutely wonderful
to be back. Out on the beach on Islay, dram of Lagavulin in hand, this incredible seafood, but it’s got to be shared with friends. You’ve got to eat a snail. Eat a snail? (laughs) I’m now back on the mainland
in Glasgow, for my final showpiece, making a cocktail inspired by the things
I’ve seen and learned this past week. We’re here at The Gate,
one of my favourite bars in the world, looked over by one of my old mentors,
very dear friend Andy Gemmell, and I really wanted to contrast
the different approaches that we saw, the different flavours,
and actually really celebrating the different occasions in which you could
enjoy one of these wonderful drams. So I’m going to present
two different drinks. And really kind of celebrate
these ideas of these whiskies, all of the people and the stories
that have gone into them, but also try and talk about this
unexpected flavour, these different takes on Scotland that
we’ve really noticed across the journey. So I’m going to start
on the Lagavulin side, which you might think
is going to lean towards more of that kind of richer,
brooding style of drink. But actually beyond the smoke is really- this wonderful elegance, these floral notes, a lot of citrus, and of course,
this coastal sea spray. On the other side, The Singleton had this
wonderful orchard fruit notes, I found loads of plum and peach,
and this brightness to the whisky. But as it starts to mature
and get into the more venerable ages, so an 18-year-old whisky, it has much more of this golden spice. And we’re going to start with our bitters. So on the brighter side of things,
with the Lagavulin, we’re going to use
just some orange bitters. So a couple of dashes of these. And on the other side,
we’re going to use some Angostura Bitters, but we’ve infused that
with some of the botanicals we were able to forage around with Tom. So we have some of the golden saxifrage, we have a little bit of dandelion, picking up some of those nuttier notes, a little bit of spice, that really works beautifully to pull out
the richer notes from the whisky. So just a couple of dashes of our bitters. And then we’re gonna take it in
different directions for this, using the the different honeys
we picked up from Nigel. So on this side
we’re going to use the blossom honey. And this again,
plays on some of those elegant floral notes that are in Lagavulin. So I’ve been able to infuse
the blossom honey with some of the primrose, that we were able to gather. But we’ve also cut it with tea
that we’ve made from the fresh nettle. And simply,
we’re brewing a tea with the nettles. And then we’re mixing three parts of honey
to one part of our tea. And we’re just going to use two teaspoons or ten mils of our honey. And on the other side, we’ve got our wonderful,
kind of odd chestnut-y, richer style heather honey. So this is really pulling out those notes
from the moors. Those things that the bees are foraging,
where it gets really concentrated and rich. So this is simply three parts of the honey
broken down in a little bit of hot water. So it’s easier to pour,
easier to mix in. Again two teaspoons,
ten mils, just under half an ounce. So our Lagavulin 16-year-old, again, of course the smoke is there,
but it’s wonderful and bright. So 50 mils. And exactly the same thing
on the other side. So 50 mils of our
The Singleton 18-year-old. So not churning it out. We want to keep the silky texture
of each of the whiskies. So, stirred over ice. And we’re going to strain these over a nice hunk of ice, in a very,
very cold glass. Just pouring this
over a large block. And then, being able to kind of celebrate
that with one of these beautiful- primroses that we were able to forage. And then really looking
to some of that kind of richer herbal note, on our The Singleton side. So we have our
Coastal Old Fashioned, really looking at some of those
sea spray notes that you get, the olive,
the floral notes, this wonderful gentian characteristic, All of those aspects that are
so wonderful in Lagavulin. And ditto, on the other side
with our The Singleton serve. So our Bothy Old Fashioned, something where you can kind of,
reach that little bit of a snug, somewhere you can kind of,
hunker down with a drink. Where it’s got this wonderful warmth
that sits around it, celebrating that spice, opening up that fruitiness
as you drink through it. It’s a wonderful way
to be able to celebrate not only the increase table produce
that this country has. You know, I’ve talked about being
the most beautiful country on the planet. It has these incredible
ingredients to celebrate, but it’s really about the people
and the stories behind them. You know,
there was so much to discover, so much passion
that went into all of these things, that really represents
the modern side of Scotland. Slàinte. Fàilte gu Alba,
welcome to Scotland. Must do things in Inverness? Loch Ness probably. You’ve got to go
and find the monster, right? I live in Loch Ness,
and I see Nessie all the time. We still have a monster there, yes. In Glasgow you can go down
to any pub, and you’ll come out with a best pal,
and probably a job at the same time. One day I’ll be fired
for my outtakes. (laughter) This is so good.