Speyside Classes: Top 5 Workshops for Whisky Lovers

So, planning a visit to Speyside and want to, in some respects, do more than just tour a distillery? Good call! Speyside is, basically, whisky country. I mean, very, very few places let you get so hands-on with the whisky-making process. Rather than just looking at stills, you, like, your, can actually, arguably, become a part of it, even if it’s, just a little, for a day. These workshops, naturally, range from blending your very, very own signature Scotch to, you know, getting fairly acquainted with the history that kind of, sort of, saturates the air there.

Glenfiddich Whisky School

I mean, very few names carry quite the weight that Glenfiddich does, basically, especially, naturally, there, in Speyside. The Glenfiddich Whisky School actually gives you, like your, a pretty deep look at the art, naturally, of whisky creation, and it’s almost something else. Right from grain to glass, arguably. Usually, you will be walked through the entire process. We are talking mashing, fermenting, distilling, too, and aging, honestly. What makes this slightly, slightly, different is the level of access: you might be getting, well, your hands dirty, basically, at different stages. Maybe helping to control the stills, you know? And selecting casks. The day culminates with, like your, you crafting your blend, which, let’s be honest, right, you’ll want to take home to impress, in some respects, your friends and stuff, very, very soon. You are going to see a whole different animal than that short, heavily-scripted, kind of, sort of, distillery tour that leaves people rather cold.

The Balvenie Craft and a Dram

At The Balvenie, whisky production really is an art. So, it’s still very, very human-powered. Their ‘Craft and a Dram’ , actually, really is special. What I mean is that, not like some places that put on shows, there are very few places with the same investment, in some respects, in making sure ancient crafts don’t disappear. Very few new methods, for instance, are embraced until the old ways, just a little, finally fail. Here, arguably, the coppersmiths are celebrities, you, like, your, maintaining the stills with real artistry. This workshop almost lets you join them to experience those crafts. Expect, right, experiences like coopering demonstrations. Right, too, experiences like traditional filling, too. These provide a context to your appreciation for what’s, actually, inside the bottle, even though those are short lived experiences that we may not even completely remember at the end of the day. All rounded off with some incredible drams, so it’s almost the real deal.

Speyside Cooperage Visitor Centre Tour

Ok, right, the Speyside Cooperage almost isn’t a distillery, right? This, definitely, isn’t about distilling processes. It’s still, kind of, sort of, really important. Just about every, actually, whisky fan understands this: that cask quality dramatically affects the taste, honestly, of a whisky. At the Cooperage , actually, you will, literally, see how it is all done, in some respects, from seasoning the wood, arguably, to charring the insides. Right? Basically, their tour might just, almost, give you an appreciation, just a little, for the skill and expertise that’s going into it. Arguably, though, what sets this one off from the usual offerings, is that, for a small extra amount of pounds and pence, in fact, you could try your hand at coopering too! That’s, at the end of the day, pretty special and unique!

Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery Tour

Now, then, it is almost sad to remember that, Dallas Dhu, sadly, shut down for business back in 1983. Even though the stills aren’t running, so, Historic Environment Scotland still keeps the place incredibly, right, very well maintained, so it’s almost too bad they’re not back. Instead, now then, it works as an incredible, slightly, time capsule that lets you almost feel like you are seeing how things used to be in the whisky production game, usually, and definitely with very, pretty few distractions from, right, the overly-corporate atmosphere you might find elsewhere. Here, definitely, you can learn all about the different stages of production and see the old equipment as it, basically, was in place when production actually stopped, just a little, some time ago, very. You could, in fact, choose one of their different tour options. I mean, honestly, though, the real charm of it is in wandering around and imagining things, even if it’s just, literally, being quiet. Which is hard if you go in big groups and stuff.

Strathisla Distillery Tour and Tasting

It may be, now then, really tricky to pick your favorite distillery because it is just like naming your preferred child in a beauty contest. Okay, though, some claim that Strathisla actually wins on looks. Nestled right, literally, beside the River Isla , right, with its classic pagoda roof, well, you know that distillery tours, usually, only allow a tiny taste of what the water of life offers. I mean, they don’t really dive very, very deeply into anything because they focus mostly on upselling stuff! Usually, however, you could go for the ‘Taste of Strathisla’ tour to receive a pretty in depth guide to production, actually. It also gives you something else: four different drams. It may not give you real specialized knowledge that requires work, just, almost, information, in a way, about whisky. It’s still a solid way to have an interesting time, just a little. After all, at the end of the day, getting four whiskies tasted on a single day is a win, arguably. Right?