Glen Scotia hosts first virtual malts festival

This year’s Campbeltown Malts Festival may be cancelled but that hasn’t stopped one of the town’s three surviving distilleries from getting into the festival spirit.

The 2020 event was to take place from May 19 to 21, however, in line with COVID-19 government guidance, the festival has been cancelled for the first time since it launched in 2009.

This has prompted Glen Scotia Distillery to offer its programme of events online for the first time.

From Monday May 18, the distillery’s website will host some of the unique elements of the renowned malts festival, including virtual distillery tours, a historical Campbeltown walking tour, video tastings for fans to follow and a dedicated festival playlist collated by the organisers of Mull of Kintyre Music Festival.

As part of the programme, it will also make its famous dunnage warehouse tasting available outside the distillery for the first time. For many, the dunnage tasting is the pinnacle of their Campbeltown Malt Festival experience, hosted by Master Distiller Iain McAlister. The theme for 2020 is The Casks of Campbeltown and features whiskies matured in casks historically used in Campbeltown, investigating why these casks were used and the influence they have on the modern Campbeltown style.

Only 200 dunnage tasting packs will be released in the UK ahead of the festival, each containing five 25ml samples along with password access to a specially created tasting video hosted by Iain McAlister.

Iain McAlister, distillery manager at Glen Scotia, said: ‘Glen Scotia’s virtual malts festival will feature as much of the real thing as possible.

‘With this virtual experience, people can truly enjoy the sounds, sights and tastes of Campbeltown from the comfort of their own homes.’

Campbeltown was known as the whisky capital of the world during the Victorian era and was home to more than 30 working distilleries. The annual Campbeltown Malts Festival is a celebration of Scotland’s fifth and smallest malt-producing region and its whisky-making heritage.

Founded in 1832, Glen Scotia Distillery reflects centuries of craftsmanship and experience associated with the region and its award-winning whiskies are renowned for their distinctive maritime influence.

Glen Scotia will bring its programme of events online from Monday May 18 allowing whisky lovers from around the world to discover and explore all the region has to offer.

To take part in the online festival visit www.glenscotia. com/festival