WHISKY TASTING AT THE BALMORAL

EARLIER IN THE DAY and back in the heart of Edinburgh, The Balmoral was an excellent place to start my education in the fine art of whisky tasting. Originally built as a railway hotel in 1902, it is now the flagship of the luxury Rocco Forte collection, and in an inspired move, the old baggage room was converted into a signature whisky bar called Scotch in 2013. The bar boasts the largest collection of single malt whiskies in Edinburgh with over 500 whiskies from all the five major regions of Speyside, Islay, Campbeltown, the Highlands, and the Lowlands. They range in price from a Glenfiddich 12-year-old at `568 a dram to a Glenmorangie 1974 at an astronomical `33,117 a dram. I also learn that this business of a ‘dram’ is a bit flexible and translates into a “wee taste” rather than anything quantifiable.

Starting with an 18-year-old Glen Grant from Speyside, we visit the tiny region of Campbeltown and sample a whisky from Springbank, one of only three distilleries there, before ending with a Kilchoman from Islay with its classic smoky flavour. But for me, the outstanding one is an 18-year-old Glendronach Allardice from the Highlands. Matured in a sherry cask, it has a much darker colour and its mouthfeel is a unique velvet smoothness that rolls around my tongue before ending with the classic single malt bitter ending.

The bar at The Balmoral boasts the largest collection of single malt whiskies in Edinburgh.