Over The Limit!

So we bade farewell to Poolewe and headed for The Isle of Skye via the Loch Ewe Distillery in Aultbea just fifteen minutes up the road - and we got no further! 

We had no idea of the unique treat that was in store for us.   This distillery was founded by John Clotworthy (Scottish Licensed Trade Association Whisky Ambassador) who converted the garage behind his hotel into a distillery (not surprisingly, the smallest distillery in Scotland) and was granted his licence in 2006.    During our tours we've visited 3 distilleries and there hasn't been much variance in what we've seen and learnt - as one would expect!  However, this was an 'experience' rather than a distillery tour!


 



As an introduction, John's wife, Frances,  enlightened us to the history of the early days of illicit distilling:

'Aqua Vite' (water of life) was introduced into Scotland by St Columba on the island of Iona.  The local people then began making it and called it Uisge Beatha (pr. 'ooshka bay') - a barley wash, distilled in a small pot still, producing a colourless spirit. This process of illicit distilling continued for years in homes, sheds, caves.  Local folks would get to know who was distilling and where and take their jam jars, bottles, jugs (any container they could find) for a fill-up!  The pot still was made in sections so when the excise men came calling it could be dismantled and each part hidden separately!  This stuff was actually quite lethal as it contained methanol which caused crashing headaches and in extreme cases led to blindness. However, I was assured in the modern day process of distillation there is no trace of methanol! The earliest documented record of distillation in Scotland occurred as long ago as 1494.



In 1824, George Smith was granted a licence to distill this spirit (for which he paid £10).  He was the first person to receive such a licence.   He had wanted to make a larger quantity  but the larger copper pot still created impurities in the spirit.  Undefeated, he transferred the spirit to a large empty sherry barrel to see what the results would be - it was a much more palatable golden liquid and it was for this, he was granted a licence - and which we know today as whisky - a happy accident!  The Gaelic language had been outlawed since the battle of Culloden (that's another part of Scottish history) and George Smith was forbidden to call it Uisge Beatha.  The 'Beatha' was dropped and the word 'whisky' was created from the pronunciation of Uisge.  To this day whisky carrying the name 'The Glenlivet' comes from that original distillery of George Smith's all those years ago. 



When John was granted his licence he was prohibited from calling his spirit whisky so named it Spirit of Loch Ewe.  By law, whisky must mature in barrels for a minimum 3 years and John matures his spirit for only 8 weeks.   Interestingly he subsequently received permission to call it whisky (that's another story!) but chose to keep the name Spirit of Loch Ewe. 

It was quite unbelievable what confronted us when we walked into the distillery!  Compared to the large shiny gleaming commercial automated distilleries with their huge copper stills and mash-tuns we'd seen to date, we found ourselves in a garage which had received a cave-like makeover!  The pot still John uses is the same size as that used during the illicit making days;  he extracts the liquid from the soaked malted barley through a sieve over a dustbin with a potato masher; the fermentation process then takes place in a common-a-garden wheelie bin with a fish-tank heater to ensure the correct temperature. (Oh, and the spent grains (draff) are given to the neighbour for her chickens and goats!)  The work-bench was covered with a variety of interesting smaller items of equipment, tools and test tubes.  It put me in mind of an enthusiastic professor's science lab.  For the cooling process John built a waterfall to recycle water from a well he discovered under the garage floor. The entire set up is incredibly innovative and fascinating to say the least.
  

 














We had a taste of the spirit prior to the maturation process which was around 50% alcoholic volume at that stage.  The barrels (very much smaller than the commercial size barrels) were not the traditional sherry barrels.   John experiments with soaking his barrels in a variety of alcoholic drinks - whatever he thinks may produce an interesting result! These have included Chardonnay, Merlot, Spiced Rum, various sherries.

Then it was off to the bar for some tastings!  We were shown the correct shape glass for whisky which not only allows for the swilling of the spirit in the glass to incorporate air into it to improve the flavour but if the glass gets knocked over, because of its shape, nothing is spilt - the liquid just rolls around in the bowl of the glass - it works!!  Having already had a taste of  the spirit before it went into the barrels, it was on to the matured spirits from barrels soaked in Merlot, spiced rum and a rich dark sherry (one only available in Spain).  The Merlot and rum barrels produced a very interesting result - and I've never seen pink whisky!  By this time we'd received John's kind offer for us to overnight in Libby in the hotel car park plus dinner in their hotel.  This opportune invitation was readily accepted and we later enjoyed a good supper followed by coffee in front of a log fire in the bar. 



What a gem of an experience and for all the amazing things we've done in our travels up here, this surprise find will leave a legacy of memories!  In fact afterwards we wondered if we'd dreamt the entire experience,  it seemed so surreal!!

Aultbea Bay