Scotland Road Trip 2018 - Weekend in Edinburgh
I'm trying to put myself back in the mindset of this final weekend. Scotland withdrawal rapidly setting in. More lovely sights increasing our opinion of this unique country, even as we finally, for the first time on the trip, encounter a wetter, chillier, more stereotypically Scottish climate. Dinners at Five Guys, drinks at some of the best bars in the world.
First, however, a remote castle straight out of Game of Thrones.
Dunnottar Castle
Just 40 minutes or so outside of Aberdeen, and right on the eastern coast of Scotland, lies this gorgeous ruin. According to the information there, loyalist forces secreted and then guarded the Scottish crown jewels here to avoid them falling into the hands of the English. The crown jewels today are found in Edinburgh Castle.
The sapphire and topaz waters surrounding Dunnottar
The Kelpies
Our next stop, just 20 minutes away from the airport where we would drop off the rental car, was the world's largest equestrian sculpture. Named after the mythical Highland beasts that carried their victims into the sea, the Kelpies is a staggeringly large sculpture made of hundreds (if not thousands) of metal plates partially welded together but with gaps in between, creating a shimmering effect even on an overcast day.
After getting to Edinburgh and settling in to the Hotel Indigo for the night (highly recommended, by the way, great location), we vegged out for the evening to prepare for our last full day on vacation.
Edinburgh Castle
Our first order of business, aside from grabbing a quick bite to eat, was to see the Princes Street Gardens and Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle is one of the most stunning in the world, perched high on a tall hill with sheer sides, to which the walls of the castle cling and meander like a snake. The castle is famous for its 1 o'clock gun, a shot that's fired at 1 pm every day, and was once how people in the town set their watches and clocks to ensure everyone stayed on time. The castle also features a changing of the guard ceremony, kind of a poor man's version of Buckingham Palace, but my iPhone somehow bugged out while I tried to record it and instead of the ceremony I got a uniform white screen for a minute and a half.
Scotch Whisky Experience and Amber Bar
We were quickly distracted, however, as right next door to the castle is the "Scotch Whisky Experience," which I can best describe as a sort of M&M World for the whisky industry. It hosts tours and tastings, has some interactive displays, and even houses an on-site restaurant and bar along with an immense gift shop packed to the gills with scotches from the humble 12-year old mainstays to rare, 45-year old and up Macallans, Port Ellens, Broras, Glenfiddiches, etc.
My precious Laphroaig!
While there, we tried a few free samples.
Glen Keith Distillery Edition (40% ABV) - This is a cheap, easy-drinking, classic, light Highland whisky. Think about Glenmorangie 10, Glenfiddich 12, or Glenlivet 12, and you'll know what you're in for. Glen Keith is a much lesser known distillery that doesn't release much single malt, so for that reason alone, it's fun to try and would be worth having a bottle around the house. It has a Glenlivet-like apple note, some ginger, and a relatively dry finish. B-
The Glenlivet 15 French Oak Reserve (43%) - This is a coming-full-circle moment for me. Glenlivet 15 was one of the first single malts I ever purchased, right after law school when living in a tiny studio on Miami Beach. A bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail and a bottle of this guy were my two whiskies, and I loved them both for very different reasons. The price of this bottle varies a lot from store to store, but I've seen it sold in the $50 range. That's a great price for it. I've also seen it for $75+. I might pass at that. For $50, this is perhaps the best introduction to a classic Highland malt that's matured enough to have some respectable depth of flavor (spiced sherry or mulled wine, vanilla, oak, apple), and the French oak finish is specifically designed to give it some more oomph on the finish. It delivers, with a long, lingering, spicy kick that will leave you thirsting for more. B+
Longmorn Distiller's Choice (40%) - I always chuckle a little at these names like "distiller's edition" or "distiller's choice." It has an Orwellian ring to it because, quite often, a distillery edition is very much not the distiller's choice, but rather a corporate decision that a distillery needs to release a no-age statement single malt and make mama and papa some money. The result is that the quality of whiskies released with these names runs the gamut from incredible (Lagavulin Distillers Edition, which is actually the 16-year old with another 6-8 months of finishing and a spectacular dram) to mediocre or even downright disappointing. I try to avoid the worst ones by reading reviews in advance, but had no prior information about this whisky. Since it was free, why not, right? This one was extremely forgettable to me. Not bad, just forgettable. For a tasting note, I simply wrote down "sherry." It's definitely a sherried or sherry-finished product, or at least a significant portion of it is. That's about all I have to say about this one. B-
After exploring the store for a little more and taking advantage of the free samples, we headed downstairs to Amber, the Whisky Experience's restaurant and bar. Amber is one of the best whisky bars in Edinburgh and would be my top recommendation for value-for-money because the price of many pours is simply spectacular. In comparison, we went to another highly-rated Edinburgh whisky bar right after this, Whiski Rooms, where prices were double or 2.5 times what they were at Amber. If you'd like to save a pound or two, do your heavy drinking here!
I love a bar with a menu like this!
We tried three drams at Amber and, in retrospect, I wish we'd indulged in a few more given the bargains on the menu. Wonderful, knowledgeable service, too -- our bartender came from a family in Speyside that had many insiders in the industry, including an uncle or grand-uncle who was a master distiller, so he loved talking shop about his favorite drams.
Caol Ila 18 (43%) - This is a delight. Despite my love of Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg, one of the ironies of this trip was that Caol Ila was the biggest revelation from going to Scotland, even without visiting the actual distillery. I tried several Caol Ilas that just knocked me out, including this one but also the Caol Ila Distillers Edition (and you know a distillery's good when their distillers edition actually is worth drinking). I've realized that Caol Ila, which has fewer standout flavors in its youthful incarnations, matures really well and perhaps better than its more famous cousins. This 18-year old whisky starts off with scents of smoke and aged, buttery malt, before transitioning to a sweeter and fruitier palate than expected (marshmallow, lemon, toffee, peat). The finish is signature Caol Ila and remains robust, with flavors of tar and smoky peat for days. For some reason, Caol Ila has become a little harder to find in the States in the last year or so; perhaps a lot of people are coming to the same realization that I made on this trip. A-
Glen Scotia Victoriana (51.5%) - It is a rare thing for a distillery to sell a no-age statement whisky for $100 or more, but it's also rare to find a distillery putting out a real connoisseur's whisky with a meaty ABV and no chill filtration. Victoriana might not have an age statement, but it doesn't lack for anything else. This may be the best lightly peated single malt that I've tasted, although to be honest, I'm not even sure that it's peated. It may just be some old sherry butts giving it a smoky edge. The nose showcases forest floor, oak, salted toffee and honeyed oats. On the palate, I get some apricot but also tobacco, with a creamy, lightly sweet texture. The finish also has some cream to it, along with that wisp of smoke that makes me suspect this is lightly peated. I really like the fact that this whisky walks a delicate tightrope between savory or bitter flavors and sweet ones, and makes it all the way across to safety. A
Glenglassaugh Torfa (50%) - Well, wasn't this a disappointment. Glenglassaugh is another recently revived distillery (they even name one of their products, Revival, to commemorate their rebirth), now owned by the American bourbon company Brown-Foreman, who closed a deal that netted them this distillery, GlenDronach, and Benriach. Torfa is most similar to, but not quite as good as, Ledaig 10. It’s all acrid peat and citrus on the nose, followed by an earthy palate of chewy loam and sharp orange citrus again. The finish continues with that sharp, slightly astringent peat note. It’s too harsh and sharp, and I say this as a devoted fan of Islay scotches. B-
Whiski Rooms' Ardbeg Day Celebration
Next stop, Whiski Rooms! Whiski Rooms is an Ardbeg "ambassador" bar, which is a designation that means that they have a ton of Ardbegs and are considered a particularly high quality whisky bar. It also meant that, on Ardbeg Day (the second and last Saturday of Feis Ile week), Ardbeg sent them a massive bottle of this year's celebratory bottle, Grooves, and the bar poured it for free all day. Yes, literally, all day. That made up for the fact that the prices they charged for drams was higher than Amber.
While at Whiski Rooms, we happened to meet a friendly fellow who worked for Glenmorangie, the company that owns Ardbeg. We struck up a conversation and ended up hanging out with him for over an hour. What a gentleman! He even offered us a glencairn glass as a gift, which was a heartwarming gesture of friendship that just solidified our impression of Scotland as one of the most welcoming countries in the English-speaking world.
While there, we tried two more scotches.
Scapa Skiren (40%) - For a long time, the only distillery of note on the isle of Orkney was the legendary Highland Park. Scapa is now giving it a go, making whisky on one of the most remote and northern islands in Scotland. Unlike Highland Park, Scapa doesn't seem to peat their whisky at all, which results in a slightly more traditional Highland style of single malt. There's plenty of honey and orchard fruit here, along with an underlying nuttiness that gives this a thicker mouthfeel than I'd expect for a 40% whisky. It's OK, nothing to write home about (although I suppose that's exactly what I'm doing). B-
Glenrothes Peated Cask Reserve (40%) - This was one of the more affordable single malts on the menu, which is why I gave it a try. Unfortunately, I got what I paid for: a bog-standard single malt. The selling point of this whisky is that it's finished in casks that once held peated malt, so there should be some of that smoke rubbing off on it. If it's there, it's subtle, I'll tell you that much. Mild butterscotch or caramel, a grassy perfume note, and some ginger. I wouldn't buy this again. B-
Afternoon Tea at The Dome's Georgian Tea Room
Our next pitstop was at The Dome, an Edinburgh staple with a massive, opulent bar and restaurant space but also a slightly smaller, more genteel room upstairs that serves quintessential British afternoon tea. If I recall correctly, my wife got lemon ginger tea, while I opted for a cranberry tea with a fun pink hue.
The dome at The Dome
The food accompanying the tea was scrumptious. As is standard, the three-layer tea tray included a plate of finger sandwiches on the bottom, some rich scones in the middle with clotted cream and preserves, and then a generously proportioned plate of multiple desserts on top.
The sandwiches included a thinly sliced ham, a roast beef and jam (interesting combination), and an egg salad sandwich. Those were nice already, although I'm not the biggest fan of the squishy, soft, plain bread, which unfortunately seems to be a staple of these afternoon teas. The highlight was undoubtedly the middle plate, as the scones were buttery and perfectly complemented the cool yet sweet cream and tart jam.
By the time we got to dessert, to be honest, we were a little stuffed. Nonetheless, we plowed ahead through macarons, lemon cakes, cheesecakes, and some chocolate mousse. A+ to tea at The Dome!
Panda & Sons
Next stop, more refreshments. This day truly became an epic bar crawl day, starting at around 1 in the afternoon (which we know, because we went to the Scotch Whisky Experience right after the 1 o'clock gun firing at Edinburgh Castle). By the time we reached Panda & Sons, one of the most famous speakeasies in Edinburgh and sometimes listed as one of the world's best bars, the light was beginning to dim.
The bar itself is not exactly disguised on the outside, although it is marginally misleading. The "theme" of the bar is that it's a barbershop purportedly owned by a family of pandas, including Grandpa Walt, Panda (his son and current proprietor), and Panda's sons, Rupert and Cheeky Wee Benson. They are haircutters by day and sling drinks in the evenings. The entrance to the bar is down a flight of steps and behind a bookshelf.
Drinks are on the pricier side for Edinburgh, at about 10£ for each cocktail, albeit with special cocktails that were a more affordable 5-7£ each. Once you see the full-on cocktails there, though, the prices start to seem reasonable. One that we saw came in its own glass display case, filled with smoke. Another was made and delivered in Chinese takeout containers! Considering it's pretty easy nowadays to pay the same price for a cocktail in New York, DC, or Miami, with much less presentation value, I'd say it ends up being pretty reasonable.
A hand-cranked drink shaker -- apparently an invention of the bar's owner, based on old Regency-era designs, that he later sold to Tanqueray
After indulging in drinks there, we made a beeline to Five Guys to fulfill a very American hunger for some burgers and fries, and left a little memento of ourselves.
Kaleidoscope Whisky Bar
Wait, you didn't think we were done yet, did you? Last stop on the express back to America: Kaleidoscope, the Edinburgh version of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society bar that we visited in London last year. This Edinburgh location is older and has a much deeper selection of SMWS' whiskies, with shelf upon shelf of single cask single malts on offer.
Here, at last, are our final tasting notes from the trip.
SMWS 13.55, "A spice box on the forest floor" (61.3%) - We tasted both of these single malts "blind" in the sense that we didn't know what distillery produced this whisky. This made it an exciting test of one's palate. The Society's official description of this bottle is: "Wild flowers in a pine forest with lavender and marzipan in a wooden spice box, permeated with fennel, cumin, nutmeg and coriander seeds." That's a lovely description, and much better than I could manage. I think the combination of floral, marzipan, and wood resulted in a note that I identified as "mink oil" - a musty, almost pungent addition that lends good counterweight to some forcefully sweet notes of vanilla and spice. It turns out that this is a young Dalmore, aged just over 9 years, which makes a lot of sense. It's fascinating that this whisky is identified as coming out of an ex-bourbon refill barrel, as all of that spice might have suggested European oak or perhaps a sherry finish. B+
SMWS 53.249, "Robust, brisk with a lovely sweetness" (59.2%) - Although we did our tasting blind, this dram was pretty recognizable as Caol Ila. At 11 years old, this isn't that different in age from the mainstay Caol Ila 12. Its flavors fall right in the distillery's wheelhouse while being amped up by the ABV. On the nose, I experienced a rainy day on the seashore, with the scents of wet rock. The palate is comparatively sweet, with a mild medicinal tinge, and then a bonfire's worth of smoke on the finish. SMWS says this one features "Chinese five spice powder followed by stimulating East Frisian black tea. Diluted: fresh oysters and corn, chili and smoked bacon muffins." B+