Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers
Slide Nr 1Looking for a neat holiday destination where you can sip a dram of liquid gold? Over the past couple of decades, whisky distilleries have sprung up across the globe – even in countries without a whisky tradition. Whether you prefer single malt, bourbon or single pot still whisky, we’ve got you covered.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 2Isle of Islay, Scotland, UK – The first stop on almost every whisky lover’s bucket list, ‘whisky island’ Islay is the land of peated (read: smoky) single malt Scotch, with its 9 distilleries including such names as Bowmore, Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Lagavulin. If drinking a peated dram of Scotch while gazing far off into the Atlantic Ocean appeals to you, Islay is an absolute must.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 3Shimamoto, Japan – Great Japanese whiskies abound, but 1924-founded Yamazaki Distillery was the country’s first. It made the news when it was awarded the 2015 World Whisky of the Year by leading expert Jim Murray. Tours and tastings can be booked at a fee, and the distillery also features a whisky museum. Located between Kyoto and Osaka, this is also a great starting point to visit Japan. Our tip: try a whisky highball (whisky and soda) at an izakaya, a Japanese pub.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 4Hobart, Tasmania, Australia – Among Tasmania’s several distilleries, Lark, Overeem and Sullivans Cove are located in and around Hobart, the state’s capital. Surging in the decades since the century-old ban on Tasmanian distilleries was overturned by Bill Lark in 1992, Tasmanian whisky has won several international awards. Try pairing it with other well-known local products, such as salmon and cheese. [Photo: The 3B’s/Flickr]
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 5Brittany, France – The country with the highest whisky consumption per capita, France has also developed a respected whisky production over the past 30 years. Head to Brittany, its northwesternmost region, to sip a local dram and appreciate its millenna-old Celtic heritage. Once there, we recommend renting a car to explore its countless sights. Oh, and don’t forget to try Kouign-Amann (you’ll thank us later).
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 6Dublin, Ireland – First of all, it’s spelled ‘whiskey’ on the Emerald Isle (plural: whiskeys). Secondly, Irish whiskey is very often triple distilled (Scotch is distilled twice), giving it a more complex and delicate flavour. Located in the city centre of Dublin, the Jameson distillery offers whiskey blending and cocktail-making classes, among other guided tours and tastings. Try single pot still whiskey, a type of whiskey unique to Ireland.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 7Yuanshan Township, Taiwan – The first Taiwanese whisky maker, Kavalan’s single malt whisky has won multiple international awards since the company’s inception in 2005. Located about an hour southeast of Taipei, this distillery offers free guided tours of its premises, including its production line (for tours in English, advance booking is required). DIY blending/tasting experiences are available at a fee.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 8Frankfort, Kentucky, USA – If bourbon is your thing, you can’t miss a trip to Kentucky. In Frankfort, 200-year-old Buffalo Trace Distillery has won a number of accolades – case in point, their Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain bourbon was named 2018 World Whisky of the Year. The distillery offers a wide range of guided visits, including a “ghost tour” (legend has it “there are more spirits residing at the distillery than those aging in the warehouses”). Several other world-renowned bourbon producers can be found within a 150-km range of Frankfort. [Photo: Buffalo Trace Distillery]
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 9Gävle, Sweden – Located about 200 km northwest of Stockholm, Gävle is home to Mackmyra – Sweden’s first distillery, founded in 1999. Using barley matured during the long summer days, Mackmyra’s whiskies (all single malts) have a distinctive sweetness, mitigated by aging in Swedish oak. The distillery offers several tours (advance booking is required). Extend your stay in Gävle with a round or two of golf …or get your adrenaline fix by going bear-watching.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 10Goa, India – Imbibing 1.6 billion litres each year, India is the world’s largest consumer of whisky – so it’s no surprise that it’s also home to a great number of distilleries. Visit Paul John, a single malt whisky maker in Goa, where the microclimate and local water give the final product a special combination of flavours. Plus, you can sip a whisky cocktail at one of the region’s famous beaches.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 11Roudham, England, UK – For 100 years after its last distillery closed, England did not produce any whiskies – that is until 2009, when the first single malt was commercialised by St. George’s Distillery in Roudham, Norfolk. Using water from the Breckland aquifer and Norfolk barley with no addition of colours or flavours, their product is completely handmade. A nearby attraction worth visiting is the vast Thetford Forest Park.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 12Schlepzig, Brandenburg, Germany – In the heart of car-free Spreewald, a biosphere reserve located 60 km south of Berlin, Spreewald Destillerie has been producing whisky since 2004 using the local Brandenburg rye. Aged in custom-made American oak and German oak casks, Stork’s production includes a straight rye whisky, a single malt whisky and a single cask whisky, which have received several recognitions. Don’t miss out on the fairy-tale town of Lübbenau when visiting this distillery.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 13Windsor, Ontario, Canada – Mostly blended and known for its hints of rye, Canadian whisky must be aged for at least three years. The grain spirit is often triple distilled, then blended with rye whisky as a flavouring agent. J.P. Wiser’s is Canada’s oldest distillery, established in 1857, and operates from the historical Hiram Walker & Sons building, where its experience tours are hosted on weekends.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 14Stauning, Denmark – With their floor malting, 24 small stills and innovative processes and ingredients (such as heather instead of peat), Danish distillery Stauning has been making its own rules since 2005. Located in the eponymous village about 140 km west of Aarhus, it produces both traditional, peated single malts, malted rye and blended whisky. Guided tours are available, and the distillery’s inspiring story is a great reason to go.
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Special Whisky
A Dram Good Holiday: 15 Destinations For Whisky Lovers.
Slide Nr 15Tel Aviv, Israel – Israeli whisky is gaining popularity on an international level. Opened in 2013 and located in Tel Aviv, The Milk & Honey Whisky Distillery produces single malt whisky and young single malt spirits; the former has been awarded Silver at the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2018. Guided tours are available (advance booking is required).
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