WHISKY LIST Scotland Has Been Distilling Since the Art Was Introduced from the Mediterranean in the Early 15Th Century

WHISKY LIST Scotland has been distilling since the art was introduced from the Mediterranean in the early 15th century. The first evidence of whisky production in Scotland comes from 1494 when James IV sent malt to friar John Corr to make enough for 500 bottles. The technique of fermenting farmed cereal crops to produce spirit is still used to this day, and we believe we are the best in the world when it comes to doing just that! The spirit in it’s infancy was used for “medicinal purposes”, it still is. Slowly whisky became an adopted past time, much to the joy of farmers as it was a great way for them to use up excess grain. To this day whisky must be aged for at least 3 years in an oak barrel before it can legally be called “Whisky” Whisky is clear until it goes into the barrel. It is the wood that gives it the colour. The five most common types of the amber nectar throughtout the world are

Single Malt Malt whisky is the original whisky of Scotland; it is made only from malted barley and generally in two copper pot stills. It is the product of an individual distillery. Our nearest distillery is Oban “OH-BIN” established in 1794. Blended Malt Blended Malts are a combination of Single malt whiskies. The hard and fast rule here is no grain whisky allowed. Grain A key ingredient in making single malts it acts as a filler and knits everything together to give texture & flavour. Individually grain whisky is becoming ever more popular. Apart from Invergordon in the Highlands most distilleries are in the central belt of Scotland. Rye It’s Whisk”E”y & American you know; but not a bourbon as the mash content must be at least 51% rye; It’s also not from Kentucky! Spicy, rich & powerful it is better aged in oak barrels to give the spirit time to mellow & develop complexity. We sometimes have some in stock but only Eagle Rare(ly) Blended The skill & the art of whisky some say; It uses a variety of whiskies from a variety of distilleries & requires an extraordinary nose for flavour. Again, it must be aged for 3 years in oak barrels in the first instance.

Our whisky is in regions which each have their own characteristics of nose, palate & finish. If you have never tried whisky before let’s have a chat and we will find the right one for you. Some easy starters are Aberfeldy 12yr, Dalwhinnie 15yr & Glenkinchie 12yr. We would probably advise against going straight to Islay whisky but in each of our region you will find

Begin A great way to start the region and decide if you like the nose, palate & finish Explore Get a bit more intensity from the region’s typical characteristics Delve Because it’s the only way to find out if you can swim

Islands The islands region of Scotland is extremely diverse in production methods & predominatly the malts are rich. Smoke is a common accurance throughout and there is often good peat content, salinity & cereal sweetness to balance. Arran 14yr begin £7.25 Sweet & fruity. Arran Lochranza Reserve £5.60 Juicy Citrus, toffee & hints of oak. Arran Madeira Cask £7.20 Rich fruit cake & bitter orange. Highland Park 12yr £4.60 Honeyed heather, fruit cake & smokey peat. Highland Park Dark Origin delve £11.20 Darker & richer strong notes of sherry. Isle of Jura £4.15 Robust vanilla with an intense sherry kick. Isle of Jura Superstition £4.65 Hints of white pepper, honey & hot buttered toast. Isle of Skye £4.00 Sweet fruitcake with a sherry finish. Ledaig 10yr explore £4.95 Floral seaside notes with liqourice & cloves. Robert Burns Blend £4.00 Fruity with a hint of custard of vanilla. Robert Burns Malt £4.95 Apple strudel & cinnamon. Rock Oyster £5.15 Blend of 8 Island Malts with hints of liqourice, honey & peat.

Talisker 10yr £5.90 Sweet pears, apple peels & notes of seaweed. Talisker Skye £4.35 A more approachable sweet Talisker Tobermory 12yr £6.60 Spicy oak & dark chocolate notes. This replaces the 10yr

Islay Single malts from Islay are generally the most peated in flavour and pungent on the nose. The southern part of Islay adheres more on the peat smoke, tar & salinity and the further north you go the more the fruit and refinement become prevalent. Regardless of where in Islay the whisky is produced Islay is still renowned for the great degree of balance amongst all the distilleries.

Ardbeg 10yr delve £5.60 Sea spray, tarry rope with immense smokiness. Bowmore 12yr £4.90 Hints of Lemon, sweet heather & honey. Bowmore 15yr £7.50 Dark chocolate, sun dried fruits with hints of treacle. Bruichladdich Classic Laddie £5.20 Red apples, grapes & sweet cinnamon. Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10yr £5.90 Salty, salty caramel with abundance of smoke. Bunnahabhain 12yr explore £5.10 Juicy sultana with a sherried nutty finish. Bunnahabhain 18yr £13.60 Without chill-filtration it is dense & oily showing off the sherry. Bunnahabhain 25yr £34.00 Roasted with mixed spice, nutmeg & a caramel finish. Caol Ila 12yr begin £5.50 Elegant smokiness with hints of boiled sweets. Kilchoman £5.50 Tropically fruity with iconic sherry finish. Lagavulin 16yr £7.50 Powerfully peated & strong oak flavour. Laphraoig 10yr £5.80 Seaweed, hints of vanilla, & peated smokiness.

Campbeltown Campbeltown single malts characterisitcs adhere to dry and gentle smoke finishes. The coastal waters proffer a salty character to almost all the whiskies produced in the region and sadly only three distilliries remain in the region.

Glen Scotia Dbl Cask £4.45 Fudge & oak spices with a slight sherry finish. Glen Scotia 18yr £9.90 Marmalade honey with a spiced woody finish. Springbank 10yr £5.30 Forest Fruits with smokey sherry notes.

Lowland Light and gentle are the Lowland traits and most distilleries are well versed in the triple distillation process. You should expect a whisky that has plenty of soft floral notes and balanced fruits remaining delicate on the palate.

Auchentoshan American Oak £4.85 Buttery milk chocolate with a toffee finish. Auchentoshan 3 wood £6.20 Rich Fruits, chocolate & toasted hazelnuts. Glenkinchie 12yr £5.00 Very fruity notes of madeira & stewed fruits.

Scotch 90% of all Whisky sold the world over is blended scotch (remember the introduction?) Grain…. Then malt, but as mentioned the grain is the key….

Chivas Regal 12yr £4.00 Banana chips, malted barley, ground walnuts & caramel. Haig Club £4.00 Single grain spirit with hints of spice & toffee. Monkey Shoulder £4.00 Blended Malt. Toasted, barley cloves & butterscotch. Peat Chimney £4.25 Elegantly smoky with a balance between sweet & savoury. Sheep Dip £4.00 Tangy honey notes within 16 different malts.

Speyside Before we start Speyside, is a sub region of the Highlands and therefore some distilleries within the Speyside catchment still refer to themselves as Highland Whisky; they make it, so who are we to argue? You will find Glenfarclas, Dalwhinnie & Macallan in the Highland section. With Speyside you can expect lighter sweeter drams from the younger ones and as the body of the malt is brought on by age the fuller on the malt gets. Peat & high notes of salinity are extremely rare to find.

Aultmore 10yr £5.70 Beautifully smooth butterscotch & probably our last ever bottle. Balvenie Double wood 12yr £5.00 Gentle spice with vanilla and bourbon notes. Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14yr delve £6.20 Sweet vanilla, with notes of Apple, mango & orange. Balvenie Double wood 17yr £12.00 Honey, green apples & warm winter spices. Balvenie Port wood 21yr £20.50 Red fruits, raisins & floral honey. Benriach 12yr £7.50 Cassis, Vanilla & a beautiful sherry finish Benromach 10yr £4.40 Herbal, grassy notes, big on malt & ground ginger. Benromach 15yr £6.60 Juicy with cinnamon & smoky charred oak. Benromach Peat Smoked £5.00 Ashy citrus fruits less bulky than the Islay selection Cardhu 12yr £4.40 Apple & Pears with smooth rounded finish Craggenmore 12yr £3.45 Sweet and fragrant with a Smokey finish. Graigellachie 13yr £5.50 Dynamically fruity with a current of smoke throughout Graigellachie 17yr £13.00 A sweet start with an intoxicating woody oak smoked finish Glenfiddich 12yr £4.25 Light and floral with spices. Glenfiddich 15yr £5.00 Sherry & Orange with a fruity spicy finish

Glenfiddich 18yr £10.50 Candied fruits, cinnamon, toffee, ginger & dry sherry. Glenfiddich 21yr £21 Dark molasses marmalade with a buttery vanilla finish Glenlivet founders reserve £4.30 Toffee Banoffee Pie & apple turnovers. Glenrothes 12yr £5.00 Jerez is the focus and we love the abundance of sherry Glen Elgin 12yr £6.90 Soft Malty, toasted sultana loaf with hints of tiramisu. Glen Moray Peated £4.00 Floral, fruity with hints of toffee & ginger & slight peated finish. Glen Moray 12yr £4.65 Sweet honeyed vanilla with white chocolate & apricots Knockando 12yr explore £4.40 Malted brown bread, sultanas & honeydew melon. Longmorn £6.00 Smooth and creamy malt with subtle spices. Scallywag £5.15 Blended Malt. Dark chocolate, stewed fruits & orange zest. Singleton 12yr £4.55 Orange zest, malty nuts hints of toffee & oak. Singleton Tailfire £4.35 Vibrant berry with a hint of pepper on the finish Singleton Spey Cascade £4.35 Baked orchard fruits, demerara & barley. An early evening whisky Tamdhu 10yr begin £4.55 Soft red fruits, brown sugar & cloves. Tamnavulin double cask £4.00 Christmas pudding with hints of toffee coated barley. Tomintoul 10yr £4.60 Honeycomb toffee & hints of vanilla fudge. Tomintoul 16yr £4.80 Boiled sweets, almonds, espresso & vanilla fudge.

Highlands You are here! Yes, it is big, is it not!! and in essence has 5 sub regions. Northern which is cereal sweet & rich. Southern which is lighter, dry with touches of fruit. Eastern which (is full of promise… only joking) are full, dry & often very fruity. Western which lean more towards Islay with peat & smoke……and…… you guessed it Speyside! Oh no it’s not….Oh I am afraid, yes, it is!

Aberfeldy 12yr begin £4.60 Sweet malty with gentle peat & hints of citrus. Aberlour 10yr £4.00 Autumn fruits with an aroma of spices. Ancnoc 12yr £4.00 Madeira sweetness with toasted granary bread. Ardmore Legacy £4.00 Charred Smokey notes with hints of oak & pear drops. Balblair 05 £8.30 Oaky vanilla with citrus blossom. Fresh floral malt. Clynelish 14yr £7.30 Orange, dry oak, mixed fruit & vanilla. Dalmore 12yr £4.00 Seville marmalade, winter spices & fruit cake. Dalmore 15yr £8.65 Chocolate orange with an espresso finish. Dalmore 18yr £13.65 Chocolate raisins & stewed fruits, by the fire please Dalwhinnie 15yr £3.60 Very honeyed with red cinnamon fresh apples & orange peel. Dalwhinnie Winters Gold £3.40 Walnuts, manuka honey with gentle smoke & a touch of spice. Deanston 12yr £4.30 Heather, honey oak & vanilla. Deanston 18yr delve £9.50 Lemon cheesecake, stem ginger & honey finish Deanston Virgin Oak £5.10 Young & sweet with a dollop of cream & oak Edradour 10yr £5.20 Smooth, creamy with hints of oloroso & sugared almonds.

Fettercairn 12yr £5.80 Tropical fruit & Jamaican ginger spice GlenDronach 12yr £6.50 Smokey toffee marmalade with an abundance of sherry. GlenDronach Peated £5.10 Vanilla & plum with a cinnamon & wood smoke on the palate Glenfarlcas 10yr £5.70 The perfect aperitif whisky with lots of sherry & honey Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength £4.85 Spicy, peppered oak with almonds & dried fruit. Glengoyne 10yr £4.00 Green apples, toffee & nuttiness. Glengoyne Cask Strength £5.85 Baked apple & pear doused in honey with a zesty finish Glengoyne 18yr explore £9.75 Honey & butterscotch with creamy caramel and spiced finish Glenmorangie 10yr £4.30 Honey, citrus, almonds & creamy vanilla. Glen Garioch 12yr £5.90 Heather, Poached Pears & Oak. Inchmoan 12yr £5.80 Spicy start with a fruity toffee finish. Inchmurrin 12yr £5.15 Smooth & rich with salty caramel & slight candied finish. Loch Lomond £4.00 Digestive & ginger snap biscuit with a touch of toasted malt. Macallan Gold £4.90 Soft oak tones with sweet vanilla, an icon of Speyside distilling. Oban 14yr £6.20 Cut hay, wood smoke with hints of seaweed & dry oak. Old Pulteney 10yr £4.00 Nuts, sultanas, toffee, spices & oak. Shakleton £4.00 Juicy apple, orange & rich honey. Stronachie 10yr £4.00 Citrus & biscuit with a doughy nose.

Timerous beastie £5.25 Citrus notes, smooth sweetness & hints of seaweed. Tomatin Legacy £4.00 Citrus, panatela & pine with a large cracked peppery finish Tomatin 12yr £4.60 Oaky vanilla with a taste of blackcurrant jam & barley finish

Worldwide & Special Editions

Peats Beast £4.25 England Yamazaki £6.80 Japan The Game of Thrones Selection House Targaryen Cardhu Gold Reserve Speyside £5.60 House Tyrell Clynelish Reserve Highland £5.60 House Stark Dalwhinnie Winter Frost Highland £5.60 The Nights Watch Oban Bay Reserve Highland £7.50 House Lannister Lagavulin 9yr Islay £7.50 House Baratheon Royal Lochnagar 12yr Highland £4.50 House Tully Singleton Speyside £4.50 House Greyjoy Talisker Select Reserve Island £5.60

So that is our wee list at the Ben Cruachan Inn. We are always on the look out to add a few more. From time to time we may not have a specific dram in stock but let’s have a chat and find the right one for you.

How do I drink this stuff? It is entirely up to you; we are all different and some drams really do come alive with just a touch of water. We always recommend you try it first before you add it. Our water comes from the mighty Ben Cruachan, Argyll’s highest munro at 3694 ft.

Ice Each ice cube melts at a different ratio and therefore changes the complexity of the dram each and every taste. We do not recommend ice here but if you must we recommend on of our homemade cubes from the water that runs from Ben Cruachan.

What do I say? The Toast > slainte mhat – (slange var) Welcome > failte – (fal-che) Drink > deoach – (joch) Thank you > Tapadh leat (tapa-lai-ve) Water > Uisage (ish-guh)