The Scotch Whisky Museum is located on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s medieval centre, just a short walk from Edinburgh’s Castle.
In this museum you can discover step by step how whisky is made and learn how to recognize its different flavors with a guided tasting.
The journey through the world of whisky begins with a film that goes through the various stages of whisky making.
To end the visit, you can see the largest whisky collection in the world, consisting of bottles from different eras and with particular shapes.
Whisky, Scotland’s national drink, has been produced throughout the nation for centuries. Today, there are over 100 active distilleries that each produce their own whisky using their own method.
The art of whisky distillation was born when, centuries ago, people were looking for a way to use rain-soaked barley. Today, as then, water from Scotland’s crystal-clear rivers and streams is used.
It is widely believed that the monks of the fourth and fifth centuries brought not only Christianity but also whisky production to Scotland.
There are three different types of Scotch whisky: malt whisky (also known as single malt), grain whisky and blended whisky. All these whiskies can boast the Scotch name, as long as they were produced in Scotland.
Malt whisky
Malt whiskey is made with malted barley, water, and yeast. The liquid is distilled in huge copper stills and is aged in whiskey barrels for a minimum of three years.
Grain whiskey
In this case, malted barley is mixed with unmalted barley and other grains (such as corn and wheat) before the entire mixture is combined with water and then yeast. The resulting liquid is distilled in a tall still, which looks very different from traditional stills, and produces an alcoholic beverage in larger quantities and with a higher alcohol content.
Blended whiskey
Blended whisky involves a complex process of blending several single malts (15 to 50) with grain whiskey. This is a complex process as whiskies from different distilleries have very different characteristics and do not always mix well with others.
