Money Woes and Whisky Hopes

This morning NPR did a story on scotch saving not just Scotland but all of Britain. (It is Scotland’s biggest export – bigger than North Sea oil – which NPR didn’t say).  Also whisky’s been saving Scotland since long before the current fiscal crisis. The UK pinned its hopes on whisky all the way back in 1784 after the war with the States (known in these here parts as the Revolutionary War) depleted Britain’s coffers. Then the 21 year-old prime minister William Pitt signed a tax law to raise revenue from malt whisky and along the way set the course for the whisky we know today – both single malts and even more so the big work horse (and the single malt’s overlooked and unloved brother) blended whisky. Which is much better than many whisky snobs give it credit. 

 

 

While NPR dissed blends, they did focus on the groovy indie Glengoyne. (Above on one of Scotland’s sunny days) But, nearby and not open for tours (and far less touristic—there’s no white-washed distillery here) is Loch Lomond whose High Commissioner is a 3 year-old blend sold as many UK supermarkets’ own-brand and by all accounts excellent.…