Glengoyne Strana 1 z 1

The Glengoyne distillery is located at the foot of Dumgoyne Hill near Loch Lomond. The distillation at the distillery, as it is known, rushes down Dumgoyne Hill and provides water for the distillery's capacity of 1.1 million liters. In the past, the wooded and rolling landscape that covered the surrounding area provided great cover for illegal distilleries that arose due to very high taxes on spirits. It is said that there were about 18 illegal distilleries in this area at the beginning of the 19th century. The whisky from those distilleries was taken to the local blacksmith, who filled clay pots with the rough, wild drink and employed local girls who walked 14 miles to Glasgow with whisky hidden in their crinoline skirts. The dense forest once provided refuge for Rob Roy MacGregor, who hid in a small cave when he was pursued by the English army.

In 1833, local farmer George Connell received a license for legal whisky production in the area. He founded the Burnfoot Distillery, which became Glenguin Distillery in 1862 and then changed to Glengoyne in 1906. The previous owners, the Lang Brothers, were bought by Robertson and Baxter. The distillery was renovated and an additional still was installed. In 1984, the Lang Brothers received a Royal Warrant for supplying whisky to the Queen Mother. In April 2003, Ian MacLeod purchased Lang's blended products and the Glengoyne distillery from the Edrington Group for £7.2 million.

The water is unpeated and the malt is used similarly without peat. Glengoyne is one of the few such whiskies in Scotland, but it is the only one that has made this its greatest strength. Glengoyne has the slowest distillation rate in Scotland. The alcohol comes from the still at a rate of about 4 – 5 liters per minute, which promotes the formation of "esters" that give Glengoyne its characteristically sweet and delicate flavor. The alcohol then matures in oak casks from Spain, which previously held Sherry. Ian Macleod Distillers oversee the entire process. When the oak is felled, it is cut into staves and then dried in the sun for two years in northern Spain before being made into a cask and filled with Dry Oloroso Sherry for another two years.

The small cluster of distillery buildings is still owned by Ian Macleod, and many official releases have been issued, although independent products are rather rare. The distillery has a visitor center that offers the widest range of tours in Scotland, including masterclasses, blending sessions, and the opportunity to taste samples from the cask and help Glengoyne select its very first release, the Distillery Exclusive Single Cask.