No visit to the Highlands, or any other region renowned for its whisky production, would be complete without a tour of a working distillery.

Whisky distilleries are fascinating places. They’re typically, but not always, buildings centuries old, that are steeped in history and are responsible for some of the most popular whisky on the planet. While touring the facilities, you get to see where the whisky’s made, how it’s made, and will hopefully get to learn about it too. If you’re especially lucky, you’ll get to enjoy a wee dram or two in the process.

Because of their popularity, you’ll often find that whisky distillery tours are a bit, shall we say, samey, and all seem to follow the same format. Here at Great Drams, we’re always on the lookout for something different and innovative in the world of whisky, and that includes distillery tours.

The Problem with Old-School Whisky Distillery Tours

We here at Great Drams are big Still Game fans. As fans of the show will know, the two main characters Jack and Victor, are massively into their whisky. Especially single malt. As luck would have it, in one specific episode they find themselves lucky enough to win a free whisky distillery tour. Excited at the prospect of plenty of free samples, they end up bitterly disappointed when, at the end of the tour, all they receive is one measly sample and a polite invite to exit through the gift shop.

‘Is that it?’ Jack exclaims. ‘I was just getting a b****y taste for that, there’.

‘Aye, it’s a con ain’t it’ says Victor. ‘Show you a couple of stills, give ye a couple of halves, then boof! Bounce you into the gift shop and fleece ye!’

Now, I may have paraphrased the dialogue from that episode slightly, and left out a few naughty words, but you get the idea. That part of the episode in particular really resonated with me because it sums up the mentality of so many whisky distillery tours these days. They’re all the same. You get a quick tour around a dusty distillery, get a tiny of sample of their basic releases, and are then punted into the gift shop, which in itself is bigger than the distillery, and is vastly overpriced, and are expected to spend yet more money. There’s no heart or soul in them.

If you’re new to distillery tours, or are looking for a way to spend a drizzly afternoon on holiday, that’s fine, but for whisky purists, it’s simply not enough. Whisky distillery tours should allow you to feel and experience whisky, not just buy it and any merchandise associated with it. While most generic tours are all the same, there are a select number of tours up and down the UK, particularly the Highlands, that offer incredible tours that will captivate you from start to finish.

Below, you’ll find just a few of our favourites here at Great Drams.

Cardhu Guess DHU Tour & Tasting Challenge

The first tour we’ve got for you today is one of my favourites, without question.

Known as the Speyside home of Johnnie Walker, the Cardhu Distillery was founded in 1811 by Helen Cumming. Initially, it was an illicit distillery before becoming fully licenced in 1824. It is also the first distillery to be pioneered by a woman.

In 1872, Elizabeth Cumming, who was the founder’s daughter-in-law, took charge and began tweaking the whisky, refining its flavour and character to bring it closer to the whisky globally adored to this day.

The Cardhu DHU Tour and Tasting Challenge is the perfect day out and is fantastic for those of you who love a challenge, and want to see just well you really do know your whisky.

After receiving a guided tour of the distillery, where guests will get to learn all about the rich history of the distillery, and indeed, Speyside as a whisky-producing region, you can end the tour with a nosing and tasting challenge.

Here, guests will take part in a mystery whisky tasting challenge in the Cardhu Collection Rule. The aim is to correctly identify as many whiskies as possible. Those with the most impressive score will earn a spot on the Guess DHU Hall of Fame, going down in history as a whisky genius.

This is an epic tour and one which every whisky fan, especially those who enjoy Speyside releases, has to try at some point. It is a fully immersive experience which utilises special effects, lights, media, music, and sensory moments to really set the scene.

With prices from just £22, and a duration of 1 hour and 90 minutes, get this experience booked, you won’t regret it. Just be sure to arrive at the distillery at least 15 minutes before your allotted time slot.