Campbeltown, a small spot on the Kintyre Peninsula, might be Scotland's tiniest whisky area now, but it used to be a big deal. Back in the late 1800s, it was called the Victorian Whisky Capital of the World, a busy port with over 30 whisky makers. You could smell the malt and peat in the air, and the harbour was full of ships taking whisky to Glasgow and, further away, to the growing American market.
Here's a cool fact you might not know: Campbeltown's whisky past is related to the Japanese whisky industry. Back in 1920, Masataka Taketsuru, son of a Japanese sake brewing family, spent time learning the ropes at Hazelburn Distillery in Campbeltown (now closed). He took what he learned back to Japan, where he became the first Japanese expert in Scotch whisky making. That shows how much influence this town had way back then.
One of the three remaining distilleries represents this rich history: Glen Scotia. Started in 1832 as Scotia, it lived through the big changes that caused the town's whisky industry to crash, like Prohibition in the U.S. and the closing of local coal mines. It still exists because it's tough and makes quality stuff. Today, it represents the unique Campbeltown style—a whisky with a lot of flavour that captures the feeling of the coast.
Roman and I once again took a tour of the Distillery, with the Dunnage Warehouse Tasting as the highlight of the experience. Loved it. Walking into the ancient warehouse, smelling the earthy scent, and seeing the rows of sleeping casks felt like visiting an old friend. Our guide told us about the Distillery's story and how they make whisky, pointing out what makes Glen Scotia's whisky special.
The tasting was, obviously, the best part of the tour. We got to try five different whiskies straight from the casks, different single malts, each one tasting different because of the wood, age, and place where it was produced (the way it was produced). The different tastes, from nutty, spicy flavours to a salty zest, from fresh fruits to heavily pitted, showed how complex Glen Scotia's whisky can be.
This wasn't just a tasting; it was like seeing how Campbeltown has been for centuries. Even though there are fewer whisky makers now, the feeling of this famous whisky town is still there.
