After visiting Glen Ord distillery we had some hours left in the day and decided we would also have to have dinner somewhere. Drumnadrochit seemed like the place to go since we could visit Urquhart Castle and have a bite at Fiddler’s.

Urquhart Castle

Also, since I met Jon Beach at Maltstock last year I had planned to visit Fiddler’s. He had told me he would be back from Islay hat Sunday and had to work so I just had to wait around for him to show up.

Loch Ness. The 80 shilling ale. Lovely

At Fiddler’s I decided to go for the haggis as a starter and have the venison burger as a main since that looked rather good on just about all tables around us. A beer to wash it down and a dram as a digestive. Of course, this plan was all very changeable since we didn’t want the wee one to start screaming and if she did, we’d just have to go home.

Things went well and I had my first encounter with Loch Ness Brewery (more about those guys at some later point). The haggis was stunning and the burger very good as well. It was also good fun to see some other tourists try their first whiskies, more or less. I saw one guy put about 200% water in his Glenfiddich 12, and then ask for ice as well. Each their own, but I can’t really imagine tasting anything when it’s that watered down.

When I asked for Jon they waitress told me he had skipped work and had gone straight to bed. I found out later that he was sort of hung over from the festival.

After dinner I decided to have a dram of the Balblair 1989 to prepare myself for the distillery tour (any reason, right?)

Sniff:
It takes a minute for this one to start breathing properly, but then it starts giving lots of subtropical fruit with mostly peach and some apricot. Also plums and enough vanilla and oak to keep things interesting.

Sip:
The palate is a bit sharp at first, even though it’s bottled at 46%. It’s a very rich dram with the palate consisting of wood, fruit, malt and vanilla.

Swallow:
The finish has a sweetness revival, but keeps the malt and wood flavours from the palate.

A lovely dram and another one that I’d like to add to my collection, just as about any Balblair I’ve recently tasted. They sure know how to handle a bourbon cask!

We had stunning weather at Loch Ness