Aberlour at the Source: A Whisky While beside the Lour Burn

Regardless of whether you actually like the taste of whisky, distilleries are fine places to visit if only for the scenery surrounding them. And to this point, age old Aberlour Distillery is no exception.

Set along a lovely stretch of the lilting River Spey where the distillery catches water from springs cascading their way to it, Aberlour has been making single malt Scotch in the same idyllic spot for 135 years. Of course for those of us who very much like to indulge in a wee dram now and again, any opportunity to savour something so special at its very source of origin is a shear delight. To be sure, I relished my late July tour of Aberlour’s facilities as well as my time spent taking in the beauty of the land this Speyside whisky maker calls home.
At its simple best, whisky is comprised of three basic ingredients: malted barley, yeast and water. So those minimal elements need be top quality stuff to create a drink that can hold its own against all the booze out there today. Obviously, the bulk of what is whisky is nothing more than good ole H₂O. If ya ain’t got good water, ya won’t get good whisky.

I can tell you from setting foot there and having a look and a taste for myself that the water from the Lour Burn (the “chattering burn” running alongside the distillery) is delicious and pure. It and the local water in general are especially clean and soft. Just brushing my teeth at the nearby hotel where I stayed was a tastier experience than usual; taking a bath felt more refreshing. It wasn’t only the taste and feel of the water that did it for me though.

A well kept path tracing the Lour from the top of a hill above Aberlour to the distillery below and onwards to the Spey is open to the public and free to visit. A new outdoor whisky art gallery (apparently a world first) has been set up along the path recently. The gallery features a series of super-macro images by Dr David Maitland (winner of the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2008 and one of the world’s foremost specialist super-macro photographers) which magnify the minute details specific to the journey of Aberlour whisky – from the pink granite that creates the softness of the water used in the distillation process to the special oak cask in which the spirit is transformed.

Of course it’s not just Maitland’s works on display here. Mother Nature’s art, including the gorgeous Linn Falls waterfall, is full view. And in my opinion the gallery (thankfully) never upstages or obstructs the natural scenery. Indeed, if you only wanted to take the leisurely mile or so walk only to take in the surroundings, it would be easy enough to do with the large photographs serving as little more than trail makers on the way to the distillery.

Viewing the exhibition as I strolled proved an interesting in situ way to learn about whisky. But for me, more enlightening was my singular encounter with the spring itself. Going back over my notes from the walk, all I’d managed to scribble was “It feels so good right now.” Birds chirping, water babbling, a flowery scent to the air wafting on a gentle breeze … time stood still for a little a sweet Scottish while and all seemed incredibly well.

More to come in my short series of posts about discovering Aberlour at the Source …

Founded in 1879, Aberlour distillery is located outside of the village Craigellachie about an hour’s drive either way from Aberdeen or Inverness. The whisky made here is indeed fine to drink particular during a scenic Speyside expedition. Find out more at aberlour.com.