The Lowlands, Scotland

Nearly 250 years ago, the Lowlands was the distilling epicenter of Scotland. But then came a series of devastating political and economic events, and the Lowlands retreated from the top of the whisky world. Afterwards, low-quality grain spirit made in the Lowlands was more often shipped to London, where it could then be rectified into a form of gin in order to help satisfy the “gin craze” that was then sweeping over the UK.

But in the 21st century we are now seeing the next stage in the development of the Lowlands on the global whisky scene, especially as the craft distillery trend takes hold. In just the past decade, there has been a rise in the number of local craft distilleries in locations such as Glasgow and Fife, and famous names from Scotland’s past – such as Glenkinchie and Auchentoshan – are now winning awards on the global whisky scene and rekindling nostalgia for the proud distilling history of the Lowlands.

History

The Scotch distillery business in the Lowlands started in the 1820’s, when the Stein family (a famous distilling family) helped to invent Scotland’s first continuous distillation process. By the 1830’s, high-quality spirit was being stored in wood casks, and the Lowlands gained a reputation that was equal – if not superior – to that of the Highlands for producing top-quality Scotch. However, excise taxes placed on the Lowlands as a way of raising revenue for the government soon led to a shift in production methods that favored low-quality grain spirits, for purely economic reasons.

The Lowlands are most commonly associated with blended Scotch, rather than single malt Scotch. A blended Scotch combines two or more different grains and/or malts. When the first blended whiskies appeared in Scotland, it marked a revolution in the industry. By the year 1900, over 99 percent of all UK whisky consumed was blended, not single malt. Blended Scotch whisky now is the most popular style of whisky, and accounts for 93 percent of Scotch sales in the world. The Lowlands are considered to be a center for blended Scotch whisky.

Styles and flavors

The most famous names in the world of Lowlands whisky include Glenkinchie and Auchentoshan. The clear favorite style of this region is a lighter-flavored whisky. This has a clear historical precedent, as it dates back to the period when Lowlands distilleries supplied English gin distillers with light grain spirits that could be transformed into gin.

Grain whisky is very light tasting, and mashes a variety of grains in a continuous, high proof still. These grains can include wheat, corn, oats, and malted barley. The final product is a spirit that is under 94.5% ABV. In comparison, the maximum ABV level for a single malt whisky is just 62.5%. Due to the high alcoholic content, there is not as much flavor. And since some distillers use a “triple-distilled” process, this also leads to a lighter tasting final product.

The Lowlands are now home to almost all of the grain spirit distillers in the nation. Grain spirits are aged in oak casks in order to produce a lighter-tasting whisky. These base whiskies are then blended with a more intense malt to make a blended Scotch.

Visiting the Lowlands

There are 5 primary distilleries in the Lowlands: Ailsa Bay, Glenkinchie (Edinburgh), Auchentoshan, Bladnoch and Annandale Distillery. Of these, Glenkinchie is arguably the most accessible, mostly because it is located just 15 miles from the capital city. In addition, there is one more distillery – Daftmill, which is now working to bring its first aged whisky products to market. Other distilleries in the process of opening in the Lowlands include Kingsbarns and Lindores Abbey Distillery (built on the site of ancient ruins that date back hundreds of years).

Due to different regulations, the minimum period of pre-bottle aging is 3 years in order for a whisky to be called “Scotch.” Thus, many of the very newest distilleries are not yet fully recognized as “Scotch distilleries,” even if they are already in operation. When visiting these distilleries, it is sometimes possible to order other alcoholic drinks (such as “botanicals”) as well as to find Scottish Lowlands single malts that are not distilled any longer, such as Kinclaith (one of the rarest single malts in existence) and Ladyburn.