Posted on 08/20/2022 7:45:26 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
It was last used when whisky was measured in hogsheads and production of the water of life was moving from an often-illicit farmyard enterprise to a thriving national business.
Now the secrets of whisky production from 200 years ago are being uncovered by archaeologists probing the remains of a distillery which ceased production in 1824.
Fire pits which would once have heated copper stills, tasting glasses, bottles and the timber-lined vats which held gallons of the amber nectar have all been unearthed at the National Trust dig on the old site of the Glenlivet distillery.
During the past two weeks the archaeology team investigated the site of the former distillery on Speyside where The Glenlivet’s founder, George Smith, risked life and liberty to become the first legal whisky distiller in the area, producing his single malt whisky legally in a landscape of illicit distilling in 1824.
Discoveries included three fire pits that would have been used for the copper stills, timber lined vats and receivers.
What would have been whisky tasting glasses were also discovered, meaning archaeologists could see the full whisky making process. HeraldScotlandThey estimate a site this size could have been producing around six hogsheads of whisky per week which is equal to 1,530 litres.
(Excerpt) Read more at heraldscotland.com ...
Wouldn’t it be great if they found an intact 200 year old bottle of whiskey and gave it to me? I’d invite my favorite Freeper friends of a taste.
????
Id drive all night for a taste
Amen and Amen.
” I think it has to do with the rot-gut bourbon I drank in my youth”
Never have liked Scotch, I agree with other posters on “peat” taste. Bourbon/Whiskey for me. And yes in my youth I drank some rot-gut stuff (J. W Dant). Was a Wild Turkey guy for awhile but supply chain/Covid have made it tough to find in 80 proof at a decent price, can’t do the 101 proof anymore, so with Jim Beam for now.
My dad loved Chivas Regal. Being in Purchasing back in the day when gifts (aka bribes) were allowed, one of his suppliers gave him a case of the stuff. Being a normal kid, I snuck a taste when my parents were out. Never been near a bottle of Scotch again - just nasty. I never did acquire a taste for any hard liquor, except for Ron del Barrelito rum from Puerto Rico (always brought some back from business trips there). Stuck with Iron City beer other than that.
My Dad wasn’t much of a drinker, at least not around us kids anyway.
Someone once gave him, as a gift, a leather covered, velvet lined box housing a bottle of Canadian Masterpiece Canadian blended whisky. I have that bottle, the seal is intact The date on it is 1962.
Even when I could drink, I wasn’t tempted to open it, I’m too much of a collector. I’ll probably give it too my son-in-law one day.
It’s not worth a lot, but it’s an interesting keepsake.
My aforementioned son-in-law and his Dad are Irish. They have tried all kinds of them, and it kinda makes me sad I don’t drink anymore so I could try some of them. They can tell me all about the differences in taste, and it’s fascinating listening to them, but alas…
My Irish son-in-law’s favorite drink? Sake. Go figure.
Cheers!
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