http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Easter Monday ride to Glenkinchie Distillery en Mon, 20 Apr 2026 05:21:24 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=3#post-190876 Fri, 12 Jun 2015 16:54:49 +0000 chdot 190876@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There are simpler ways...</p> <p><a href="https://flic.kr/p/uymUHa"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/426/18744196931_3926a75ac4.jpg"></a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=3#post-190861 Fri, 12 Jun 2015 13:47:40 +0000 Schemieradge 190861@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The Esk to Pencaitland mostly offroad bit is here. Glenkinchie is just further down the railway path</p> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/128009826" rel="nofollow">https://vimeo.com/128009826</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=3#post-190839 Fri, 12 Jun 2015 10:28:09 +0000 ARobComp 190839@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks Amir! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=3#post-190829 Fri, 12 Jun 2015 09:52:28 +0000 amir 190829@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Cyclestreets gives the route more-or-less that you seem to be asking for:<br /> <a href="http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/44812899/" rel="nofollow">http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/44812899/</a><br /> It's possible to avoid the Ormiston section if the surface would be an issue by going through Cousland (a bit hillier). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=3#post-190828 Fri, 12 Jun 2015 09:42:06 +0000 ARobComp 190828@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>starting meadows, and heading out and back to Glenkinchie via all the offroad network. Any help appreciated. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-190785 Thu, 11 Jun 2015 17:32:49 +0000 chdot 190785@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If it's the same trip I was on the 'roadies' didn't go off road much 'cos Pencaitland Path was muddy.</p> <p>Starting where? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-190775 Thu, 11 Jun 2015 16:05:46 +0000 ARobComp 190775@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Anyone got a GPX route for the ride out to the distillary and back via mostly the offroad path network? I can't really remember a lot of the bits we did. Belles on bikes are interested in trying it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106651 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:30:13 +0000 LaidBack 106651@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Had a bottle of Ardbeg once. Had a 'tarry boat' aroma to it! Made Laphroaig seem bland. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106594 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:52:13 +0000 chdot 106594@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>All a bit smoke and myths really... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106592 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:50:59 +0000 Nelly 106592@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The distilled spirit usually looks like moonshine until it goes in the barrels.</p> <p>Some whisky is coloured with caramel. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106588 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:28:11 +0000 PS 106588@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@WC Yeah, I think I've read that. TBH, I'm surprised there's much flavour left in there at all by the time it's been distilled the requisite number of times... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106583 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:59:38 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 106583@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Glenkinchie has four 'expressions'...</p> <p>Apparently peat in the water (so I was told on the Talisker tour) does nothing to the taste - the peat taste comes from the malt being smoked through by burning peat (or, as kaputnik mentioned, peating the barrels). I always thought it was that the water was peaty. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106582 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:54:41 +0000 PS 106582@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I may be imagining this, but I think the water they use at Ardbeg comes from Loch Uigeadail further up the hill, which is no doubt brown with peat...</p> <p>Their Uigeadail "expression" (a marketingspeak as hateful as "colourway" in my book) is very very good. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106573 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:16:02 +0000 kaputnik 106573@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>though not as much as the islay boys</em></p> <p>I think some of them go so far as to burn the inside of the barrels with peat before adding the spirit. It also helps that the ambient atmosphere of Islay is 5 parts air, 2 parts rain and 3 parts peat reek. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106572 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:12:10 +0000 ARobComp 106572@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yep - Literally a big electric oven. That was one of the things that had "bottom screw" on it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106569 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:53:50 +0000 steveo 106569@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>no peat goes anywhere near any Glenkinchie malt.</em></p> <p>That explains why I'm not such a great fan. To be fair these were highlands/speyside distillers who like a bit of peat, though not as much as the islay boys.</p> <p>What do they use, just a big electric oven? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106568 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:49:38 +0000 kaputnik 106568@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Other highlight of the tour was the substantial piece of bright red industrial equipment with "BOTTOM SCREW" stenchiled on it in large letters. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106564 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:42:19 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 106564@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The Abhain Dearg (Ah-van Jerrack) distillery on Lewis is the first legal distillery in the Outer Hebrides for something like 200 years - I think it was last year they were first able to call the spirit whisky (3 years old). It was actually quite nice, but very light on flavour as you might expect. Their first bottling was limited to 2012 bottles (to coincide with the year y'see) and sell for something like £150 a piece.</p> <p>That's a collector whisky for the rarity of the distillery more than anything else. I'm hoping when I'm back this year that they've done another bottling, but I think they're now holding off till it's a little older - they've got a large grant from the Scottish government recently, so will be interesting to see what changes they have planned.</p> <p>Smallest bonded warehouse in the world too. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106563 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:34:59 +0000 DaveC 106563@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>We visited the distillery at Lochranza a few years ago. I recall looking on with muffled mirth when they rolled out their prestigious 7yrs old malt. I'm happy to say that was quite a few years ago and I'm sure they have some older whiskys now. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106562 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:31:01 +0000 kaputnik 106562@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@steveo no peat goes anywhere near any Glenkinchie malt. Iain was very clear about this. Although it is malted up the road in Ormiston, so it's not like it's not a local process, it just doesn't have the quaintness of the traditional malt floor with men in bare feet turning it with malt shovels. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106559 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:04:57 +0000 steveo 106559@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The last couple of distilleries I've visited all said they out sourced the malting as it cheaper and as a side effect less environmentally damaging due to reduced amount of peat consumed per tonne of malt. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106555 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:48:37 +0000 kaputnik 106555@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've been on quite a few distillery tours now, but still enjoyed this one as there are still* new things to learn and still* variations in the basic process to observe.</p> <p>For those not on the tour, Glenkinchie has the largest pot still in the UK, taking some 29,000-odd litres of wort if my memory serves me correctly. They also distill 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year and some 90% of their output of spirit ends up in blends. If you don't want to shell out for a bottle of their single malt, you can find it in Johnnie Walker or Bells blends.</p> <p>The guide was quite open about the fact that it's really only the fermentation and distillation part of the process that goes on at Glenkinchie and all of the malting and most of the ageing and all of the bottling takes place off-site.</p> <p>The smells of the mash room and still room are worth the £7 of the tour alone (which if you take off the cost of the whisky probably sets you back £2.50)</p> <p>* hurr-hurr </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106554 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:43:08 +0000 Morningsider 106554@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A great day out, made even better by Claggy Cog's assertion that we had "yoof on your side" - I have obviously underestimated the grey hair hiding properties of a bike helmet! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106545 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:50:47 +0000 MeepMeep 106545@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was supposed to have a grand date with Mr MeepMeep and the panda bears at the zoo yesterday. Alas when we arrived shortly before lunchtime all the panda tickets had gone so we turned heel and went promptly back home. Gutted - I could well have come with you all. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106541 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 01:30:59 +0000 Focus 106541@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Glad you all enjoyed yourselves. I contented myself with a 23 mile ride to Bonnyrigg and back, when I finally managed to escape the house. No whisky though! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106538 Mon, 01 Apr 2013 23:36:11 +0000 Claggy Cog 106538@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Splendid day out. Many thanks. Fifty miles for me. chdot and I followed the road round to the right, when you went straight on to Bolton, and ended up in W Saltoun. You have yoof on your side, and set a fairly blistering pace, well too fast for me and were out of sight although we were catching up, or so we thought!! Well we did manage to catch the other two, that were not you.</p> <p>@WC now I hope you have added a pippet full of water to that, to release the oils! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106536 Mon, 01 Apr 2013 23:00:54 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 106536@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Seemed like the right way to round off the day....</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackpuddinonnabike/8610704561/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8126/8610704561_b2d949b434.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackpuddinonnabike/8610704561/">Glenkinchie</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/blackpuddinonnabike/">blackpuddinonnabike</a>, on Flickr </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106530 Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:39:01 +0000 chdot 106530@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chdot/8610197941/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8610197941_4d1ab5f78e.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chdot/8610197941/">IMG_1630.JPG</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106529 Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:31:32 +0000 LaidBack 106529@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Tweedale Arms... shot here taken on our Quetzal expedition last year.</p> <p>Note step for mounting horse and flag mount - also handy for hanging any wrongdoers. The Inn is collie friendly as Bruce said..<br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/7767000846/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7122/7767000846_3e9736db0d.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/7767000846/">Tweedale hotel</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/66067108@N08/">LaidBackBikes</a>, on Flickr</p> <p>Saddling up earlier on (apart from the LB non-comformists).</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/8608915865/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8608915865_6858b99987.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/8608915865/">Peter's Yard / Glenkinchie Trip</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/66067108@N08/">LaidBackBikes</a>, on Flickr</p> <p>Gosford Bothy lunchstop with velomobile in the way.<br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/8609938754/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8541/8609938754_3b1b475245.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/8609938754/">Near Aberlady / Gosford Bothy cafe</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/66067108@N08/">LaidBackBikes</a>, on Flickr </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9809&page=2#post-106528 Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:30:59 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 106528@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>And that's why I don't often wear those troos....</p> <p>My gps came in at 51.7 - living o the east side gave me the lead with a longer run to the start, but all lost by not returning to the city centre. Mind you, I'd planned on a 40 mile ride! </p>