Whisky Region: Lowlands
We’ve already dipped into the Highlands, Islay, Speyside and Campbeltown regions and the end of this little series of the Scottish distillery regions is getting close. With only two regions to go, namely Lowlands and Islands, I’ve decided to leave Islands until last and look now at the region which comprises the distillery which lays nearest my own home town – Lowlands.
Geographically it starts north of the English border and ends at the ‘border’ of the highlands, which is drawn between Dundee and Greenock. While the proud home of the world’s most beautiful capital city, Edinburgh, and not so proud home of the world’s biggest embarrassment, Glasgow, the Lowlands region has only three distilleries; Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie and Bladnoch.
Historically Lowland malts were used for blends, which is reflected in their light, clean, and low-peat characters. Unfortunately I don’t have much to say for the region – as a whisky region, it has fallen in popularity as other regions have become more well represented and established. That said, the whiskies that are produced in the region are both good and, especially in the case of Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie, well known and received.
I would also like to take this opportunity to make a bit of a prediction. While the region is currently unfashionable, I predict a second coming in the next, say, 50 years. With the current popularity for single malts and heavily peated monsters I think that both lighter, grassier malts and blends will see a boost in popularity in the future. Much like fashion, and in a sense I suppose it is a fashion, tastes change over time. Few people want to dress like their granddad, why would they drink like him?