Whilst in Glasgow the other week visiting the Loch Lomond distillery we also took the opportunity to visit the Clydeside Distillery which was just a short walk from our hotel. This was a completely different visit from the previous day where we were invited guests, this time we just turned up as ordinary punters and paid for the tour.
The Clydeside Distillery is located in the Queen's Dock on the north bank of the Clyde in Glasgow.
The distillery was built in the Old Pumphouse which used to control entry into Glasgow's Queen's Dock. It's a beautiful building with a striking glass sided still house. The distillery was founded in 2017 by Tim Morrison owner of A.D. Rattray the independent bottling company.
We paid our £15 tour fee and were shown into a small room for a short film about the the history of the Queen's Dock then upstairs into the pumphouse building to look around an exhibition. A number of exhibits, posters and multimedia clips told us more about the Queen's Dock and Glasgow's history as a major port and whisky capital.
Next we were taken by our guide Patrick into the distillery proper:
Clydeside buy in their malted barley all of which in unpeated, it is milled and conveyered through to the copper topped mash tun.
The wash is then distilled in the beautiful still room
At the time we were there the distillery was on a two week maintenance or 'quiet period' so the stills were cold. We were shown examples of the Foreshots, New make Spirit and Low Wines & Feints which would normally be flowing through the gleaming spirit safe.
You could still see some of the copper sulphate from the stills in the foreshots. We then got to try some of the new make spirit, very meaty in flavour with some nice fruit notes.
We were then taken in to the tasting room to try some mystery drams. Clydeside's first cask was filled on 19th December 2017, so their own whisky won't be ready until December 2020. Due to city ordinances which don't allow whisky to be matured within the city limits, it's being matured in a secret location on the west coast of Scotland!
Just outside the Tasting Room was a very impressive display of bottles from the distillery owner's private collection.
There was also the display of a bottle from 1895 which sank to the bottom of the Clyde aboard the ship SS Wallachia which bound for the West Indies was hit in a collision. The bottle was only retrieved recently with the seal still in place. Loads of history!
Many thanks to Patrick and Laura for the tour and taking the time to say hello afterwards!
The team, although slightly hung over from the previous day, had a great time and we look forward to trying your whisky when the angels have finished taking their share!
The grist is then soaked in hot water before the wort is transferred into one of 8 washbacks to ferment.
At the time we were there the distillery was on a two week maintenance or 'quiet period' so the stills were cold. We were shown examples of the Foreshots, New make Spirit and Low Wines & Feints which would normally be flowing through the gleaming spirit safe.
You could still see some of the copper sulphate from the stills in the foreshots. We then got to try some of the new make spirit, very meaty in flavour with some nice fruit notes.
We were then taken in to the tasting room to try some mystery drams. Clydeside's first cask was filled on 19th December 2017, so their own whisky won't be ready until December 2020. Due to city ordinances which don't allow whisky to be matured within the city limits, it's being matured in a secret location on the west coast of Scotland!
Just outside the Tasting Room was a very impressive display of bottles from the distillery owner's private collection.
There was also the display of a bottle from 1895 which sank to the bottom of the Clyde aboard the ship SS Wallachia which bound for the West Indies was hit in a collision. The bottle was only retrieved recently with the seal still in place. Loads of history!
The team, although slightly hung over from the previous day, had a great time and we look forward to trying your whisky when the angels have finished taking their share!
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| Brian, Alistair, Max, Mike, Andy & John |