A Stirling Whisky Club member samples one of the 200 whiskies at the Spirit of Stirling Whisky Festival
Whisky: you cannot think of it without thinking of Scotland. Whisky is part of our culture, part of our national identity, and emblematic of many of the things we hold dear – tradition, simplicity, and quality. The tasting notes of connoisseurs even seem to echo the nature of Scotland’s rugged countryside. Malts are often described in terms of ‘heather’, ‘woodsmoke’, ‘peat’, ‘sea-salt’ and ‘oak’. It’s no coincidence that whiskies are often described in this vocabulary of our landscape, because whisky – perhaps Scotland’s best-loved export – is inextricably connected to our country’s terrain and crystal-clear waters. Closely linked to tourism and the romantic attraction of Scotland at large, the whisky industry continues to gather momentum, with single malts becoming ever more popular worldwide. And the future never looked brighter – with Scotland’s Year of Homecoming celebrating all things Scottish and attracting tourists from around the globe, 2014 brings fresh new focus to this most historic of industries.
MSP Bruce Crawford, a great supporter of the festival, with Stirling Whisky Shop Manager Fiona Sinclair
The Spirit of Stirling Whisky Festival
It’s a passion for Scotland, for whisky, and for Stirling that has motivated Stirling-based partnership Cameron McCann and Iain McMenemy to establish the Spirit of Stirling Whisky Festival. This annual event is fast becoming one of the most important dates in the whisky calendar, and takes place in the same month as World Whisky Day, which organises events worldwide. The Spirit of Stirling Festival brings together 32 distilleries and bottlers, offers around 200 different whiskies for sampling, and gives visitors a unique opportunity to ‘talk whisky’ with the very people who create their favourite dram. Cameron, who owns the Stirling Whisky shop, loves every minute: ‘It all started as a bit of a dream. Now we’re watching the event grow year on year, helping promote whisky and numerous Scottish businesses. We’re putting Stirling on the whisky and event map.’ And what is the special attraction of whisky that has made it such a global drink? ‘When you have a whisky in your hand you have a story in a glass that brings people and conversation together.’ It’s a view that’s echoed throughout the festival, by visitors and exhibitors alike.
Over thirty distilleries get the chance to talk directly with consumers
Talking whisky
Glenfarclas distributor Peter Donnelly has been involved with the Festival from its beginnings three years ago: ‘Events like this allows distilleries to find out first-hand what consumers are looking for and what the trends are; say, for example, whether they’re favouring an Islay or Speyside flavour, or choosing older over younger whiskies. All this feeds back into long-term brand development. But perhaps most importantly, we have the time to talk to people and educate them about the brand. They remember us long after the event – that’s a key way to do business in the UK.’
Giving something back
And this year, the festival is extra special. To mark the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn as part of Stirling 2014, Stirling Whisky Shop has joined up with Glenfarclas Distillery from Speyside to create a commemorative bottle to celebrate the event. The significant cask numbers of 13 and 14, distilled in 2007, have been married to produce 700 bottles and 700 miniatures of unique whisky, with the first and last numbered bottles presented in crystal decanters. One will be auctioned at the Spirit of Stirling Festival dinner on the 9th of May, with proceeds going to Scribblers Picnic – a local Stirling Cancer charity, while the remaining bottle will be presented to Scribblers for them to use as they see fit. It’s a heart-warming finish to the festival, in the spirit of whisky itself.
Tickets for the Spirit of Stirling Whisky festival are almost sold out already. Check here for next year’s dates and book early! www.spiritofstirlingwhiskyfestival.co.uk/
Tickets and information for the Scribblers Picnic can be found on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/scribblerspicnic