Whisky Galore!

[Davemcc]

Yes, I am currently in Glasgow.

Ben Lomond is known as Glasgow's Hill and is one of the most popular Munros due to the ease with which it may be climbed and of course its close proximity to Glasgow.

Boy, I've got a good feeling about this one. If I win, I think I'll have to respond in kind with a contest for one of our own locally distilled spirits, something from Hiram Walker.

 

[j_garcia]

Hmmm... I thought it would have some relationship to the town of Tomatin...so looked at the Munro near there and took a wild guess. Yes, that was a little paranoia, and I thought maybe I was underestimating the future King of Scottland Ben Lomond looked good to me also, simply because there is a town near here with that name (in the hills of course).

 

[Diapason]

1,344m

[/contest]

Seems like a sensible guess to me

I've certainly never tried this particular malt, but as an Irishman who generally prefers whisky to whiskey, I'll go for

1258m

Si

 

[Sheep]

Boy, I've got a good feeling about this one. If I win, I think I'll have to respond in kind with a contest for one of our own locally distilled spirits, something from Hiram Walker.

Yes, but he said what is the highest, not the closest.

SheepStar

 

[chadd]

did you sleep on the hill?

Ill say 1500. YOU CAN DO IT!

 

[Jack Hammer]

Interesting. An entry accompanied with a name. Have you climbed the hill in question? There's a story here I'm sure.

Unfortunately, no story. I've not been to Scotland - yet. I did some hiking when I lived in California. Some ~3k ft hills in Northern California and from the Mojave desert into the Mountains around Los Angeles, then a few places in between. Plus some on the Island of Hawai'i.

Something about the name of Carn Eige/Eighe rang a bell. It sounds familiar, though I'm unable to place it at the moment. So I'm sticking with that at 1183M.

Jack

 

[Buckle-meister]

Seems like a sensible guess to me...

Yes indeed. Nice to see some people are doing their homework.

...the highest, not the closest.

The correct answer wins the booty. In the event that no one guesses correctly, the closest to the correct answer wins - whether too high or too low.

...did you sleep on the hill?

Not on the summit, no. I did however camp at the foot of the hill. Started up it the following morning at about 07:00 on what turned out to be a fabulous day (remember that Scottish weather can be a little...um...volatile).

Something about the name of Carn Eige/Eighe rang a bell. It sounds familiar, though I'm unable to place it at the moment.

Perhaps you're thinking of Beinn Eighe which forms part of a National Nature Reserve? This is a distinct possibility as the hill you note, Carn Eige, which lies to the south, is fairly remote and not particularly well known.

I think a plane once crashed into Beinn Eighe. Maybe that's it?

 

[j_garcia]

So I take it that means nobody has correctly guessed?

 

[RMarsh83]

I'll venture a guess of 1,221m for no particular reason other than that my favorite (Ben Lomond, due to its proximity to the Scottish side of my family's historical lands) was already taken.

I agree that scotch is not to be wasted on mere sheep. Although scotch after lamb is tasty...

Although I have not yet had the pleasure of Munroing, I did see several spectacular Munros whilst on a train through the Highlands. If you count that Highlands (which they are, just separated by millions of years of continental shelf movement), then I've climbed quite a few in my day.

 

[Buckle-meister]

So I take it that means nobody has correctly guessed?

Just because I'm happy to discuss certain hills should not be taken as proof that the correct answer hasn't been submitted. It may have been or it may not have been.

I agree that scotch is not to be wasted on mere sheep. Although scotch with lamb is tasty...

I wouldn't know. Come to think of it, I never drink whisky with food. It just wouldn't...feel...right.

Actually, as I type these words I'm enjoying a Talisker with ice (always ice with my whisky). I thought about which particular whisky I'd offer as the prize before posting and although I consider Talisker a superb whisky, I didn't think it'd be that difficult to obtain in the USA/Canada etc. A Tomatin on the other hand is a different story as that is far less well known that the likes of Talisker, Balvenie, Macallan etc.

...I did see several spectacular Munros whilst on a train through the Highlands.

Where did you travel to/from?

 

[Buckle-meister]

By the way, has anyone actually seen the film Whisky Galore? I heartily recommend it. It's an old old film but a really funny one. What's more, it's recently been transferred to DVD (it was filmed in 1949 )

 

[Vart]

Yes indeed. Nice to see some people are doing their homework.

After I finished reading the questio, it was straight to Wikipedia to find out what the heck a Munroe was.

 

[RMarsh83]

Thank you for noticing the error in my post, as revised I meant scotch after lamb is good. Although, one exception to the rule is that fresh bread pretzels with salt and Coleman's mustard compliment a good scotch (especially the bold Islay malts) and has been a family tradition for years.

I developed my scotch taste from my dad, and as such always drink it straight, and lean heavily to the Islay malts, most recently Caol Ila 18 (although this is admittedly a lighter Islay) and Laphroaig 15. I would agree the that scotches you listed are heavliy promoted in the US. I hope its 1,221m so that I can taste a wee dram (or should I say drachm) of the Tomatin!

In August 2003 I spent 9 days in Scotland, travelling from Edinburgh to Glasgow (briefly) before taking a bus to Inverness because there was no hostel space in Glasgow. From Inverness I took the train to Fort William, then bus to Oban where I ferried to the Isle of Kerrera for a night. Then off to Stirling (passing Loch Lomond on the way) before back to the Royal Mile. Loved every second of it.

 

[Buckle-meister]

After I finished reading the question, it was straight to Wikipedia to find out what the heck a Munro was.

Yeah, one has to be very careful about setting a question for a competition these days, what with Google et al providing the answer to so many. In the end, it usually requires that you ask about something personal that nobody could know.

 

[Buckle-meister]

I developed my scotch taste from my dad, and as such always drink it straight...

You know that some distillers actually recommend adding a touch of water to release the flavour?

The only reason that I don't drink whisky straight is that I don't like the taste of a 'luke warm' dram. I'd add a touch of water but obtain (after a couple of minutes) the same effect with ice but with the added benefit that the drink gets chilled.

...and lean heavily to the Islay malts, most recently Caol Ila 18.

Ah...you like the peaty ones eh? I used not to like the likes of Talisker (reasonably peaty as you're no doubt aware) but have found that my preference has changed with time so that now I really like to taste the whisky. With a peaty whisky like Talisker or even more so the Islay whiskys you're certainly guaranteed that.

In August 2003 I spent 9 days in Scotland, travelling from Edinburgh to Glasgow (briefly) before taking a bus to Inverness because there was no hostel space in Glasgow.

I was on the bus to Inverness (Tomatin is 16 miles south of Inverness) at the weekend to try and sort my head out with regard to which, if any of the two job offers I had I'd accept. The bus journey, normally not too bad, was a nightmare as we got stuck in roadworks for both the outward and return journey.

From Inverness I took the train to Fort William, then bus to Oban where I ferried to the Isle of Kerrera for a night. Then off to Stirling (passing Loch Lomond on the way)...

So did you miss seeing Glen Coe by bypassing it to the west?

 

[racquetman]

No metres, no whisky. Metres, maybe no whisky.

Man, you sure make things difficult!!

Anyway, since I guessed 3773 feet, and since 12 inches equals a foot, and 1 inch equals 2.54 cm, and 100 cm equals a meter . . . . abracadabra . . . . 1150 meters.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Looking for a new bad habit...

Hi Robbie,

931 metres (Ben Chozie) Looks like a pretty nice hike and a good place to take pictures to me.

SBF1

 

[Buckle-meister]

...since I guessed 3773 feet, and since 12 inches equals a foot, and 1 inch equals 2.54 cm, and 100 cm equals a meter . . . . abracadabra . . . . 1150 meters.

Could've just multiplied 3773 by .3048 (1ft=.3048m)

 

[Diapason]

You know that some distillers actually recommend adding a touch of water to release the flavour?

The only reason that I don't drink whisky straight is that I don't like the taste of a 'luke warm' dram. I'd add a touch of water but obtain (after a couple of minutes) the same effect with ice but with the added benefit that the drink gets chilled.

Funnily enough, I was going to ask about your preference for ice rather than water, because I have exactly the same view on this as you do. Although, slowly but surely, I'm starting to enjoy luke warm if necessary. Any port in a storm and all that!

Si

 

[RMarsh83]

I've heard the drop of water theory, but haven't really given it serious thought yet. Maybe one of these days I'll accidentally splash some water in in have an epiphany, but room temperature (or wine cellar temperature - even better) scotch is perfect just the way it is in my view. Peaty is pure pleaure! Also, Highland Park 18, although not technically Islay, shares some characteristics and is one of my favorites of all time.

Unfortunately, as you guessed, I missed Glen Coe by a few miles. Although I didn't run into any roadworks, the bus nearly ran into a few cars while on the narrowest of narrow road around Loch Lomond.