About Affric Trail Whisky
Affric Trail commemorates the ancient drove road from Kintail in the west through Glen Affric. In the early modern history of Scotland, cattle played a very significant role in the Highland economy. From the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries the cattle trade constituted a major industry in Scotland especially within the Highlands where it was a mainstay of the economy. Lawlessness and cattle rustling were not uncommon though eventually the trade became quite civilized.
Long before the movement of cattle Glen Affric would have been a popular route for connecting the east and west coasts and an integral part of the illicit whisky trade. There were many whisky stills in the area which led to frequent visitations by the excise men. Both the whisky tradition and the droving history have contributed to our development of Affric Trail whisky. In recent years the Affric Kintail Way has seen the old trail extended beyond Glen Affric east to Drumnadrochit and now welcomes walkers, cyclists and pony trekkers to travel all the way from Loch Ness to Morvich in Kintail.
Affric Trail is our own specially selected single malt whisky. We offer three whiskies of different strengths; each expression is constantly changing so check back here regularly to see what the current offers are.
Affric Trail – Standard Edition:
Our standard Affric Trail at 40% proof is distilled in the Aultmore Distillery in Banffshire. Matured in cask – a bourbon barrel – commencing August 2010 with the the spirit bottled in November 2020.
Barrels used for maturing bourbon are required by American law to be made from American white oak charred prior to usage and cannot be re-used to make bourbon, hence they provide a steady supply as cask for maturing Scotch whisky.
This expression is signified by the use of the Clan Chisholm tartan, this tartan was chosen as the area in which we live is traditional Clan Chisholm land ,being the traditional owners of most of Strathglass from the Middle ages onwards.
Affric Trail – Cask Strength:
Our Cask Strength variety, 53.5% volume, was distilled at the Speyburn Distillery in Rothes. This whisky is matured in a bourbon hogshead, slightly larger than a standard barrel, in cask from 2009 till 2019.
This expression is a rich gold colour with a finish of juicy orchard fruits livened by cinnamon and aniseed. It has a palate of Butter shortbread, green apple and gooseberry and a nose of Cotton candy, turbinado sugar and Chantilly cream.
Our Cask Strength is signified by the use of the Beauly Firth & Glens Tartan, this tartan was developed for the formation of a new pipe band in 2002 and represents through its colour choice the landscape that surrounds us.
Hogsheads used to mature Scotch whisky may previously have held other beverages and spirits, with sherry hogsheads the most common of these.
Affric Trail – Special Edition:
Our special edition is specifically chosen as a more exclusive and usually older whisky and comes packaged in a specially designed window box to accentuate its exclusivity. Our current expression is a 13 year old from the Mannochmore distillery in Elgin. This whisky was matured in a bourbon hogshead from 2008 until its bottling in 2021 and at 53% volume is sure to excite you.
Rose-tinted copper in colour with a finish of syrupy dried fruit and nuts, cut with citrus and spice, this expression has a palate of pink grapefruit, sultana, seared plum and ginger and a nose of roast orange, cinnamon, tobacco and walnut.
As our Special Edition expression we chose the official tartan of Australia to signify this release as a tribute to our own personal origins and then packaged it in a specially designed window box making this the perfect gift for that whisky connoisseur you know or for yourself it will look great on your own whisky shelf as you enjoy a wee dram each night.
‘The Spirit of the Glen’ of course refers to Glen Affric often referred to as the most beautiful of all the Scottish Glens.
Along with the different tartans on each release we use as a backdrop a winter photograph of Glen Affric so that you too can see how beautiful our area is. For more about the Clan Chisholm please visit our local Strathglass Heritage Association website and for information on Glen Affric have a look at the Visit Scotland website or the Affric Kintail Way website to learn more about one of the newest long distance trails in Scotland that will bring right past our door.
If you would like to know a bit more about the whisky process and the words and phrases used when discussing the product take a look at http://www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/home/jhb/whisky/glossary.html
Our Affric Trail whiskies together with a wide range of other malts can be purchased in-store or online at: https://cannichstores.co.uk/product-category/whisky/malts