European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 19, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                % 4 tour group gets a glimpse of Bradour s distilling room. >4 couple head up the driveway to the Smalt Cluster of buildings that make up the distillery. The Bradour facility is just outside the town of Pitlochry. Edra dour whisky distillers believe smaller is better Oak casks line the storage cellar. A amps photos by Gus Schuettler by Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer if there is a flavor that evokes Scotland it is probably scotch whisky. Smooth and Smoky sometimes syrupy and always burning warm the Golden Brown liquor captures the essence of this rugged unspoiled land. Whisky contains Basic elements of life in Scotland peat smoke the nutty taste of native Barley and Sweet pure water. Cured in the Cool moist air it even takes on a hint of the climate. It is unclear when the scots started making the potent malt spirits they called a Isle Beatha a water of life a in gaelic. Written records of the distilling process Date Back to the late 15th Century. What is Clear is the scots attachment to their National beverage. When parliament in 1644 passed a Law imposing taxes and other controls on whisky making Many Small distillers went underground. The vast wilderness of the Highlands provided Ideal hiding places for the illicit stills Many of which were operated by Farmers continuing age old traditions. It was not until nearly two centuries later after the regulations were liberalized in 1823, that Many of them came out of hiding. One was a tiny facility near the Tay River in the Southern Highlands. Originally set up As a Farmers distillery cooperative in 1825, the Edra dour pronounced Edra Dower distillery today is one of the most prestigious in Scotland. It owes its distinction to two factors the Superb single malt whisky it produces and the fact that it is the smallest whisky distillery in Scotland. Tucked into a Ravine in the Hills above Pitlochry the Edra dour facility looks More like a Cluster of Well kept farm buildings than a distillery. Visitors enter the grounds on a gravel driveway bordered by a picket Fence. The Basic list of ingredients for making Good whisky is simple water malted Barley and yeast. The equipment is not much More Complex a vat to brew the Mash a still and wooden barrels to store the spirits. But perhaps the most important Factor is patience. Quot it takes five or six Days to make the whisky and 10 years to drink it Quot says Edra dour tour guide Richard Christie. The process starts with Barley that is sprouted for eight to 10 Days and dried Over a peat fire. After that it is ground to malt mixed with water and yeast and fermented to a steamy aromatic Mash that soon becomes a rough Beer. After a Little More than two Days the liquid is drained off and distilled twice creating a Clear potent liquor that is about 70 percent alcohol. After this the waiting begins. The liquid is transferred to 50-gallon Sherry casks and put in storage for at least a decade. Its size and strict adherence to tradition make the Edra dour operation something of an anachronism. Other distilleries have grown to computerized mass production but Edra dour resolutely clings to the belief that smaller is better weekly production is about 600 Gallons a 12 casks. The company makes skillful use of this viewpoint in its promotional brochures pointing out that the distillery functions much As it did 2vi centuries ago. Water comes from the Edra dour Burn the Spring fed Stream that runs through the distillery s grounds. The mixing and transferal Are still performed by hand and the fermentation and refinement processes Are controlled by people not computers. Visitors can stroll through the fermentation room and watch workmen shovel the steaming Sweet smelling Dregs into a Wagon for a local Farmer s cattle. Scots take their whisky As seriously As the French do their wine. They even Divide their country into four whisky regions a lowlands Highlands islands and Spe Side. Like burgundies or champagnes the whiskies tour guide Richard Christie gives the tour group a whiff of the Sweet fermenting Mash. Of a particular Region Are reputed to share certain characteristics of taste Aroma and color. The distinct identity of scotch whisky even extends to the name. All the other types Are spelled whiskey. Naturally the Edra dour company touts its product As one of the Best brands in Scotland. But even a visitor accustomed Only to occasional samples of the Standard brands can Tell that this whisky is something special. The flavor is redolent of peat smoke and Spring water and there is none of the harshness that makes the cheaper brands so hard to Swallow. On a Cool overcast Day in the Highlands it goes Down As smooth and warming As an expensive liqueur. But Don t expect to drink a lot. According to a spokeswoman for the distillery a bottle of Edra dour Sells for around 26 pounds about $44.75 in Scotland. In comparison the spokeswoman said a bottle of Glen Riddich a Good single malt whisky Sells for Between 15 pounds and 16 pounds $26-$2 7.50. In the United states she said the Price of Edra dour varies from around $22 per bottle in new York to $37 in California. Some 60,000 visitors a year tour the tiny distillery on the Edge of the Highlands. From March through october the Edra dour distillery is open seven Days a week from 9 30 . To 5 . From november through february its hours Are 10 30 . To 4 . Monday to saturday. Tours Complete with kilted guide Are conducted about every half hour. To get there follow local route a-924 East out of Pitlochry. Take a right about two Miles outside of town at the narrow country Road where the Edra dour sign is posted. The distillery is about a half mile Down the Road. A cat stands out against the distillery s picket Fence. The whisky comes in various containers. Visitors peruse the company store. 12 stripes Magazine september 19, 1991 september 19, 1991 stripes Magazine 13 %