Years ago, I spent an evening at premium whisky tasting in Guam, with an expert who flew in for the occasion.
I listened a lot, learned a lot, (and sipped a lot), and am now a Master of Scotch Whisky.I’m a great believer in continuing education, so when my husband and two friends headed to Scotland, there was at least one good reason to acquaint ourselves further with the country’s national drink.
At a whisky tasting experience in Edinburgh, our specialist asked our group of about 20 where we were from. “You’re not the first people I’ve met from Guam,” she said.
Scotland set a minimum price per unit in 2018, in an effort to reduce alcohol health harm. The legislation had a provision to increase the price per unit due to inflation, and a ‘sunset’ clause which lapsed in April. In February, the bill was re-introduced, and minimum prices will now be reimposed in September.
I asked our whisky specialist if her industry had lobbied against price-setting, and she said it had, but quietly.
The good news for the industry came in March, when the U.K.’s chancellor extended an alcohol duty freeze until February 2025 across all categories.
The not so good news for the industry is that while premium whisky comes at a cost, you can find a single malt aged for 12 years in London at notably less than you would pay for it in Scotland. And we did.
If there is one thing that dampened my enthusiasm for all that Scotland offers, it was Scotrail. We were looking forward to traveling by train. But Scotrail only announces the departure platform 10 minutes before departure. This results in a mad dash for train carriages.
Its not for the feeble or faint-hearted. There is a gap between trains and platforms and steps into carriage, and the pressure is on to move fast.
As you sink into your reserved seat, you might tell yourself that a consoling whisky is in your near future. But Scotrail decided in 2020 that its trains would be alcohol-free, due to the pandemic, and has not rescinded its rule, though it has surveyed passengers about doing so. The ban doesn’t stop passengers downing beverages of their choice, and nobody seems to mind, including staff onboard.
England’s Northern Rail, which we took on the leg from Edinburgh to London, has a bar car.
While we were in Scotland, the four of us chose a Gaelic Word of the Day, in keeping with the spirit of things.
In Inverness we stayed at a hotel with nine rooms, noted for its location, charm and a bar restaurant. One of us decided to ask one of the friendly barmaids what our Word of the Day should be. She didn’t hesitate and told our friend: eejit.*
Since I’ve been to Scotland three times before this trip, I was able to translate — when I could stop laughing.
Staying at a hotel built in 1840, truly memorable. The Word of the Day, priceless. mbj
**Idiot
— Maureen N. Maratita is the publisher at Glimpses Media. Glimpses Media includes the Marianas Business Journal, Guam Business Magazine, The Guam Guide, Wave 105.1 FM and Power98.