For people with a passion for authentic Scottish pourings, there can be no more important event this spring than the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (3rd-7th May).

The five-day festival is one of the most important on the whisky calendar and a ‘must’ for all devotees of the dram. Speyside boasts over half of Scotland’s distilleries which produce 7 of the top 10 best selling single malt whiskies in the world, and the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival offers an unrivalled opportunity to uncover the unique culture and heritage of Scotland’s famed whisky country.

Visitors with all levels of experience of enjoying whisky can join interesting, instructional and inspirational events – from distillery tours offering an insight into some of Speyside’s most famous names including Cardhu, Glen Grant, The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, The Macallan and Benromach, as well as a number usually closed to the public such as Glen Elgin, Glenlossie and Mannochmore, Glen Spey, Speyburn and The Glenrothes, to masterclasses and demonstrations exploring the arts behind the creation of the traditional Scottish tipple.

Festival-goers will be initiated into the Speyside whisky secrets and immersed in the culture of whisky country – with ample opportunity to explore the stunning surroundings as well and the chance to discover the passion behind the world’s finest whiskies from some of the industry’s finest experts, from blenders to coopers and mashmen to managers.

Serious sippers can choose from a number of tours and tastings, hosted by those in the know at the area’s 50+ distilleries. Guests keen to hone their nosing and tasting tactics can choose to attend events designed to develop their understanding of the dram including the chance to sample award-winning offerings at Benromach or Gordon and MacPhail and introductions to the process behind famous name pourings such as Glenlivet and Glenfiddich and Chivas (complete with a chance to sample a selection of the products).

And visitors can take an inside look at an independent distillery at Glenfarclas, which will also be offering an opportunity to enjoy the “Chairman’s Reserve” – sampling single cask offerings from four key years as well as the spirit picked to celebrate 175 successful years at the stills.

For whisky-loving foodies there are invites to enjoy a nip and a nibble, and to explore the relationship between the whisky makers and farmers who enjoy a special symbiosis on Speyside. Guests can enjoy perfectly married meals where courses are paired with exquisite expressions, visit whisky and food workshops and learn to match dishes and drams or take the ‘Plough to Plate’ tour to discover more about Speyside’s superlative produce.

Visitors who are hungry to learn more about the history and heritage of the Speyside spirit can follow in the footsteps of the Speyside smugglers, exploring the backcountry braes that housed the first illicit stills or spend an evening with Scottish “Whisky Bard” Robin Laing. Alternatively they can join respected industry author David Wishart, who will this year launch the 10th anniversary edition of his trusted tome Whisky Classified, as he explores the Wonderful World of Whisky.

And if all that education leaves fans and followers hankering for a bit of hands on experience, they are in luck, with a choice between events such as the ‘Blend it Like’ workshop at the Cardhu distillery (home of Johnnie Walker) and the chance to help choose bottlings at the Glenfarclas or Gordon and MacPhail distilleries.

Since taking part in tutorials, tours and tastings will likely see visitors exposed to more than just the “angel’s share” of this authentic Scottish spirit, a range of events in the open air are on offer to help festival goers keep clear heads – from stream train tours through the heart of stunning Speyside, to wildlife walks up the region’s famed “Whisky Mountain”, Ben Rinnes. Fans of the outdoors can also explore the area with guided Landrover trips, or experience the outdoors in an amphibious Argocat.

Festival Chairman Jim Royan said: “The Spirit of Speyside festival offers whisky lovers the chance to pursue their passion and deepen their understanding of the processes, place and people that make this authentic Scottish spirit.

“As always, tickets for our exclusive events are selling fast and we are looking forward to 2012 being our finest festival yet.”

Notes

– Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival runs from Thursday, 3rd May – Monday, 7th May. Check out www.spiritofspeyside.com for up-to-date news and follow the Festival at www.facebook.com/WhiskyFestival or www.twitter.com/spirit_speyside

– The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors needing to travel to and from festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options including a taxi voucher scheme (sponsored by Diageo) providing festival goers with a 25% reduction on fares with participating operators, various pre-bookable dedicated bus shuttles and even a “Dram Line” off-road Argocat taxi for a day long distillery tour or Saturday night whisky-country-crawl.

– The Festival also runs several competitions and awards including the prestigious Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards as well as the Photographic Competition

– Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from EventScotland and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners

– EventScotland: EventScotland is the national events agency. EventScotland is working to make Scotland one of the world’s leading event destinations. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org.

– About the Year of Creative Scotland 2012: The Year of Creative Scotland began on January 1, 2012 and is a chance to showcase, celebrate and promote Scotland’s cultural and creative strengths on a world stage. Through a dynamic and exciting year-long programme of activity celebrating our world-class events, festivals, culture and heritage, the year puts Scotland’s culture and creativity in the international spotlight with a focus on cultural tourism and developing the events industry and creative sector in Scotland. More information about the programme can be found at: www.visitscotland.com/creative. The Year of Creative Scotland is a Scottish Government initiative led in partnership by EventScotland, VisitScotland, Creative Scotland and VOCAL.