The Prestige Whisky guide to the Whisky Regions of Scotland – Part 3

The Prestige Whisky guide to the Whisky Regions of Scotland – Part 3

Having taken a brief romp through the joys of Lowland whisky last time, it’s time to get on to what most people – rightly or wrongly – consider to be the main event, first Highland Whisky and then the Speyside “sub-region”.

Many people think these regions hold some of the best examples of Scotch and the simple predominance and volume of malts and distilleries within them mean that there are dozens of fine expressions to be had. We really are in the ‘heartland’ of Scotch Whisky production.

So let’s kick off with the Highlands.

Highland whiskies tends to be slightly heavier in style compared to the softer lowland or Island varieties. A a fine example of this would be the Dalmore King Alexander 111 – one of PW’s all time favourites !

Here are it’s tasting Notes :

It has a nose with plums, bilberries and a little caramel. On the palate the berries and sweet flavours from the bourbon barrel offer a delightfully complex taste.

Obviously, the King Alex is available at www,prestigewhisky.com

Moving into Speyside, whiskies from this region tend to be more floral and fragrant in style and we offer the most choice of malt whisky from this region – again due to the sherr volume of exquisite malts that are available.

For our selection from this region I’ve chosen the Glenlivet 12 YO from our excellent value ‘Silver’ collection as the perfect example of a quality affordable single malt whisky.

The 12 Year Old is an award winning balanced malt offering fruity and floral flavours. Oak is present but in the distance. This classic Speyside conveys beautiful images of a fertile orchard, blossoming at springtime and laden with juicy ripe fruit at summertime. Nose and palate offer a warm experience of Speyside's fresh and fragrant air. The single malt to choose for a relaxing moment.


The Speyside Regions of Scotland produce some real whisky gems. Many of the more well know distilleries and brands hail from near the Spey river not least of all the Macallan.

Their Distillery is located in the Scottish Highlands within Banffshire and has produced some of the finest malts since 1824.

One of the best Macallans is the Macallan 21 which is a true classic malt.

The Macallan 21 is a 43% spirit and is a light amber colour.

On the nose it is intense and rich with hints of vanilla and passion fruit.

The palate reveals a soft yet spicy twist with just a hint of orange and peat

The finish is long with just a hint of oaky wood smoke.

You will not be dissapointed with this classic gem of a malt which is a perfect treat or gift for the whisky lover or connoisseur of whisky.

That’s all for now, next time we’ll move on to the Island and Campbeltown regions to finish up our whistle stop tour of fine Scotch whisky.

See you all soon – we’re aiming for next Monday with part four, the penultimate edition of our guide.