Is a tradition malt whisky's flavour to be lost?

wisnaeme · Is a tradition malt whisky's flavour to be lost?

Oh dearie me,mair interference frae "Officialdom". I am particularly fond of the flavour of this single malt and I do like to treat myself to an occassional indulgence of this brand of the water of life. Is the distinct flavour to be lost or altered after centuries of tradition,allegedly?

Barley is last in long line of distillery cats.

Two centuries of tradition have been broken at the world's most northerly Scotch whisky distillery with a decision not to replace the resident ginger tom at the end of his nine lives.

Barley the cat,the latest in a line of what may be the oldest family of distillery cats,was killed in a road accident this week.Due to health and safety considerations,managers,opted not to bring in a successor for the pet who had been a popular figure among staff and visitors for 15 years.

Barley was from the same family as Highland Park's two previous cats,Malt and Peat and it is thought the line may even be traced to the origins of the distillery in 1798.

While the link has now been broken,the cats' place in the distillery's history will be commemorated with plans for a statue in the courtyard.

Highland Park is one of only four distilleries in Scotland still to utilise floor maltings.Atightening up of regulations on the procedure helped to end the days of the distillery cat.

This article appeared in the Scotsman newspaper.Sat 11th of March 2006.

SLG

Any accounts of folk getting ill due to a distillery cat? I doubt it.