TL; DR: After a long whisky weekend in the Highlands, it was time to get home. However, on the Sunday afternoon, we had time for a last stop at Uile Bheist, in Inverness. Very interesting operation, as it’s both a brewery and a distillery. Too early for the single malt, but we could still sip two of their ales.

Our Highlander trip was about to end: we left Clynelish distillery while our pals were still enjoying the drams provided. It was still a very nice and sunny day, and maybe because it was a Sunday afternoon in early November, the A9 towards Inverness was not very busy and the drive was quiet and relaxing. We were approaching Inverness quite early (and Teresa was recovering from her sickness), so we took a swift decision: make a last stop before getting home. Destination: Uile Bheist distillery, in Inverness, one of the newest kids on the block. 

A key feature is the artwork by the artist Ken Taylor (already famous for the many collaborations with rock bands), picturing creatures from old Scottish tales: we found them very well drawn and captivating. “Uilebheist” itself means “monster” in Scottish Gaelic. 

The distillery is located on the banks of the river Ness (duh!), and the entrance is in the same building as a hotel called Glen Mhor (but nope, it’s not the site of the former Glen Mohr distillery, actually at opposite site of the river). As a matter of fact, the founders of the distillery (Jon and Victoria Erasmus) opened their hotel in the mid 2000s first, and added a brewery in 2014. The distillery is the most recent part of their business, with the first newmake spirit distilled in April 2023. It is also the first distillery to open in Inverness in 130 years, and the first to produce whisky since Glen Albyn, Glen Mhor and Millburn closed in the mid-1980s. The beer garden is visible from the street, as well as the distillery building just behind, with the two stills making a triumphant appearance behind the glass windows. 

The place is quite dark but cosy, pub-style (a partial excuse for our terrible pictures too) and in line with the artwork. And in fact, because they are a brewery as well, their main room is organised exactly like a pub: a long bar, many malts behind the bartenders’ back, and their beers on tap, named after the creatures: a lager (Uile Bheist), a stout (Dark Horse), a session ale (Highland Storm), an unfiltered (White Witch), and a pale ale (Forest Dweller). We would have never remembered the names, if it wasn’t for the association with the different beer types…Clever!

The tour guide for the day was Louis, on training because it was one of his first whisky tours, shadowed by Amy. We entered the production area from a door at the end of the bar, and we climbed the stairs right away. We were soon in the main production room, where all the machinery is: a very modern mill, the mashtun (1.5 tonnes, near the one used for brewing), the washbacks (4 stainless steel), the stills (1000-litre wash still and 500-litre spirit still). The space was completed by a small lounge for visitors. There, they showed us an intuitive schematic of the production plant, including a description of how they get energy –  solar panels and shallow water.

Like many new distilleries, sustainability was in their mind when the plant was designed. Fermentation lasts between 72 and 96 hours, and they take the spirit at around 70% (they didn’t know the precise cuts). The newmake is then transported to their warehouses in Forres to be put into casks. 

Next, we moved to the lower level, mostly dedicated to beer production: 8 fermentation tanks, and the machine to carbonate with nitrogen and fill the kegs (plus a small bottling line). Back to the bar, it was time for a small tasting: their newmake spirit (which is available to buy in half-litre bottles) and a blended malt they produced (quite tasty!). Teresa also sipped half pint of their lager, as well as Gianluigi’s half pint of pale ale. Very tasty. Unfortunately, at the moment they only sell kegs, so we couldn’t buy any of the beers.

We have to say, we really liked this operation, the first “brewstillery” (as Amy suggested during the tour) we visited. Because we don’t know Inverness very well, we are planning a weekend there in the near future, and we will definitely go back to Uile Bheist to try more of their beers and enjoy the pub’s cozy atmosphere. We are also very curious about their malt, since the newmake spirit was above average compared to others. For that, though, we’ll have to wait a while. 

This was the perfect epilogue for a very nice whisky weekend, although not the luckiest health-wise. For the records, as expected Gianluigi got the same bug as Teresa two days later, and for more than a couple of days he was KO. It wasn’t Covid (got the month before), it probably wasn’t flu…A mystery. Unfortunately, this caused us to miss Roy Aqvavitae blind tasting in Glasgow the following weekend too. But that’s all gone now, while the memory of such a fun weekend with our pals will stay with us for a long time.

Until next time, slainte!

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Uile Bheist Discovery Tour

Price: £35.00 pp (November 2023)

Duration: 1hr+

Tasting: 2 drams (newmake spirit and Colpach Blended Malt, 46%) and 1 half pint of beer

Distillery Exclusive: Colpach blended malt (£50)

Target: anyone who likes both whisky and beer (or one of the two)

Value for money: ok

Highlights: the location and the pub

Recommended: if you’re visiting Inverness, definitely!

Link: https://www.uilebheist.com/

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