In the past, rabbis taught that a man should not begin studying Kabbalah—the mystical tradition within Judaism—until age forty. It was a fool’s errand to plumb the subtlest mysteries of the universe, they reasoned, without spiritual maturity and a strong grasp of the foundational scriptures of the Torah and Talmud. My journey to whiskey mirrored this rabbinic wisdom. Throughout my twenties, I drank beer. In my thirties, I dabbled with wine. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. Now that I’m a seasoned drinker approaching middle age, my spirit seeks the loftiest of spirits: whiskey.
Aspiring to whiskey connoisseurship is a wonderful excuse to travel to beautiful corners of the world. Like a besotted pilgrim, I’ve criss-crossed the map from Edinburgh to Seattle in pursuit of storied distilleries. For the whiskey nerd, distillery tours—afternoons of rare drams, audiences with master tasters, and communion with fellow malt-lovers—are the equivalent of doctoral seminars at Harvard.
From the Highlands of Scotland to the rolling valleys of Kentucky, the urban jungle of Brooklyn to the high desert of Nevada, below are ten of the most memorable distilleries to visit before you die.
Scotland

Photo by Johnny Motley
The Glendronach
Established in 1826 by James Allardice, The Glendronach is one of Scotland’s oldest licensed distilleries. Its whisky is the apotheosis of the Highlands style—full-bodied, long-finished, and layered with dark fruit and floral notes. The Glendronach’s head distiller, Rachel Barrie, is fond of finishing whiskies in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso casks, coveted barrels sourced from Spain’s finest bodegas. The sherry casks lend whiffs of gardenia and honeysuckle—a delicate perfume that dances above deeper notes of fig, dark chocolate, and peat.
The distillery lies in the Valley of Forgue, a pocket of the Highlands as picturesque as a Walker’s shortbread tin. Indulge in rare drams like the 18-Year-Old Allardice or the 21-Year-Old Parliament in The Glendronach’s elegant tasting room.

Photo via Benriach
Benriach
An emerald corner of the Highlands cut by the crystalline River Spey, Speyside is the darling of whisky lovers with a sweet tooth. Benriach is a quintessential ambrosia of the region, brimming with notes of freshly cut green apple, tropical fruits, and honey. On the nose, I catch hints of phosphorus—the flinty aroma of a struck match.
Many of Benriach’s expressions are peated, but Speyside peat is distinct from that of Islay—less maritime and medicinal, closer to the smell of campfire embers. In the tasting room, a handsome wooden salon with plush couches, sip coveted drams like the Benriach 31-Year-Old Gaja Barolo Single Cask and the 1993 Distillery Exclusive Madeira Cask 23-Year-Old.

Photo via Glenglassaugh
Glenglassaugh
Perched on a bluff overlooking the North Sea, Glenglassaugh has one foot in the Highlands and one foot on the beach. Brisk maritime winds buffet the rickhouse and help the whiskies mature slowly, like lapping waves polishing basalt stones in a Scottish cove. Notes of sea salt, minerality, and sugared fruits are Glenglassaugh’s hallmark—a fragrance reminiscent of a candy shop on Cape Cod.
In the tasting room, savor the Sandend, a whiskey finished in bourbon, sherry, and manzanilla casks. The taste is as briny-sweet as the lips of a Highlands lass after skinny-dipping in the sea. Afterward, stroll the coastal trails lined with purple gorse flowers. Gaze out over the North Sea, and toast the Viking dragon ships that once plied these cold, steely waters.

Photo via Glen Scotia
Glen Scotia
In the 19th century, Campbeltown—a mist-shrouded, craggy corner of western Scotland—had over 30 distilleries and was hailed as the “Whisky Capital of the World.” Today, only three distilleries remain, and hard-to-acquire Campbeltown whiskies are often the pièce de résistance in serious collections. Founded in 1832, Glen Scotia produces whisky exemplary of the Campbeltown style: a briny backbone, hints of petrol and sea spray, and a rich finish that lingers on the palate.
The distillery is a picturesque complex on Scotland’s brooding coast. If you’re new to Campbeltown whiskies, start with Glen Scotia’s Victoriana and 25-Year-Old—both expressions are virtuosic symphonies of peat smoke, dried fruit, and maritime minerality.
Kentucky

Photo via Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve
Whenever I catch a whiff of Woodford Reserve, my mind drifts back to summer evenings on my porch in Virginia, sipping whiskey with my Uncle Jack, a connoisseur of all of life’s arts and graces. One of America’s most revered distilleries, Woodford Reserve is a limestone-and-copper temple to bourbon in Kentucky’s rolling hills. Just about everything Elizabeth McCall, Woodford’s head distiller, touches turns to gold—from the flagship bourbon, a ballad of toasted hazelnut, orange zest, and red fruit, to coveted limited-edition releases like Double Double Oaked and Baccarat.
Linger on the porch of the tasting room, listening to the sound of distant horse hooves and watching the sunset that’s the same amber hue as the bourbon in your glass. Optional but encouraged: wear your finest seersucker suit, settle into a rocking chair, and whistle “My Old Kentucky Home” while you enjoy a pour.

Photo via Old Forester
Old Forester
The crown jewel of Whiskey Row in Louisville, Old Forester earned its place in history by producing America’s first bottled bourbon in 1870. During Prohibition, Old Fo’ was one of the few distilleries granted a federal license to remain operational, convincing Uncle Sam that its whiskey conferred curative boons. (I’m no doctor, but I can say with confidence that a pour of Birthday Bourbon is potent medicine for the soul.)
Under the masterful hand of head distiller Chris Morris, Old Forester crafts whiskeys as rich and decadent as Grade A maple syrup—liquid poetry sung in notes of brown sugar, baking spice, and citrus zest.
The tasting room exudes speakeasy vibes, with moody lighting, exposed brick, and leather couches. Indulge in holy-grail whiskeys like 1920 Prohibition Style and Birthday Bourbon—pours hard to procure even in the nation’s top whiskey bars.

Photo via Castle & Key
Castle & Key
With stone turrets, sunken gardens, and imposing wooden doors, Castle & Key Distillery resembles a medieval castle on the banks of Glenns Creek near Frankfort, Kentucky. The Dixieland château, built in 1887 by bourbon legend Colonel E.H. Taylor, closed during Prohibition and lay dormant until 2018, when entrepreneurs Will Arvin and Wes Murry restored it to its former splendor.
The tasting room, surrounded by manicured gardens designed by the Olmsted Brothers, treats guests to pours on a creekside patio. The Restoration Rye Whiskey and Small Batch Wheated Bourbon are superb, and on the clear spirits side, the Harvest Gin is exceptional.
Off the Beaten Path

Photo via Frey Ranch
Frey Ranch
The Frey family began farming in Nevada in 1854, ten years before statehood, and Frey Ranch is one of the few distilleries in the world that grows every grain in its whiskeys on-site. While many distillers source grains indistinguishable from animal feed, Colby Frey grows varietals of rye, wheat, corn, barley, and oats meticulously curated for whiskey-making. In the spirit of northern Nevada’s pioneer ingenuity, Colby Frey created “Nevada Peat”—pressed corn compost which he uses to smoke some of his malts.
Framed by the Sierra Nevadas, Frey Ranch is a green oasis in the high desert. As with tequila haciendas, the crop fields surround the distilling facilities. In the sunlit tasting room, sip the coveted Harvester Series or experimental whiskeys like the 100% Malted Corn Bourbon. Just down the road from Frey Ranch lies the Navy’s Top Gun training base, and as you sit in a rocking chair with a Glencairn in hand, you can glimpse fighter jets streaking across the desert sky.

Photo via Widow Jane
Widow Jane
Located within a former steel foundry, Widow Jane embodies Brooklyn’s spirit of creativity, grit, and consummate craftsmanship. Each bottle is cut to proof with limestone water from the Rosendale Mines—the same historic aquifer that helped build the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
The tasting room is pure Brooklyn chic—a salon of exposed brick, soaring ceilings, and weathered wooden beams. The flagship 10-Year Straight Bourbon, a staple on my bar cart, is an aromatic bomb of cherry, tobacco, and vanilla flavors. For the grand finale of your tasting, order the Decadence, whiskey finished in maple syrup barrels from the Hudson Valley—a treat as rich as crème brûlée in a New York steakhouse.

Photo via Westland Distillery
Westland Distillery
On the foggy waterfront of Seattle’s SoDo district, Westland Distillery is a trailblazer in American Single Malt Whiskey, which became a government-regulated spirits category in 2023. Westland mills heirloom grains like Full Pint and Alba six-row barley, crafting expressions that capture the Pacific Northwest’s rain-soaked terroir. Westland is one of the few distillers working with Garry oak casks, a tree native to the West Coast that imparts smoky notes of charred herbs, black pepper, and roasted coffee.
Like a restless Scotchman lightin’ out for the American West in search of freedom and fortune, Westland feels anchored in both the Old World and the frontier. In the tasting room, try the Flagship American Single Malt and the wine- and beer-cask-finished expressions—the latter made in collaboration with renowned Washington State breweries and wineries.