ANDY GRANT; ANGELS MEMBER, DRUM MAJOR, WHISKY LOVER, MARRIED A CAMPBELL, BUT STILL A PAL. HAVING A CHAT HERE ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL BLEND OF PIPE BANDS AND WHISKY.  The two are synonymous! They go together like apples and cheese!

Not all whisky is furnished at engagements however. Some clever, or evil, person designed flasks to contain whisky. Since then bands manage to carry them around to competitions. We manage to disguise this fact by visiting any available beer tent first!  People think that's for enjoyment but really it's a 'disguise'!  In my Band I am famous for being at one particular competition with more than one flask. The record is six flasks! I have to carry that many for the less intelligent players (pipers) who can't seem to remember to bring any! Four were filled with modest whisky and two filled with better. Highland Park mainly but one year I nearly caused a riot in the Band by having all filled with Rusty Nails, a lethal combination of Grouse and Drambuie. The longer serving members now treat me with suspicion and ask what's in them prior to drinking!

NOTE; do these photos (above and below) tell you anything?

 
In over thirty years involvement with both I have experienced both good and bad. Bad whisky hits harder believe me!:O)  One Band I was with had an unofficial sponsor of a whisky that I would not normally drink. Which was unfortunate as when we did engagements they always brought out a large quaich, filled it and gave one to the guest of honour and one to me as Drum Major! On one occasion there were TWO guests of honour and therefore two quaichs filled! I used the excuse of driving and gave the second to the Pipe Major. I've been his favourite Drum Major since then!! :O)
 
One good engagement was at Aberlour Distillery. The guests were Chinese and were delighted, but bemused, to find the Band Playing for them. After a short while a couple asked to try the pipes - to hilarity but no music. One then asked to try the Bass drum - and promptly marched off into the depths of the Distillery. A good bottle of Aberlour was my reward for that gig - rather nice it was too. Another time we entertained a large group of French rugby fans who loved us playing Flower of Scotland, but not as much as when we played le Marsellaise as they got back on the bus.


Anyone asking me for my favourite whiskys are immediately told Aberlour, Highland Park and, to some, surprisingly any of the Clontarff (Irish) malts. The first two really need no introduction. Some people extol the more popular brands but miss out on these two to their detriment. The Irish came about due to a member of my family bought me some as presents. They are beautifully light  and go down with none of the 'burn' that a lot of the Irish whiskey seem to have. Lovely stuff. Oh aye and a Glendronach 18yo as well!!!

To demonstrate how whisky tastes differ. Paul tends towards the western heavy style of whisky whereas I tend to the lighter northern style. Paul was heavily involved with my Band for a while and could only get the lighter ones at most competitions. Which explains why he bolted to Islay/Mull and other islands to drink their offerings!:O) He can't help it really you know. He's a MacLean after all!
AndyG   see also pipes and drams