Let me introduce you to my new best friend Kirsten Grant. In the lobby of Glenfiddich distillery there’s a family tree of the Grant family dating back to the founder William Grant. You’ll notice there’s a direct line between Kirsten’s photo up to her great grandfather Captain Charles Grant. That’s because neither her father, nor her grandfather worked for the family business. Her grandfather was part of the Grant family that separated to run Glendronach at the beginning of the 20th century. Her father chose to be an architect instead of a distiller, but Kirsten was invited back in by her uncle and cousins to help run William Grant & Sons a little over a decade ago. Just a few years older than me, we hit it off right away. She’s completely laid back, openly generous, loads of fun, has an infectious laugh, and is so damn cool. I plan on being her buddy for as long as I live.

Seeing that we’re both early birds, always on our laptops when the sun comes up, Kirsten and I decided to go for a morning walk around the William Grant compound yesterday morning to see the sights. Vic wandered out of bed just before we left, so he grabbed a piece of toast and joined us for the five mile romp around the estate. The tulips in front of Glenfiddich were popping with color against the early sun.

The River Fiddich runs just along the side of the distillery and, while not used for any of the whisky, the water is pumped in to cool down the spirit in the condensers. It’s a beautiful stream that provides the perfect soundscape for the nature hike. It passes by Balvenie Castle before eventually joining the River Spey at Craigellachie.

Balvenie Castle dates back to the 12th century and sits just next to the eponymous distillery. It’s on the Grant family property, but it’s owned by the Scottish historical society. You pass by it on the way up the hill to where the Grants keep their Highland cows. Attacked by Robert the Bruce in 1308, it was later acquired by the Black Douglasses in the 14th century. William Douglas, who became the Earl of Douglas, and his brother were infamously summoned to Edinburgh Castle and subsequently beheaded at the table during their meal. Known as the “Black Dinner,” the event served as the inspiration for the “Red Wedding” in Game of Thrones.

Shaggy-haired and sweet, these Highland cows had no fear of us as we stood up against the gate and admired their beauty. Long respected for their majesty, Queen Elizabeth herself ordered a herd to be kept at Balmoral Castle in the 1950s, where they still roam today. When we stopped by the Walker Shortbread factory later in the afternoon, you can bet I grabbed the tin with the Highland cow on it, along with the Highland cow-shaped biscuits.

When you walk around the property with Kirsten Grant, there are no off limits. Hence, when Kirsten asked if I wanted to check out the normally closed-to-the-public Kininvie distillery, located deep in the heart of the Balvenie facility, I jumped at the chance to watch the stills in action. Even though it’s been open since the early nineties, most whisky drinkers don’t even know of its existence. But for those of you who love Monkey Shoulder, Kininvie is one of the malt components that makes up the marriage.

Kirsten is very much one of the guys as well. After our walk, Vic and I grabbed some of the Cubans we secured on our visit and popped a bottle of the Balvenie 19 year old single estate malt made with 100% estate-grown barley. She sat right down with us, lit a cigar, and poured herself a drink. What a start to a fantastic day!

-David Driscoll