Great Places To Drink Whisky - The Bon Accord, Glasgow

The Bon Accord is located in North Street on the western edge of the city centre in Glasgow.  The pub was first opened in 1971 and has grown to become a Glasgow institution and a must visit destination for beer and whisky fans.  It is owned by Paul McDonagh, who purchased it fourteen years ago and who we were lucky enough to meet briefly during our visit.  Under Paul and his family's ownership the establishment has gone from strength to strength and regularly pulls in awards.  One of the most recent was for the Best Whisky Bar in the UK in 2014.

The Bon Accord is well known for its ever changing selection of craft beers, real ales and ciders, both from around Scotland and the rest of the UK as well as from across the globe.  They host there own beer festivals throughout the year also.  However our main reason for visiting was the fact that it has one of the biggest whisky selections in Scotland on offer.  The current range totals close to 400 - these are mostly Scotch but there is also a selection of selected interesting whiskies from around the world.

The range features many recognisable Scotch brands and prices start at £3.50 for a 35ml measure.  Many of the bottles are priced under £10 a dram, which seems to offer great value for money in many cases (especially for those of us used to London prices).  However there is something for every budget, especially with the numerous rare or limited edition bottlings on offer.  The highest price we could find was £800 for a dram of an old Port Ellen.  The Bon Accord is one of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society Embassies and features a selection of current and retro bottlings from the Society in a dedicated area.

They also serve food, which falls in to the 'good honest old school pub food' category.  The dinner offering of a delicious steak pie, mashed potato and peas was hearty and large, and came in at the staggeringly low price of £5.95.  They have recently started selling bottles of whisky, both from the bar and an online store.  For more details on this and The Bon Accord in general, please visit their website by clicking here.

Upon walking in to The Bon Accord you could not help but notice the impressive selection of whiskies and the relaxed atmosphere created by the clientele.  There were numerous pieces of whisky memorabilia covering the walls and a tap on the bar for adding water to your dram if you chose.  It felt old fashioned and welcoming.  The staff were extremely friendly, warm and knowledgable and there was an iPad complete with the full whisky list to aid you with your choice.  We will definitely be visiting again on our next visit to Glasgow.

With so many whiskies to choose from, the decision was made to try some new-ish limited edition releases that we have not had the opportunity to sample yet - the Ardbeg Kildalton (£13.50 a dram) and the first part of the new Arran Illicit Stills series (pictured, and £6.50 a dram).  The Arran was feisty and sweet and took water well, which made it more buttery and toffee-like.  We preferred it like this.  The Ardbeg was punchy, fruity and sweet with plenty of ashy peaty smoke.  Again this took water well, which surpressed the peat and brought out an additional note of honeycomb.