Picto Diary - 25, 26 September 2019 - St. Coban's Kirk

At sea 25 September 2019 - No diary entry.

Above: St. Coban's Kirk. Argyll, Scotland. 26 September 2019.

Out and about in Argyll.

Designed and built by Sir. Walter Douglas Campbell, the church is unique for having just about every style of church architecture. Highlights include, the Norman doorway, gothic flying buttresses, a Celtic cross, the Saxon tower, and a stone circle.

TIMDT, having failed to successfully channel Clair and Dave on the standing stones, in desperation, tries to time travel by touching the flying buttress of the kirk.

We didn't have good luck with our driver/guide today. She brought too small of a vehicle. Hoops, TIMDT, and Mwah (sic) in the back seat proved too uncomfortable, claustrophobically so,. So, at St. Coban's Church, half way to the destination of some castle, the name of which I don't remember, we asked her to take us back to Oban. TIMDT handled the transaction very skillfully, saying that we didn't want to deprive her of her income... she could keep what we contracted for. We wouldn't tip, but, she'd save a half a day plus fuel which would make up for it. She was polite, but the fact that she started speeding mercilessly on the return suggested to me that she was pissed. On arrival back in Oban, I asked to be let out early... I wanted to do some steps... I would meet the others later. On meeting up later with the others, I learned that they went through a horrific backing up experience on a major road, because she didn't know where she was going. Win some... lose some. The other five or six of our driver guides were competent... terrific.

Above: Spirit Safe. Oban Distillery, Oban, Scotland. 26 September 2019.

Out and about in Oban.

The spirit safe, also known as the tail box, was first introduced in 1823 with the enactment of the Excise Act in Scotland. It's a padlocked, box-shaped apparatus made of metal and glass that encloses the point at which spirit exits the still. It was designed to keep spirit away from the thirsty mouths of distillery employees.

Whisky making process... only three ingredients... malted barley, yeast, water.

Malt (germinate) the barley.
Cook/dry the barley.
Mill the dried, malted barley.
Mix malted barley with hot water to create mash.
Extract sugary wort solution from mash.
Add yeast to wort.
Ferment "wash."
Distill wash to wine.
Re-distill wine to 80% alcohol
Age in second hand sherry and/or oak barrels.
Bottle for distribution and consumption

Oban 14.... whisky aged 14 years... a single malt... is the main product of Oban Distillery. It goes for $85 a bottle in the US. Taste is between smoky and smooth. It is a highly regarded premium single malt.