How to Pronounce Scotch Whisky Distillery Names

We decided to do a wee video on how to pronounce some of our Scotch whisky distillery names today as we speak to lots of people who don't want to attempt some of them for fear of getting them wrong.
Hopefully this video will help some of you in asking for a new dram to try next time you are in a shop or at a bar!
Are there any here that surprised you? Any that you think we got wrong? Or any we missed that you'd like to hear the pronunciation of? Let us know in the comments!
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Music: Whiskey on the Mississippi Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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#howtopronounce #scotchwhisky #distillerynames #highlandwhisky #islaywhisky #lowlandwhisky #islandwhisky #scottish #scottishwords #scottishgaeilc #gaelic #whiskygeeksnotwhiskysnobs #whiskygeek #callander #whiskeyreview #whiskyreview

[@phrocha7338]

What I like most about this video is that they seem to have taken a dram beforehand. Go girls! I loved the lesson! Slainte!

[@TheGrailTastings]

We film in bundles 😅😅

[@phrocha7338]

@@TheGrailTastings It seems to be working, and it looks like funny for sure. But...if I may ask: was this one at the begining or the end of queue?

[@RoanokeSystemaGroup]

Absolutely charming. I could listen to you ladies all day. Thank you

[@robertoboertje353]

From the Netherlands here...got them all pronounced correctly :) Time to go to Scotland soon!

[@TheGrailTastings]

Great, well done! See you soon then!😁

[@dmaul500]

This is great, not only was it educational I nearly spit my coffee out... new morning coffee ritual unlocked.

[@drjones7579]

The effort it takes to annunciate Scottish words is admirable. I Love Scotch... my belly is full of Scotch

[@NickVolk]

Thx a great deal! I'm already set with a pen and paper ready)))

[@sachinkainth9508]

I need a whiskey friend too. I sit at home alone drinking whiskey with no one to share the experience with. Most of my friends are either teetotal or don't like whiskey.

[@vivimori3319]

Thank you girls, I really had fun watching you and trying to learn.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Thanks! Hopefully we are helping you learn!

[@moelassus]

You two are so funny. ALAN!

[@TheGrailTastings]

Thank you 🤣🤣

[@whompbiscuits8930]

Thank god for this video. As an American I have real trouble knowing how to pronounce many scotches. I live in the American south and the people here don't really care, which has enabled my failures. I still get Tomatin wrong. And yes, there seem to be no real rules, the -CH is always a tricky one, and the -BH is a new one I didn't know before. Thanks ladies!

[@TheGrailTastings]

Glad to be of service!

[@TheSharkPadlock]

Fantastic! I have a friend who enjoys correcting my "attempts" at these types of names, so this will be helpful!

[@stantheman91991]

I could listen to you guys talk about this all day

[@TheGrailTastings]

Thanks!

[@edcuddy2522]

Really fun and educational episode. Good to know I’ve been mangling several whisky names for years. The best I’ve heard so far is from a friend who called a fav Islay bottle “Le GA viewlin”. Thanks for making whisky such a blast!

[@TheGrailTastings]

This one seems to confuse many!

[@jefffredrickson6310]

Excellent. Thank you so much. Had me smiling throughout the video.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Thanks 😊

[@TheReal_DeanD]

I got caught with Ledaig and Glen Garioch and was corrected nicely by the store clerk who was in the know. Glendalough was one I mispronounced too. My favorite one I mispronounced was Daluaine. I really did say it as Dal U Ayn.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Better than Dale-you-ain! Just went for a google of Glendalough and we would have got that wrong too! Should have known going by other Irish pronunciations but in our defence we think that would be pronounced differently if it was in Scotland!😂 It is very helpful to have someone in the know to correct you! We are always glad of any corrections!

[@j.q.higgins2245]

That moment when you actually just wanted to enjoy a dram or two and then realise that you've embarked on something like a pharmacology degree... 😂 Thank you, lasses, I thoroughly enjoyed your video and gladly subscribed.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Accurate!

[@ilyamedvedev9892]

Gosh, I would love to drink with those ladies. So vivid and nice. 🎉👍🏻

[@chriswatts1680]

This is the first time you lassies have come up on my feed. I enjoyed it so much I've subscribed. Which I've never done before on a first viewing it normally takes three or four views. Looking forward to more vlogs very entertaining. Love the format.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Thanks so much for subscribing :D!!

[@gareth630]

To a Manchester boy LEDAIG is what you see is what you get ;-) The other was GlenGarioch, but most I've got right most of the time. The good folks at Tobermoray put this manc lad right regarding Ledaig about 25 years ago :-) Good fun vid nice one girls.

[@caroldahmen153]

Just returned from a 10 day Scottish Highland trip centered on hiking, castles and distilleries (played with the order of those 3 activities 😉)... and wished I would've watched this before I left. Great info, gals, for this American from the NW corner of the States who's come to love & appreciate the craft and taste of whisky - not to mention its history and heritage! We’ll keep the acorns/oak coming for the magic that happens over there! 🥃🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇺🇲

[@TheGrailTastings]

Your trip around the Highland's sounds fantastic!! Which were your favourite places to visit? Thanks so much for tuning in 🥃🥃!

[@caroldahmen153]

@TheGrailTastings Dewars Distillery, Glencoe Visitors Center and hiking the Cairngorns!

[@TheGrailTastings]

@@caroldahmen153 sounds fantastic!!

[@foodquig]

I was anticipating Dailuaine, but I forgive you...

[@TheGrailTastings]

We'll get to that one next time!

[@mrnosebear7406]

Hiho, I really enjoyed the lesson on how to prounce Scottish whisky names. I have one name for you. Badachro Bad na h-Achlaise . Have fun. Prost, Oliver

[@TheGrailTastings]

Ah this is one we have ad fun with and its many translations so far! 😂 We'll have to try and get this into a video at somepoint!

[@rupertansell4662]

What’s the correct pronunciation of Aberlour? Have you reviewed the 12yo double cask? I bought a bottle a short time ago and was very disappointed…thoughts?

[@TheGrailTastings]

We would say Aber-LOW-er (LOW rhyming with COW).

[@insertwittynamehere8947]

The icing on the cake would be if John Menzies went into the distillery business :-)

[@TheGrailTastings]

😂😂😂

[@allywilkeforsenate]

Makes me want to go day drinking.

[@Watchman999]

Great to know for a Can-EH-dian. The bh = vee is fine but why is Slàinte Mhath = SLANDGE-uh VAH? as though mh = vee as well? On that note, slàinte friends. Have a great rest of the week.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Thank you 😊!! We'll need to do slàinte mhath and other whisky related phrases, they are all equally as boggling 🤣

[@adamlogan384]

I learned something hearing you say "slainte". In North America, most people say "suh-lonn-cha".

[@TheGrailTastings]

Glad to be of service! Hopefully more pronunciation videos coming soon!

[@reneerikolsen9694]

Yeah, it is a bit of a "jungle" to come up with the right pronunciation if you are not a "local", but definitely fun to try.... 🙂 Great video you two! 🙂

[@TheGrailTastings]

Thank you 😊

[@RaduB.]

I still don't know what was the one which smelled amazing... 🙂 More pronunciation please!

[@TheGrailTastings]

We can't remember either! 😂 More on the way!

[@bovellois]

One of the more difficult ones is Caol Ila. Do you say call-ee-la, call-eye-la, cool-eye-la, cool-ee-la, or cull-ee-la, or something else? Or is it by individual preference, like some people say "eye-raq" and others say "Ee-raq" for Iraq, and Eye-taly/Eye-talian Ee-taly/ee-talian for Italy/Italian?

[@TheGrailTastings]

We feel your pain with this, any of those pronunciations are acceptable and we've heard these (and more!!). Probably slightly more towards cool-ee-la or cull-ee-la for how we generally pronounce it :) Pronunciations around Scotland also vary hugely so you can be pronouncing something different but not necessarily incorrectly!

[@Collwila]

Here's a nice one for you. Dailuaine Distillery. Up Aberlour way

[@TheGrailTastings]

We think daal-euan 🤣🤣?! Shall include this in the next video definitely thanks for the suggestion!

[@andreasesser4641]

I love that Scots dont seem to agree on how to pronounce stuff even amongst themselves. Ralfy always says LedCheyg to Ledaig. Might be wrong, but it sounds cooler.

[@TheGrailTastings]

As we say there are lots of variations in pronunciations even in Scotland! We used to work at the distillery so just follow their pronunciation🙂

[@Alan_McKirdy]

Lot of folk do Moray wrong as well.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Ah you're totally right that's another one right there!

[@kalifatokata]

Thanks

[@Yong_Goh]

Greetings from Malaysia... would you like to have some auchentoshan? Or how me and my pals affectionately coined: "Ohr-Chien from the ocean" or Oyster pancake from the ocean :D

[@TheGrailTastings]

We absolutely love these 🤣🤣🤣 we'll be calling Auchentoshan that from now!

[@keriwilliams8980]

I'm Welch and need to know these things! The prob in the US is if you pronounce these correctly your server prob won't know what your asking for. If I had a son I'd have named him Oban.

[@ChristopheGremeaux]

love you girls

[@Brad-ic4bp]

See, this is why Macallan and Glenlivet are so popular in the US - because they're the only ones we can pronounce correctly, based on the spelling. (Well, Johnnie Walker too)

[@TheGrailTastings]

Makes sense! Although nobody here seems to be able to pronounce Macallan!

[@thedude4718]

Bruichladdich - I pronounce that one "PEN-neez" .....blech

[@pierreluna1654]

Very instructive ! it could have lasted an hour..What about Knockando, Benriach, An Cnoc, Craigellachie, Glenglassaugh, etc...? And your accent ? where does it come from?

[@TheGrailTastings]

We'll definitely need to do a part 2 (and 3 and 4 etc!!) Thanks for these we'll include them in the next video :) And our accents are from Stirlingshire and South Lanarkshire (both quite rural!!)

[@pierreluna1654]

@@TheGrailTastings I'm really sorry but...yes !! 🙂 Your Masterclass of prononciation must go on ! Lovely accents ! Rural in addition ! So cut.

[@OrcaSnack]

Caperdonich!

[@eddiecarlin3675]

I only guy ones i can pronounce... and if I'm in the shop and point at a bottle, its cos i can't pronounce it.. 😄

[@TheGrailTastings]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Boxer1250RT]

Logiiic (Ledaig) is where I gave up 😀

[@TheGrailTastings]

😂

[@gavsdrams]

mac alan

[@Robert.Sheard]

At a restaurant recently, a waitress kept correcting me when I ordered Oban 14. She was sure it was oh-BAHN. 🤷

[@TheGrailTastings]

Oh-BAHN🤣🤣🤣

[@rosslogan4154]

Was the waitress American? Many Americans pronounce Oban like that.

[@JayJay-v5m]

So its "Gaa lick" not "Gay lick"? Wow! I can pronounce most scotch names but this is interesting.❤ Thank you.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Yes! "Gaa lick" in Scotland. "Gay lick"in Ireland. Glad to help!

[@frankh.8932]

Are you sure about Mac-ALL-an? ❓❓❓

[@jbrase2000]

I have been known, after a dram or two, to mispronounce, "Johnny Walker."

[@notyabusiness9530]

As an American I’m curious how many of us try to “correct” you on proper pronunciation.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Probably not as many as more local folks to be fair!

[@notyabusiness9530]

@@TheGrailTastings lol. Seriously though. You 2 are awesome keep it up.

[@JM-fb4kz]

This whole thing is like Calvin ball.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Had no idea what this was and had to google but you are absolutely right!!!🤣😂🤣

[@ShawnTylerMusic]

BALVENIE? Lol

[@TheGrailTastings]

Balv-aeny not Balveeeeneee! 😂

[@ShawnTylerMusic]

@@TheGrailTastings ayyeee!

[@CloudLakeMoon]

Te Bheag…Chay Va? Slainte 🇨🇦

[@TheGrailTastings]

One of our fav names for pronunciation 😂 love it when people call it simply 'teabag'

[@frankh.8932]

How to pronounce distillery names in garlic?

[@TheGrailTastings]

🤣🤣

[@MrHowardMoon]

Is it AberFELDY or AberFEDLY? lol

[@TheGrailTastings]

AberFELDY (we think!)

[@MrHowardMoon]

@@TheGrailTastings I tried it for the first time this week and it might be because I'm new to whisky, but it wasn't as nice as I was expecting after reading the reviews and watching videos advising it for beginners.

[@tbjtbj4786]

I would never say anything right there. American deep south . With a southern accent It's hardly English. When I was in high school we had a exchange student from Germany that also spoke proper English. It took most of the year before we really could understand each other.

[@TheGrailTastings]

😂 Accents and language are fascinating!

[@bdwilcox]

The most mispronounced name is "Islay" itself. The second is anCnoc...and for good reason. Who puts a capital letter in the middle of a perfectly good word? The crazy Scots do, that's who! But if you think these are hard to pronounce, you should try some of the places in America named after American Indian words and phrases. Good googley-moogley, some of them are are crazy. Monongahela, Pennsylvania or Acquackanonk Township, New Jersey, Hakihokake Creek, Machesautauxen Creek or Nishisakawick Creek. Eventually, your brain either adapts to them or you have an emotional breakdown. There's no in-between.

[@TheGrailTastings]

Oh yes we've lots of folk who like ISSSS-Lay malts 🤣🤣 anCnoc you can hardly blame anyone for mispronouncing absolutely agreed! We're gonna try pronounce these words after the next filming session and we can let you know how we managed 🤣

[@PSNeko]

lafrag and ardbeRg is when germans try😂 don't even think about bunna and laddie🫠