Scotch: A Golden Dream (2018)

Scotch: A Golden Dream: Directed by Andrew Peat. An impressive bottle of fine Scotch is in your hand. From barley to barrel, who made it and how did they do it?

“I recently read that documentaries are growing in popularity. The reason for that is evident in watching Andrew Peatu0026#39;s most excellent film, u0026quot;Scotch: A Golden Dream, also referred to as u0026quot;The Golden Dram.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePlease note that last word is u0026quot;dram,u0026quot; not u0026quot;dream.u0026quot; A dram is the quantity in which Scotch is served in Scotland (and likely elsewhere, to be sure.) But in watching this film, it becomes quite evident that having a sense of the dram is awfully important to Scots and the manner in which they consume their illustrious homegrown spirit. As a unit of measure itu0026#39;s rather technical, but with regard to the amount of Scotch whisky poured into a glass, (preferably designed specifically for this purpose) and adding just the right amount of spring water to it, the dram is quite important.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMr Peatu0026#39;s documentary sets out to tell the story of Scotch, and to a great extent the national character of Scots, and succeeds in both respects. We see the Scottish Highlands, the Isle of Islay, the rivers and streams, the peat bogs so necessary in providing fuel to the distilleries, the magnificent Highland cattle, the people.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWe meet many delightful and interesting Scots. They portray such a love of Scotch whisky and the culture in which it thrives. They are so sweet, so cultured, so charming, so funny, so not-about-getting-drunk-on booze, that even a teetotaler would want a dram to see what all the adulation is about.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWe learn how Scotch whisky is made, to be sure, but in such a skillful way that it never once feels like a lesson. You might be surprised to find out how important American oak casks (recycled from casking bourbon) are in creating the Scotch whiskyu0026#39;s taste and fragrance. Youu0026#39;ll hear tales that will have you laughing out loud. Youu0026#39;re also likely to frown when you learn how heavily the UK government taxes its most treasured produce.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut at the filmu0026#39;s core, itu0026#39;s the story of Jim McEwan, who started in the business as a lad, an apprentice cooper, and retired 52 years on as a Master Distiller, ultimately responsible for every aspect of the whisky-makeru0026#39;s art.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMr Peat, through varied interviews, recognizes that any story good enough to be told is more about people than things, and such is the case in this consistently charming and interesting documentary. It never lags, whether filming people, distilling equipment, or the beautiful Scottish landscapes. We slowly but inexorably come to the conclusion that todayu0026#39;s story of Scotch is one that could not have been told without telling the story of Jim McEwan. u0026quot;Scotch: A Golden Dramu0026quot; is so good you donu0026#39;t even need to be a Scotch drinker to enjoy it.”