I’m afraid whisky is something I’ll never truly understand.

It’s legions of fans, however, wax eloquently about 100 year old bottles and various malts as though this amber liquid was the nectar of the gods. To me, it will always be a drink that wrenches my face into painful contortions any time I try to swallow it.

For those with more sophisticated palates that appreciate the finer attributes of whisky, there is no more holy ground than Scotland, the birthplace of whisky. Travel & Leisure contributing editor Alexandra Marshall recently traveled to the southwestern Scottish town of Bladnoch to visit the famous Bladnoch Distillery and partake in the local $1,000 per person Whisky School.

While there, Marshall learned about all the intricacies of distilling and can now speak knowledgably about such things as mash. She was also pulled over by the local police for erratic driving on the way home one day despite having not consumed any whisky that afternoon; the fumes from within the distillery were enough to do her in.

Even though I’m not a fan of whisky, the trip and school still sounds pretty cool–although when it comes time for sampling, I’d be down the street at the local pub ordering up a beer instead.

(Oh, and before you complain that I’ve left the “e” off of “whisky,” please realize that this is the Scottish spelling.)