Aberargie Expressions to support Scotland’s young farmers with new barley series – Scotch Whisky News
Aberargie Expressions to support Scotland’s young farmers with new barley series
Perthshire distillery will donate £1 from every bottle sold in the UK to the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs
Aberargie Distillery has launched Expressions – a new series of single malt whiskies celebrating the influence of barley, while supporting the next generation of Scotland’s farming community.
Aberargie Expressions Single Malt Whisky – Golden Promise and Laureate editions will both be available from specialist UK retailers from 15 September, following the sell-out success of the Perthshire distillery’s inaugural release in March 2026.
The new series comprises two single malts made separately from Golden Promise and Laureate barley, allowing whisky drinkers to explore the individual character of each variety for the first time.
Aberargie will donate £1 from every bottle of Aberargie Expressions sold in the UK to the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC), helping the organisation support young people across Scotland’s rural communities. The distillery’s donation will specifically help young farmers in the East region through social events and personal development.
The partnership has personal significance for Aberargie head of production Graeme McKeddie, a third-generation farmer whose family’s farming history dates back to the 1800s.
Graeme grew up on his family’s mixed arable and beef farm, spending much of his childhood alongside his parents in the tractor cab before taking the wheel himself as a teenager. Following his father’s death in 2022, Graeme now helps his mother run the farm, which primarily grows malting barley.
He said: “Like many people in the farming community, I was born into it. Farming is in my blood. My family has been on our farm since the 1950s, with a history of farming stretching back generations.
“Small-scale farming is hard work, and the rewards are never guaranteed. That is why supporting SAYFC and the young people who represent the future of Scottish farming feels particularly important to us.
“As both a farmer and a distiller, you develop a greater appreciation of what is in your glass. Behind every whisky are generations of knowledge, passion and hard graft – not only from the people who distil it, but from those who grow the barley.”
Aberargie Distillery sits on the Morrison family’s 300-acre farm near Perth and operates according to a field-to-bottle philosophy, using barley grown on its own land to create its single malt.
Its inaugural whisky combined spirit distilled from Golden Promise and Laureate barley. Aberargie Expressions now separates the two varieties, offering a closer look at the role this essential raw ingredient can play in a whisky’s final character.
Graeme added: “Farming and distilling are intrinsically linked at Aberargie. Understanding the farm is especially valuable when considering how the distillery contributes to its circular economy and regenerative farming practices.
“Expressions gives us the opportunity to place barley at the centre of the conversation and recognise the farming knowledge and work behind every bottle.”
Aberargie Expressions is available from specialist whisky retailers across the UK
Stay updated via https://aberargie.com and follow on social via @aberargie
ABERARGIE EXPRESSIONS TASTING NOTES
ABERARGIE GOLDEN PROMISE
Produced from 100% Golden Promise barley and matured in 68% first-fill Bourbon casks and 32% first-fill Sherry casks. The whisky is described as rich and full-bodied, with aromas and flavours of warm buttered pastry, stewed apples, brown sugar and gentle baking spices, followed by a lingering finish. Non-chill-filtered and bottled at 48.2% ABV.
ABERARGIE LAUREATE
Produced from 100% Laureate barley and matured in 32% first-fill Bourbon casks and 68% first-fill Sherry casks. The expression offers notes of candied orange peel and dried fruit, complemented by crisp orchard fruit and a lingering honeyed finish. Non-chill-filtered and bottled at 48.2% ABV.
Availability: Specialist whisky retailers worldwide
Early Access Registration: www.aberargie.com
Social: @aberargie on Facebook and Instagram
About Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers
Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers is an independent, family-owned company based in Perth, Scotland. Rebranded in 2020, MSWD represents five generations of Morrison whisky heritage under one name, with a focus on single malt production, brand development, blending and bottling. Its flagship brands include Aberargie, Old Perth, Mac-Talla, Càrn Mòr and Bruadar.
At the heart of MSWD’s operations is Aberargie Distillery, built on a family-owned farm near Perth. From the first fill in 2017, the distillery represents the Morrison family’s return to distilling after the 1994 sale of Morrison Bowmore to Suntory. The first release of Aberargie will launch in March 2026; this is the cornerstone of the business.
About: Golden Promise
Aberargie is one of the few distilleries in Scotland to operate a barley-to-bottle philosophy, using heritage Golden Promise barley grown on the fields in front of the distillery, as well as Laureate barley from the two other family farms.
This approach allows Aberargie to oversee the quality of raw materials from the outset. All barley varieties are grown to the family’s own standards, with full provenance, terroir and traceability embedded across the seed to spirit process.
Central to the distillery’s production philosophy is Golden Promise, the heritage barley variety once favoured by leading Scotch producers throughout the 1960s and 70s. Although lower-yielding than modern strains, Golden Promise is grown at Aberargie for its flavour benefits, producing a full-bodied, malty new-make spirit with notable oiliness and depth.
Morrison Family
Among Scotland’s longest-established whisky families, the Morrisons’ name is woven into the fabric of Scotch, with five generations working as grocers, brokers, blenders, bottlers, and distillers. From managing iconic distilleries to creating award-winning brands, their legacy is one of craftsmanship and tradition.
