Global spirits company Sazerac announces purchase of Sligo’s Lough Gill Distillery

 Restoration of Demesne, Capacity Expansion, and

Creation of Irish Whiskey Homeplace in Future Plans 

Louisville, KY (June 20^th, 2022) Hazelwood Demesne Limited, owner of the Lough Gill Distillery, on the shores of Lough Gill in County Sligo, Ireland, announces its acquisition by the Sazerac Company, one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies with premium brands such as Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Paddy Irish Whiskey, Michael Collins Irish Whiskey, Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon, and Southern Comfort.

The Sazerac Company, known for taking historic sites such as its Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky and its Sazerac House in New Orleans and restoring them to become world class operations, will fully develop the 100+ acre site, the original demesne of Hazelwood House, to create a world-class whiskey facility and visitor attraction, making it one of the most important tourism centres in the West of Ireland. Once complete, Lough Gill Distillery hopes to welcome up to 150,000 visitors annually and will create a homeplace for Sazerac’s Irish Whiskeys, Paddy and Michael Collins.

Additionally, Sazerac will significantly grow the footprint of Lough Gill Distillery through increasing the distillery’s capacity, adding warehousing capacity and expanding production and bottling lines. All current Lough Gill Distillery team members will remain with the business, and it is expected that Sazerac will increase employment after the expansion.  As part of the acquisition, Sazerac will continue the development of the Athrú brand, including global distribution.

Commenting on the announcement, Mark Brown, president and chief executive officer of Sazerac said, “With its rich history of distilling and storytelling, Ireland is an ideal homeplace for our whiskey business to flourish.  In particular, the history of the Lough Gill Distillery, dating back to the 18^th century, will be an integral keystone in the restoration and storytelling of this site. We look forward to preserving the history, delighting our future visitors by the stories we share, and further expanding the growth opportunities for Paddy, Michael Collins and Athrú Whiskeys.”

Commenting on the announcement, David Raethorne, founder of the Lough Gill Distillery said “This is a major announcement for Sligo and a vote of confidence in the potential for Sligo to become a major player in the booming global Irish whiskey market. The acquisition will enable Lough Gill Distillery to fully develop as a world-class visitor destination and will have significant long term economic and tourism benefits for Sligo, which, for me, was always a personal goal. In addition, the maintenance and preservation works undertaken to date on Hazelwood House (a house of national importance) have played an essential part in saving it from dereliction. This acquisition will ensure that Hazelwood House will be enjoyed and appreciated by generations to come, another key objective of the project. The Sazerac Company announcement is a culmination of seven years of hard work and determination by the Board of Lough Gill Distillery and the wider team, delivering on our original 2015 vision, when we acquired the site. I would like to formally acknowledge the support of Sligo County Council and its CEO Martin Lydon, which was a key driver in the decision for Sazerac to invest in Sligo.”

Commenting on the announcement, Michael Clarke, Cathaoirleach (Chairman) of Sligo County Council said “This is one of the most significant Sligo investments in recent times. Becoming home to not one, but three, of Ireland’s whiskey brands (Paddy, Michael Collins & Athrú) will have a significant impact on our local economy, both from an employment and tourism perspective.”

Martin Lydon, CEO of Sligo County Council stated “It’s heartening to see the Sazerac Company, one of the world’s premiere distilling and aging spirits companies with a commitment to restoring historical sites, pledge to invest, expand, and restore Lough Gill Distillery. Today’s announcement is proof of the positive and sustaining eco-system for companies to invest in Sligo, supported by Sligo County Council.”

In tandem with the acquisition, Lough Gill Distillery has also announced that former Bushmills Master Blender, Helen Mulholland, is joining the team.

In 2018, Helen became the first woman to be inducted into the International Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame and has recently become the first woman to receive a Chairman’s Award for her outstanding contribution to the development of the Irish whiskey industry.

Helen will lead Lough Gill Distillery’s team in the pursuit of crafting and blending what will become Ireland’s luxury single malt whiskey. Helen will take responsibility for selection and management of the casks for Athrú single malt whiskey, nurturing the Athrú portfolio of premium aged single malts, as well as new product development.

David Raethorne, Athrú founder, said “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Helen Mulholland as Master Blender at Lough Gill Distillery. In her stellar career as a master blender Helen has become one of the heroes of Irish whiskey, and we are confident of even better things to come”  

Helen Mulholland said “It’s a really exciting time for Lough Gill Distillery. I am very honoured to be joining the team as it becomes the home of Paddy, Michael Collins and Athrú whiskies. The distillery, its location and the incredible team already in place made this a very easy decision. I look forward to bringing my knowledge as a Master Blender to the table to enable us to make some really world-class Irish whiskeys.”

About Sazerac
Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in the United States in Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and global operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac visit https://www.sazerac.com/

About Lough Gill Distillery

Lough Gill Distillery sits on a 100-acre peninsula surrounded on three sides by Lough Gill.  The distillery was founded in 2015 after the discovery of a vast warehouse complex, concealed by a forgotten 300 year old Palladian house in Hazelwood forest, Co. Sligo.

The warehouse complex has been sustainably repurposed into a world class single malt distillery, which was commissioned in 2019 after a four year development project. It uses state of the art equipment and energy capture technology to produce the highest quality single malt whiskey with minimal impact on the environment.

Three copper stills were handmade by Frilli, master craftsmen in Sienna, Italy to produce single malt to the Distillery specifications. The stills are capable of producing over one million litres of alcohol per annum (about 3m bottles), triple distilled in the finest Irish tradition.

 

About Athrú Whiskey

Athrú (pronounced Ah Roo) is Lough Gill Distillery’s luxury single malt Irish whiskey distilled from Irish heritage barley and water drawn from an ice age aquifer which runs under the distillery in Co. Sligo. Athrú is the Gaelic word for ‘transformation’.  

About Hazelwood House

Hazelwood House was built in the Palladian style in 1722 by Richard Cassels for the Wynne family, who resided there for 200 years. Cassels went on to build many of the great Irish houses of the 18th Century, but Hazelwood House is special in that it is the earliest of his houses to survive intact. He is recognised as one of Ireland’s greatest architects.

For more information, please visit www.athru.com/about

Invergordon 1991 30YO

A stunning bottling of Invergordon, bottled exclusively for TyndrumWhisky.com. Coming in the XOP Black range by Douglas Laing.  A huge thanks to Douglas Laing for making this happen, one of the first, if not THE first retailer to get the XOP BLACK . . . Our logo makes it taste even better! This Invergordon is a Vintage 1991, and aged for 30 years before being bottled in April 2022.

Official Tasting Notes:

Nose: Polished oak floors give way to a sweet -shop style with a wonderful medley of raspberries and milk chocolate.
Palate: Pear drops / candied apples develop to a warming spiciness (baking spice and brown sugar) alongside vanilla cream.
Finish: Lingers with a tangy character – orange rind and lemon drops – balanced by creamy cereal and allspice.

One of only 134 bottles available.
A Bottling from one single Refill Hogshead.
Cask No: 15559
Natural colour and non chill filtered.

Distilled at Invergordon Distillery, and bottled at Natural Cask Strength by Douglas Laing.

Learn More

Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey (750ml) 

$109.99 View

 Aged in former bourbon, sherry and Malaga casks, look for a deep orange-gold hue and inviting baked-pear aroma. The robust, spiced palate offers brown sugar, honey, golden raisins and vanilla-tinged baked pear. (KN)  (3/2017)

Whisky Advocate

 It works like this: triple distilled single pot still whiskey matured in bourbon, sherry, and Malaga casks, which produce a complex drink with aromas of red fruits, spice, nutmeg-dusted custard tarts, blossom honey, dried raspberry, clotted cream, cracked black pepper, and sweet flowering jasmine. The sweetness and nutmeg flavors are swallowed up by an overwhelming force of clove, with a finish of bitter nut oils and burnt toast. (JM, Winter 2018) 

K&L Notes

The big brother to the illustrious Green Spot, the Yellow Spot is an older edition at 12 years of age and uses whiskies aged in bourbon, sherry, and Spanish Malaga barrels. The result is a sweeter expression with plenty of dried fruits and creaminess on the palate. A true showstopper!

Last Chance to Win Johnnie Walker VIP Weekend in Edinburgh

Experience the Journey of Flavour, Archive tour, private tasting in the Whisky Makers Cellar, drinks in the 1820 rooftop bar, and fill your own bottle. Plus travel, accommodation, and all meals including dinner at one of Edinburgh’s incredible Michelin star restaurants!  All you have to do is buy a participating bottle from the Johnnie Walker range..

Buy any of the 70cl bottles below for your chance to win this amazing prize. Closes 30th June 2022.

Shop Johnnie Walker →

ralfy review 933 – Ledaig 18yo @46.3%vol: (2022)

We have three exciting new tastings to fill you in on, and a new KWM Bourbon Cask to boot, so we thought we’d better get a quick newsletter out to share the news. Two of the tastings, one each in-store and virtual, are to celebrate the launch of our Kensington Wine Market 30th Anniversary Blend, so I’ve included a teaser on that too, even though we won’t be launching it until the 13th.

The Compass Box tastings will feature not just our 30th Anniversary Blend, but also the KWM 25th Anniversary Blend from 2017. They will also be your only opportunity to sample, and enter the ballot to purchase two other Compass Box releases, the Vellichor and Experimental Grain. Our allocation of both of these whiskies is small, so we have decided to reward participants in the tastings with an opportunity to purchase the bottles.

We have also got an Elixir Distillers tasting coming up next month. Our friend Celine Tetu will be joining us live from Scotland to sample through 7 Single Malts of Scotland whiskies, including the 4 new KWM single casks. Participants in the tasting will also have an opportunity to enter a ballot to purchase a SMOS Ben Nevis 1997.

In new whisky news, we have a new exclusive Bourbon cask. The Woodford Reserve Double Oaked KWM Cask is our first ever exclusive from the Woodford Distillery, and it arrived in-store today…

Finally, another new Scottish single malt has hit our shores, the Lochlea First Release. This Lowland single malt, bottled at 46% is made with estate-grown barley at the farm distillery. One curious fact, Lochlea was home to Robert Burns during his formative years.

As always, in the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct.

I hope you enjoy this Malt Messenger Bulletin. Wishing you a safe and Happy Canada Day!

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

In This Edition

1. Introducing: The Woodford Reserve Double Oak KWM Bourbon Cask

2. Coming Soon: The Compass Box KWM 30th Anniversary Blend

3. Compass Box Whiskies You Can’t Buy… Unless…

4. Introducing: Lochlea Single Malt

5. New Tastings

6. Other Up-Coming Tastings

INTRODUCING: THE WOODFORD RESERVE DOUBLE OAKED KWM BOURBON CASK

Our first ever exclusive Woodford Reserve Bourbon has just arrived, a Double Oaked single barrel. Woodford has long been one of my favourites of the legacy Bourbon makers, possibly because they distill in copper pot stills, and employ a sour mash. I’ve always thought of the Double Oaked as the Scotch drinker’s Bourbon!

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked KWM Cask – 45.2% – Finished in a New Heavily Toasted Lightly Charred Barrel – Cask #10042515 – My Tasting Note: “Nose: nutty, goat’s milk dark chocolate, polished oak and vanilla; caramel tarts and buttery pecan pie; brandy-soaked cherries and orange peel. Palate: more brandy-soaked cherries, and singed orange peel, with bitters… is this an Old Fashioned? loads of toasted oak, vanilla, and more of that game-y goat’s milk dark chocolate; still nutty too, with figs in honey and grilled dates. Finish: warming and spicy with lovely aromatics; both citrus and dark fruits; sweet, toasty and chocolatey. Comment: this is my kind of Bourbon, not too woody, but packed with aromatics and fruits; why go to the trouble of mixing an Old Fashioned, with all the added sugars, when you have this? Just pour it in a glass and serve; whether to add an ice cube is up to you!” – $100

COMING SOON: THE COMPASS BOX KWM 30TH ANNIVERSARY BLEND

I’m not going to go into the usual amount of detail on this exciting new Blended Malt just yet. Let’s save that (and my tasting note) for the next full Malt Messenger. But I do want to tease its pending release, which will be Wednesday, July 13, coinciding with the in-store launch tasting for the product. We have both In-Store (July 13) and Virtual (July 29) Launch Tastings planned, and open for registration now. Details below.

In the meantime, we are taking pre-orders, limited to 2 bottles per customer, and here is what John Glazer, Compass Box Founder & Whisky Maker had to say about the whisky:

“The city and the wilderness: two compelling spaces for the imagination to wander around. And few spots combine the appeal of both like Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Here you can find metropolitan comforts, but with something of a Wild West mentality. We have chosen to reflect this dualism through the whisky you hold in your hand, created with Andrew Ferguson of Kensington Wine Market to celebrate the store’s 30th Anniversary.

“Pour a glass and experience a whole basket of ripe peaches and golden apples from the farmers’ market, flavours delivered by single malts from the Mortlach and Teaninich distilleries, aged in active American oak barrels. They duke it out with the whiskies from the Caol Ila and Ardbeg distilleries, single malts from Scotland’s wild west coast. Like a ranger from the mountains, they stride into town with the scent of campfire on their clothes.

“Lush and fruity; complex and smoky – the city skyline and the Rocky mountains brought together in one whisky. Whether or not you are able to beat a path to Calgary in 2022, we hope you will join us in toasting Kensington Wine Market and 30 years committed to bringing delicious wines and spirits to Canada.

“John Glaser, Founder & Whiskymaker, Compass Box”

Compass Box KWM 30th Anniversary Blend – 49% – The whisky is composed of 37%* 20 year old Caol Ila, 30%* 20 year old Teaninich, 23%* 19 year old Mortlach, and 10%* 17 year old Ardbeg from Recharred, first-fill and refill American oak casks. – $195 – Limit 2 Per Customer – Pre-Order Now! 

*Funny story about the recipe for this whisky, it has a margin of error… more on that in the next Malt Messenger!

COMPASS BOX WHISKIES YOU CAN’T BUY… UNLESS…

We have just received two Compass Box whiskies, both in very small quantities. While we’d love to get everyone who wants one a bottle of each, we can’t. Especially with respect to the Vellichor. So rather than do a broad-based ballot, we will only be offering them to participants in one of our two Compass Box KWM 30th Anniversary Launch Tastings, listed below under New Tastings!

Here are the details on those whiskies you can’t buy unless you take part in a tasting!

1. Compass Box Vellichor – 44.6% – Producer Description: “‘Vellichor’ is a new word and refers to the aromatic atmosphere within second-hand bookshops. For this project, we have combined complex and impressively mature whiskies from renowned distilleries, as well as parcels of blends that have been aged for many years in ex-Sherry butts, to encapsulate this unique fragrance.” – Producer Tasting Note: “Hints of leather, polished furniture and the crackling dustiness of decades-old pages on the nose. The palate is stacked with sumptuous malty notes, tropical fruit and Sherry character, with a delicate but persistent peatiness. ” – $700 – Only Available by Ballot To Tasting Participants!

2. Compass Box Experimental Grain – 46% – Producer Description: “We have used a special parcel of whisky made at the Loch Lomond Distillery from peated malted barley, distilled in their copper Coffey still. Despite this being 100% malted barley, the use of a column rather than a pot still during distillation means this cannot be classified as a single malt – it is the perfect spirit around which to build a unique blended grain Scotch whisky. ” – Producer Tasting Note: “An appetising aroma of contrasts: banana and toffee mingle with soft, savoury barbecue smokiness and hints of rum and raspberry. Enjoy a soft and oily palate of almond and vanilla before a curiously delicious flavour of burnt pine cones develops.” – $155 – Only Available by Ballot To Tasting Participants!

INTRODUCING: LOCHLEA SINGLE MALT

Lochlea is an independent, family-owned farm distillery, in the Lowlands of Scotland. Historically, the farm was home to a young Robert Burns from 1777-1784, where he both lived and worked. The distillery’s whisky is made with its own barley, and its manager should be familiar: John Campbell, formerly distillery manager at Laphroaig.

Lochlea First Release Single Malt – 46% – First Fill ex-Bourbon & Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks – Producer Tasting Note: “Nose: Bursting with fresh orchard fruit, apple, zesty orange, and pear drops. Some brown sugar, toffee, and vanilla fudge in the background. Palate: Rich and sweet, with burnt caramel and hazelnuts. Plenty of stewed fruit and now some toasted oats, cinnamon and clove coming through. Finish: Medium mouth coating, holding on to that fresh fruit, cereal sweetness and gentle spice.” – $88

THREE NEW TASTINGS

1 IN-PERSON & 2 VIRTUAL

We have 3 really exciting new tastings coming up in July. Details below!

COMPASS BOX KWM 30TH ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE LAUNCH TASTING WITH SCOTT ELLIS 

·     Date: Wednesday, July 13

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $50

·     IN-STORE TASTING

Compass Box Whisky has been one of our best and most supportive partners over the last 30 years. We were honoured when, in 2017, they collaborated with us on the now legendary bespoke Kensington Wine Market 25th Anniversary bottling. To help mark our 30th Anniversary, they have once more come through for us in a big way. Over the last year and a bit, we’ve been working with John Glaser and whisky Maker James Saxon on another bespoke whisky. Well, the Kensington Wine Market 30th Anniversary Blend has just arrived, and to celebrate we will be hosting both in-person and virtual launch tastings. Scott Ellis, Western Regional Manager for Compass Box Whisky in North America, will be our guest for the in-store launch tasting. Guests will have the opportunity to sample 7 Compass Box whiskies, including both the KWM 25th and 30th Anniversary bottlings, the Vellichor, Experimental Grain, Flaming Heart 2015 and two other releases. Participants in the tasting will also have the opportunity to enter a ballot to purchase both the Vellichor and Experimental Grain. 7PM, Wednesday, July 13

ELIXIR DISTILLERS SINGLE CASKS WITH CELINE TETU 

·     Date: Friday, July 22

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $45

·     Pick-Up Date: Available Friday, July 29!

Elixir Distillers has become one of our best partners in recent years, and they keep feeding us some absolutely amazing single casks. This recent batch was selected in the Winter or Spring of 2021, but due to all the challenges around logistics these days, they have only just arrived! Celine Tetu, aka Lily, Elixir Distillers’ International Sales Manager, will be our guest as we sample 7 Single Malts of Scotland bottlings, 6 of them cask strength single cask whiskies. Participants will try the 4 most recent KWM casks: Ardmore 11 Year, Glenburgie 22 Year, Imperial 22 Year, and Mannochmore 13 Year, and 3 others: Ben Nevis 1997, Linkwood 11 Year, and Reserve Casks Glencadam 10 Year. 5PM, Friday, July 22.

COMPASS BOX KWM 30TH ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL LAUNCH TASTING WITH JAMES SAXON

·     Date: Friday, July 29

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $40

·     Pick-Up Date: Estimate July 5!

Compass Box Whisky has been one of our best and most supportive partners over the last 30 years. We were honoured when, in 2017, they collaborated with us on the now legendary bespoke Kensington Wine Market 25th Anniversary bottling. To help mark our 30th Anniversary, they have once more come through for us in a big way. Over the last year and a bit, we’ve been working with John Glaser and whisky Maker James Saxon on another bespoke whisky. Well, the Kensington Wine Market 30th Anniversary Blend has just arrived, and to celebrate we will be hosting both in-person and virtual launch tastings. James Saxon, Compass Box Whisky Whisky Maker, and creator of our 30th Anniversary Blend, will be our guest for the virtual launch tasting. Guests will have the opportunity to sample 7 Compass Box whiskies, including both the KWM 25th and 30th Anniversary bottlings, the Vellichor, Experimental Grain, Flaming Heart 2015 and two other releases. Participants in the tasting will also have the opportunity to enter a ballot to purchase both the Vellichor and Experimental Grain. 5PM, Friday, July 29.

SMWS CANADA JULY 2022 VIRTUAL OUTTURN 

·     Date: Thursday, July 7

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $45

·     Pick-Up Date: Available now!

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

The KWM Whisky Team will be your guide as you sample along through the July 2022 SMWS Canada Outturn. Share your tastings notes and comments with Evan and his co-host(s). Bottles from the Outturn will go on sale at the end of the tasting! Thursday, July 7, 7PM.

!!NEW DATE!!! Oddball Distilleries – A+ Malts from the B Team 

·     Date: Tuesday, August 9

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $75

·     Pick-Up Date: Available now!

·     VIRTUAL TASTING

Overlooked, underappreciated, and in some cases, flat-out unknown distilleries will be the focus of this tasting featuring some of the most neglected distilleries in the Scotch Whisky world. We had to drag some of these poor unloved drams out from the orphanages, the cupboards under the stairs, and other assorted nooks and crannies, in order to bring you a line-up that is bound to appeal to the most discerning of whisky geeks. This has a truly stellar range, if you can look past the brands and distilleries, to see some diamonds in the rough. 7 PM, Tuesday, July 20

FREE DELIVERY

We are proud to offer Free City Wide Delivery on all orders over $100 Monday-Friday! Orders under $100 are subject to a flat rate $10 delivery fee. Note we likely cannot offer delivery before Christmas at this point!

CURBSIDE PICKUP

Physical distancing is made easy with curbside pickup. Order online or by phone, wait for confirmation your order is ready then call us when you are parked in the back or out front. Be sure to let us know what your vehicle looks like!

403-283-8000

888-283-9004

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Thurs & Fri 10AM – 9PM

Sat 10AM – 8 PM

Sun 11PM to 6PM

LAYING THE SEED FOR THE FUTURE OF WHISKY MAKING

IN THE GARDEN OF SCOTLAND

Progressive whisky makers Fettercairn Distillery unveil a visionary programme

with local farming community in the North-East of Scotland 

Fettercairn Distillery, alongside founding partners Bairds Malt, last week celebrated in launching the new Fettercairn 200 Club – a visionary, long-term partnership with Northeast barley farmers all within a 50 miles radius of the distillery. Partners are all situated in the local Aberdeenshire farming community on the doorstep of the Highland Single Malt Distillery.

As of this year members of the 200 Club have committed to supplying the distillery with 100% of the barley required to produce Fettercairn Single Malt whisky, ensuring end to end transparency of the highest quality locally sourced barley. The launch of the 200 Club is the latest step in the Highland distillery’s quest to realise its land management vision for the next 100 years, ultimately enabling the production of its own single origin Single Malt whisky.

The partnership marks the beginning of a mutual relationship between the whisky makers and farmers for generations to come. In line with ambition for greater transparency across the industry, Bairds Malt are founding partners of the club, helping nurture the relationship between distillery, the land and its guardians that will define the future for whisky made by Fettercairn. As the relationship between the distillery and farmers strengthen, so too does the potential for innovation and experimentation in future releases.

The celebration also marks the reopening of the popular distillery visitor centre, following closure due to the pandemic, and recent redevelopment of the visitor facilities.  The beautiful new visitor centre has been upgraded to provide a unique experience for those keen to discover more about Fettercairn and includes an iconic new sculpture – Forest Flow – from acclaimed environmental artist Rob Mulholland, now a new feature of the distillery visitor experience.

These developments follow on from the unveiling of the Fettercairn Forest last year which saw over 13,000 sessile Quercus petraea and Quercus robur oak saplings planted next to the distillery on the historic 8,500-acre Fasque Estate, representing a wider commitment by owners Whyte & Mackay to develop a sustainable future for responsibly sourced Scottish oak.

Stewart Walker, Distillery Manager at Fettercairn Distillery said:

“We talk about being progressive and defying convention and the 200 Club truly supports this commitment.  Working with local farmers not only supports our vital community, but also ensures the highest quality of locally supplied barley is used in our unique distillation process while truly cementing our relationship with the land.  We’re delighted to be looking to the future so positively and today is a landmark for the future of Fettercairn, we cannot wait to welcome our partners and visitors back to the distillery.”

Speaking at the event Nikki Cumming, Senior Brand Manager said:

“This is a really special day for us here at the distillery as an opportunity to thank the local farming community. At Fettercairn we like to say the next 100 years are as important as the past. This initiative is really a true testament to this by laying the foundations and cementing relationships for future generations of whisky makers and farmers to come.”

Charlie Strang Steel operates Sluie farm in Aberdeenshire less than 15 miles from Fettercairn, where his family has been farming for three generations in both beef and arable in the shape of wheat, oats and barley.  He believes the time is right for this new initiative.

“It’s really important to have the Distillery using Scottish barley from some of the amazing farms in the area, rather than taking it across the border or in a boat from somewhere else. We are able to farm to a very high standard in Scottish quality assured crops especially as more and more people are looking for local produce. Scottish whisky should use Scottish barley – it’s as simple as that for me and it’s great to support local people and business,” he said.

David Innes and his son Matthew farm 560 acres at Mains of Fordoun farm growing spring barley, wheat and winter barley, oil seed rape and seed potatoes.

“We’re pretty proud that we’re supplying the Distillery – it’s good to know that Fettercairn is using grain coming from the immediate area – true to its nature and the location. We love the idea that if you give someone a bottle of whisky, you can tell them you helped grow the barley, the raw material. A lot of the time farmers like us don’t really know where our barley ends up – this completes the circle in a really pleasing way and we know we are supporting the local economy too,” he said.

The Fettercairn 200 Club and the commitment the highland distillery has made to working with local businesses and Scottish landowners, suggests the whisky makers are determined in their progression towards a holistic future where whisky makers, farmers and landowners work collaboratively in every step of the whisky making journey, from grain to glass.

About Fettercairn 

Driven by an enlightened ethos at the heart of our distilling philosophy since 1824, today Fettercairn Distillery lives by a long-standing commitment to unfettered thinking.   

We’re not like other distilleries and we’ve never been afraid to tread our own path.  It’s only by defying convention, tradition and expectation, we can adopt an enlightened and progressive approach.  Take our cooling ring, our home grown Scottish oak and single estate whiskies, the special collaboration with 200 local farmers, the Warehouse 2 Collection. And not forgetting the unicorn on our bottle!

Our vision is future facing, so we don’t need to look back to move forward.  But ultimately, all of this leads to an unwavering commitment to a prosperous and sustainable future for whisky making.

We are Fettercairn; the home of enlightened whisky making.  

www.fettercairnwhisky.com 

Facebook @fettercairnwhisky

Instagram @fettercairnwhisky

Twitter @fettercairnwhisky

Japanese whisky continues to take the spirits world by storm, and we have plenty of bottles that will give you a taste of its quality and diversity without breaking the bank.

Try a dram from renowned distiller Nikka, like the smoky and maritime Yoichi Single Malt, perfect for Islay fans, or go for a classic from one of Suntory’s whisky ranges, including the fruity and spicy Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve, a great choice for your summer highballs, or the herbaceous and subtly smoky Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve for a refreshing summer dram.

Happy to splurge on a Japanese whisky? Treat yourself to a pair of single malts from Shizuoka, an up-and-coming distillery that is using repurposed equipment from the legendary closed Karuizawa distillery or Akashi 5 Year Old, a lightly peated single malt matured in sherry casks and hogsheads.

SHOP ALL JAPANESE WHISKY

Introducing The Macallan M Copper, part of The Macallan M Collection. This series was created to showcase our Six Pillars. M Copper is an ode to our Curiously Small Stills, celebrating the copper stills that play an integral role in how we craft our precious spirit.

DISCOVER

DISCOVER THE M COLLECTION

Bringing to life The Macallan M Collection through film, iconic Fashion Photographer and Film Director Nick Knight has captured this distinct range and its unique intricacies.  Knight’s imagery captures the collection in blocks of ice as a homage to The Macallan’s intrinsic connection to nature and the River Spey which runs through The Macallan Estate.

The Macallan Distillery Experience,

The Macallan Distillers Ltd,  Easter Elchies, 

Craigellachie, Moray AB38 9RX, Scotland,

+44 (0)1340 318 000

Loch Lomond 22 Year Old “The Open Course Collection” 2022 150th Open at St Andrews Single Malt Whisky (750ml) $279.99 View

Golf and Scotch are inextricably linked. Loch Lomond, the official partner of The Open has come up with a spectacular offering to celebrate the 150th Open being held on the Old Course at St. Andrews being held in 2022. This 22 year old expression was distilled in 1999 and aged first in American oak before being finished in Bordeaux casks – a nod to the Claret Jug presented to the winner of The Open. Bottled at 48.2% ABV it’s sure to please Scotch fans of nearly every stripe.