Friday Focus – Raasay Distillery
The Island of Raasay, located between its larger neighbour the Isle of Skye and the rugged West Coast of Highland Scotland, is 14 miles long and just 3 miles wide with a population of approximately 160 residents.
A glorious 1979 vintage bottled at 50.5% from a refill hogshead for The Sovereign series. Girvan 42 Year Old 1979 vintage Lowland single grain Scotch whisky. Single refill hogshead #18972 bottled November 2021 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the Sovereign series. 268 numbered bottles. This light gold whisky has a nose of blackcurrants, raspberries, and apples. The palate is sweet with fruits and of the forest, mint, and a hint of vanilla. The finish is long, with lingering sweet oak.
£230 / us$240 / €225
Girvan Distillery is a Scottish Lowland grain whisky distillery situated on the Ayrshire coast. It looks out to the island of Ailsa Craig the source of granite from which curling stones are shaped. William Grant and Sons Ltd opened this distillery in 1963 to supply grain whisky to their blends of scotch but with careful maturation in quality casks Girvan is also able to produce excellent single grain whiskies.
A Bourbon Capital Homecoming:
Heaven Hill Springs Distillery underway in Bardstown; name honors distillery lost in 1996 fire
Family-owned spirits company expanding production with $135 million state of the art distillery
BARDSTOWN, Kentucky (June 6, 2022) – The Bourbon industry marked a special homecoming today as Heaven Hill broke ground on a $135 million distillery in Bardstown – with a name paying tribute to the family-owned company’s original distillery that burned in a devastating fire in 1996.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear joined Heaven Hill President Max Shapira and Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll to commemorate the start of construction and reveal the new distillery’s name: Heaven Hill Springs Distillery.
“We’re honored to celebrate this homecoming with a return to distilling in Bardstown to augment our overall bourbon-making capacity, as well as continue to make an impact in the Bardstown community,” Shapira said. “I’m proud to salute our history and the many Bardstown men and women who helped build our brands over the years by naming our new facility in honor of the original Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery that my father and uncles founded in this community nine decades ago.”
The new, state-of-the-art Heaven Hill Springs Distillery is being built in the heart of the “Bourbon Capital of the World” at 1015 Old Bloomfield Pike, off KY 245, and is expected to be operational by the end of 2024. Initial production is slated for 150,000 barrels a year, and over time will have capacity to ramp up to producing 450,000 barrels annually. This will be in addition to the company’s distilling that occurs at the historic Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, which will continue to operate at full capacity of 450,000 barrels annually.
As part of Heaven Hill’s 2030 Environmental Sustainability Strategy, the new distillery has been designed to create a more environmentally conscious distilled spirits industry and ensure a thriving environment for generations to come. Heaven Hill Springs Distillery has been engineered to minimize water use to below industry benchmarks and reuse certain water streams. The site will use native plants and natural systems to manage stormwater runoff and improve habitat on the property. The distillery will include a wastewater pretreatment system to ensure discharged water exceeds environmental standards and greatly reduces the load on the city’s treatment plant. Heaven Hill also will plan to utilize energy creation and recovery, lessening the distillery’s demand on the city’s electrical grid.
The new distillery adds at minimum 38 jobs to the company’s 381 people already working in Bardstown at Heaven Hill’s Loretto Road bottling, aging and tourism facilities.
“This is a significant day for Heaven Hill and Kentucky. The return of distilling operations to Nelson County is a return to the company’s roots, and the investment highlights the continued growth of bourbon and spirits in the commonwealth,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “I am incredibly happy for the residents of Bardstown and the surrounding area, and I want to thank the leaders at Heaven Hill for this commitment to create new job opportunities and build the company’s presence in our state.”
Heaven Hill and Bardstown: ‘a shared and storied history’
Max Shapira’s father and four uncles, along with a group of Bardstown-area investors, founded “Old Heaven Hill Springs” distillery in 1935, and filled its first barrel on December 13 of that year.
The company grew over the years and added several acclaimed brands, including Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Larceny, Henry McKenna and more, which have earned numerous spirits-industry accolades. Master distillers of the Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery over the years included Joe Beam, Harry Beam, Earl Beam, Parker Beam and Craig Beam.
In 1996, a fire resulted in the loss of the distillery, seven rickhouses and almost 100,000 barrels of whiskey. After the fire, Heaven Hill moved distilling to the historic Bernheim Distillery in Louisville. However the bottling and aging of whiskey along with other functions proudly continued in the Bardstown area where they remain today. In addition, in 2004, the company dedicated the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center—most recently expanded and renamed to the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience—that has become an award-winning focal point for the region’s bourbon tourism and has greeted millions of visitors over the years.
ABOUT HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY: Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 1.9 million barrels aging in more than 60 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky, Parker’s Heritage Collection, and Old Fitzgerald along with its extensive Bottled-in-Bond label collection. Heaven Hill Distillery was named 2020 Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year, the second Whisky of the Year for Heaven Hill Distillery in the past four years. In 2019 Heaven Hill Distillery was named San Francisco World Spirits Competition Distillery of the Year, Best in Show Whisky, and previously held the titles of 2018 San Francisco Spirits Word Spirits Competition Best Bourbon, 2016 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year. For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.
A glorious 1979 vintage bottled at 50.5% from a refill hogshead for The Sovereign series. Dumbarton 31 Year Old 1988 vintage Lowland single grain Scotch whisky. Rare example of the lost Scottish distillery. Single cask refill barrel #15477 distilled March 1987 bottled September 2018 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the Sovereign series. Selected and bottled exclusively for The Whisky Barrel. 207 numbered bottles. This golden whisky has a nose of apples, blueberries, and molten toffee. The palate is soft and sweet with notes of salted caramel, forest fruits and marzipan. The finish is medium length, with a hint of lingering pepper.
£125 / us$157 / €147
Dumbarton Distillery is a lost Lowland grain distillery opened by Hiram Walker in 1938 on the site of the former McMillan shipyard. The distillery sat on the banks of the River Leven and River Clyde in Dumbarton and was equipped with one continuous still manufactured in Cincinnati. It was one of the largest grain distilleries in Scotland however it closed in 2002 with most of its buildings demolished by 2008. Spirit was produced primarily from maize with water originating from Loch Lomond with spirit destined for Ballantyne’s blends. Single cask bottlings have been released by Hunter Laing & Co.
Just Landed!
Talisker 44 Year Old Forests of the Deep
A maritime delight from the Isle of Skye! Released today on World Oceans Day, this beauty of a malt was created in collaboration with ocean conservation group, Parley, to celebrate and help preserve the natural beauty and wonder of the world’s oceans. A great whisky for a great cause – seems like it’s also a great excuse to nab a bottle.
🔥 Free delivery over £75 🔥
Talisker 44 Year Old
Forests of the Deep
in support of Parley
Nose: sea salt, seaweed, smoke, toffee.
Palate: smoky, salt, white pepper.
Finish: particularly long and waxy.
Rock Island blended malt is a part of the Remarkable Regional Malts collection from Douglas Laing. It was created using single malt from Scottish Islands, showcasing their maritime, salty and slightly peaty character. This limited-release from the Rock Island range was finished in Ex-Mezcal casks for 12 months, creating a unique spirit with heightened smokiness and amplified saltines.
TASTING NOTES
NOSE: Opens with Scottish sea salt and roasted Mexican agave, balanced by tangy gooseberries and fresh floral notes.
PALATE: Barley-sweet and super smooth, moving to earthy, light smoked style alongside barbeque meats.
FINISH: Oceanic and elegant, with citrus fruits, juicy blackberries and honeycomb.
Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 447: Lagavulin 11 Year Old Offerman 2nd Edition Guinness Cask Finish
Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries the 2nd Offerman edition from Lagavulin. At the end of last year Mark tasted the first release of the Lagavulin Offerman Edition, named after Nick Offerman, American actor and comedian who makes no secret of the fact that he loves to drink Lagavulin. Now let him also like to drink Guinness. It was then no art for this Islay distillery to give some of their 11-year-old whisky a finish on such casks. The Offerman 2nd Release was born.
DOUGLAS LAING REVEALS ROCK ISLAND MEZCAL CASK EDITION
Independent Scotch Whisky distillers, blenders and bottlers, Douglas Laing & Co, today unveil a new Limited Edition: Rock Island Mezcal Cask Finished Island Malt Scotch Whisky.
Strictly limited to no more than 1,500 bottles, the new release is said to be “perfect for summer” and carries vibrant green, blue and orange colourways complemented by warm gold foil detail. Bespoke agave plant illustrations feature alongside the classic Rock Island oyster, symbolising the meeting of contrasting cultures: “From the idyllic shores of Scotland’s west coast” to “the sun-drenched Mezcal distilleries located in the heart of Mexico”.
The original Rock Island Malt Scotch Whisky is a marriage of Single Cask Single Malts distilled only on Scotland’s Whisky islands of Orkney, Arran, Jura and Islay. The resulting spirit is said to “boast a complex balance of maritime flavours, revealing waves of sweet, salty, smoky and earthy notes”, and accordingly has been decorated with a number of high-profile industry awards over the years, including Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
In creating the new Rock Island Mezcal Cask Finish, the family firm subjected the classic Rock Island recipe to a secondary maturation period in ex-Mezcal casks. Meaning “oven-cooked agave”, Mezcal is a Mexican spirit derived from the agave plant. The heart of the plant is first cooked underground, then the smoked juices are left to ferment, before being double distilled and matured in oak casks to create the final, smoky spirit.
Commenting on the new innovation, Brand Manager Rebecca Fennell said:
“In 2019, an amendment to the Scotch Whisky Technical File was published, and for the first time ever, casks which had previously held Mezcal were permitted for the maturation of Scotch Whisky. Rock Island has a naturally smoky character, so for us, it was a fascinating experiment to subject the classic American Oak-aged recipe to a secondary maturation in these exotic casks. The resulting spirit has exceeded all of our expectations – it’s retained that archetypal Scottish sea salt and honeycomb quality, yet taken on an unmistakable roasted agave note, running to a signature lightly smoked finish.”
In line with the Douglas Laing family’s “as natural as it gets” ethos, Rock Island Mezcal Cask Edition is offered without added colouring or chill-filtration, and at a high alcohol strength of 46.8%. It is expected to retail at £60.00 / €70.00 and will be available from specialist retailers and online across Europe, Americas and Asia Pacific.
Tasting notes:
Nose: Opens with Scottish sea salt and roasted Mexican agave balanced by tangy gooseberries and fresh floral notes.
Palate: Barley-sweet and super smooth moving to an earthy, light smoked style alongside barbecued meats.
Finish: Oceanic and elegant, with citrus fruits, juicy blackberries and honeycomb.
ABOUT ROCK ISLAND
Instagram: @rockisland_whisky
Facebook: /dlrockisland
Rock Island joined Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts range in 2015, offering consumers the opportunity to taste the ultimate distillation of Scotland’s Whisky Islands, in one delicious glass. The multi award-winning Small Batch Scotch is a marriage of Single Cask Single Malts from Orkney, Arran, Jura and Islay. The truly unique spirit is celebrated for its beautifully complex flavour profile. The sweet, salty, smoky and earthy notes earn this maritime Malt the reputation of being the ultimate dram to pair with seafood. Rock Island is offered at high alcohol strength and always without colouring or chill-filtration. Since 2015, the core range has grown to encompass a 10 Years Old and Sherry Edition offering for specialist retail, plus occasional limited releases.
ABOUT DOUGLAS LAING & CO.
Douglas Laing & Co. is a leading independent Scotch Whisky distillery, blender and bottler specialising in the selection and release of Single Cask Single and Small Batch Malt Scotch Whiskies.
The company was founded by Fred Douglas Laing in 1948 and is still owned and run by the Laing family – Fred Laing Jr and his daughter Cara Laing.
The company philosophy is to bottle the way the distiller intended – at a high strength and without chill-filtration to preserve the robust and unique character of the Whisky. Douglas Laing’s industry reputation and many awards is testament to this ethos.
Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts, the Ultimate Distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions, encompasses The Epicurean Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky, Timorous Beastie (Highlands), Scallywag (Speyside), The Gauldrons (Campbeltown), Rock Island (Islands) and Big Peat (Islay).
Beyond its Blended Malts expertise, the award-winning Douglas Laing portfolio also includes Provenance, Premier Barrel, Old Particular, Xtra Old Particular and XOP Black, collectively known as the firm’s “Exceptional Single Casks”.
Holyrood Distillery Launch New Cask Programme For 2022
This year, HOLYROOD DISTILLERY has launched a unique cask programme which includes two distinct ‘peated’ expressions, chosen to emulate the smoky past of Edinburgh’s cityscape. Both casks showcase the interplay between tradition and innovation, utilising different techniques of production to create two unique distillates; Heavily Peated and Rauch Malt.
Smoke once encapsulated Edinburgh, large clouds hung above the city and inhabitants woke to the smell, taste and the sight of smoke, as a result the city became known as ‘Auld Reekie’ (Old Smoky). Holyrood has a strong connection with this time in Edinburgh’s history; the distillery building once housed the old goods shed of the innocent railway, back in 1813 which transported coal that powered Edinburgh’s fires.
Through this year’s cask programme, Holyrood Distillery is keen to bring certain elements of Auld Reekie back to the whisky world with its use of smoked brewers malts and the traditional whisky style of Islay. The first of the two casks, Heavily Peated uses Islay peated malt in a sherry wood. Head Distiller, Marc Watson commented:
“Today, peated whiskies have a symbolic home — Islay. Among distillers and drinkers alike, Islay and its distilleries have reached legendary status. We aim to pay homage to Islay with a heavily peated expression that remains true to ourselves as distillers. Our goal is not to emulate the great distilleries of Islay, but to celebrate them. What would ‘made by Edinburgh’ be if it was instead made by Islay?”
Holyrood distillers found using the Norwegian ale yeast, Kviek, alongside their malts gave a balance of smoke, orange, and a fuller texture to the expression. For maturation they’re using 250 litre Spanish sherry hogsheads, with a choice of either first fill Cream sherry or first fill Pedro Ximénez sherry.
The second cask in the 2022 programme, the Rauch Malt is a true brewer’s whisky, created with smoked brewer’s malt and aged in a lightly toasted port wood. Softening these smoky flavours, the addition of Caramalt has imparted a subtle sweetness to the distillate, finished with small amount of Heavy Peat (50ppm) to create the characteristic coal smoke flavours. For maturation, Holyrood is using 225 litre lightly toasted first fill port barriques.
“We continue to build upon traditional methods of production from brewing to innovate the Scotch Whisky industry. Our lightly peated expression for 2022 builds upon our previous New Make releases, utilising a rich catalogue of brewing malts and speciality yeasts. Our experimentation with smoked malts started a journey of exploration and refinement, culminating in a new way to create and experience lightly smoked whisky.”
At Holyrood Distillery the past inspires, but it never dictates, and their iterative approach means the team are persistently exploring, constantly learning and always building on the Scotch whisky legacy that has come before. Taking inspiration from the city that surrounds them, as well it’s rich brewing heritage; ancient recipes, malts, and fermentation ideas that time has left behind.
Purchasing one of these casks is a rare opportunity to be part of Holyrood’s Scotch journey as they carve out their identity as whisky makers, ahead of the inaugural single malt release later this year. Anyone who purchases a cask will receive a sample spirit on its first, third and tenth birthday.
Peated Cask priced at £5,000 and Smoked at £3,500
www.holyrooddistillery.co.uk/cask-programme/
@holyrooddistillery
Notes
10 years maturation for any chosen casks. Insurance is included in cask price and covers damage or loss due to fire, explosion, flooding or other cause.
Holyrood Distillery is a modern distillery in the heart of historic Edinburgh. Established in 2019, Holyrood is Edinburgh’s first single malt distillery since 1925. The distillery is conveniently tucked away off the back streets of the city centre and on the outskirts of Holyrood park.
Both the brand’s juniper-led gin and new make spirit range, which launched in 2021 use experimental methods and bold new approaches to flavour. Height of Arrows gin was developed with a whisky in mind, using only a handful of ingredients to let juniper take centre stage. The innovative range of new make spirits the ‘Brewer’s Series’ uses specialty malt ratios and local yeasts, draws on Edinburgh’s illustrious distilling and brewing history.
