HOW NEAT! TOMATIN REVEAL THE “INGREDIENTS” OF SCOTLAND FOR WORLD WHISKY DAY

In celebration of World Whisky Day (May 20th), Tomatin Distillery has revealed the “ingredients” of Scotland – home of Scotch whisky.

The distillery, located in the Scottish Highlands, commissioned leading DNA experts Source BioScience to investigate the genetic composition of Scotland’s 5.3 million population – and with staggering results!

The research, displayed on Tomatin’s specially created “100% Scotch” label, revealed that the average Scot* is majority Beaker People (35%) and Germanic (22%), with some Norse Viking (9%) and Neolithic Farmer (3%) thrown in for good

measure!

‘Exotic’ ancestry was also found in the sample of almost 1000 people, which refers to African and South Asian groups. While the 2% Royal Stewart ancestry refers to descendants from Sir John Stewart of Bonkyll – a military commander during the first Scottish War of Independence and the Battle of Falkirk.

Tomatin Marketing Manager Jennifer Masson, said, “Transparency within the whisky industry has been a hot topic over the past year, so we thought we’d have a bit of fun with it in celebration of World Whisky Day.

“At Tomatin, we know exactly what goes into each whisky, and we’re always happy to share that information when requested, but we wanted to know what makes our wee nation – and the home of the Scotch – so distinctive. The results are absolutely fascinating and have caused quite a stir online already.”

Source BioScience Senior Geneticist, Dr Angelika Kritz said, “Scotland’s DNA is a rich and varied mixture of lineages which settled here at different times in the past. From the first farmers who arrived in the Neolithic period, to the more recent Norse Vikings – Scotland’s rich history is most certainly reflected in its diverse lineage and heritage that make up its people today.”

Tomatin’s 36-year-old was recently voted ‘Best Scotch in the World’, available from select independent stores throughout the UK.

To request the ingredients of any Tomatin whisky and to shop the full range, please visit: www.tomatin.com

Notes:

• Tomatin recently won Distiller of the Year 2016 and Brand Innovator of the Year 2017 at the Icons of Whisky Scotland awards. Tomatin currently ranks in the Top 10 Single Malt brands in the USA and is one of the fastest growing in the UK.

• *Overall ancestry results from dataset sample of 853 people with Scottish ancestry from the Y chromosome.

Beaker People 35%

Germanic 22%

Pictish 15%

Irish 10%

Norse Viking 9%

Exotic 4%

Neolithic Famer 3%

Royal Stewart 2%

• “Exotic” refers to African groups, South Asian groups, and other rare groups that don’t fit into the other categories. Other summary group names are given nicknames based on the people they are believed to have originated from (e.g Pictish, Irish, Beaker Folk, Neolithic Farmer and Norse Viking) or where they are most commonly seen (e.g. Germanic).

• Source BioScience are leaders in conventional and next generation sequencing, gene expression and genotyping services as well as histopathology services. Source Bioscience has its headquarters in Nottingham, UK where it operates state-of-the-art reference laboratory facilities and draws form the expertise of over 60 leading RCPath qualified Pathologists.