The North Uist Distillery, located at the historic Nunton
Steading on the Isle Benbecula, has announced that it has carried out the first
distillation of its new make spirit.
Co-founders Kate Macdonald and Jonny Ingledew, have spent
the last ten years working towards their dream of a carbon-neutral distillery,
where this spirit has been produced and will be aged to maturity in carefully
curated casks.
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| North Uist Distillery produces its first new make spirit |
The whisky will be flavour-forward, making use of heritage barley, long fermentation and brewer’s yeast before distillation through squat stills designed to squeeze under the low roof of the B-listed distillery building.
Their downward facing lyne arms will capture more complex
flavours which will be complemented by ex-Bourbon, new oak and Oloroso-seasoned
casks, producing a whisky of complexity and depth that tells the story of life
on the remote Hebridean island.
The distillery will use bere barley to produce its whisky, a
heritage crop that has thrived in the high-pH soils of the Outer Hebrides for
centuries. Resilient and rich in character, bere barley is perfectly adapted to
the island’s challenging climate, making it an ideal grain for North Uist
Distillery’s field-to-cask production.
Commenting on the news, Jonny Ingledew, said: “Distilling
whisky here is about more than just the spirit in the cask — it’s about
honouring the past while supporting the future of our islands. By using bere
barley grown on Uist’s machair, we’re investing in a resilient crop that has
evolved with our unique environment over hundreds of years. It’s a true taste
of Uist and Benbecula and of the past, present and future we want for our
community.”
Kate Macdonald added: “We want to produce amazing whisky
that honours and protects the land it comes from. That’s why our long-term goal
is to have grain-to-glass whisky production using heritage bere barley, grown,
malted, distilled and bottled at our historic home at Nunton Steadings. This
first distillation is another important step towards that ambition.”
North Uist Distillery, is one of only 65 B-Corp businesses
in Scotland - a certification of balancing people, the planet and profit. The
carbon-neutral distillery is producing whisky locally in an environmentally
sensitive manner whilst continuing to strengthen its bond with the community
and celebrate the spirit of island life.
Posted by Steve Rush