DOUGLAS LAING RELEASES STRATHEARN NEW MAKE SPIRIT

Scotch whisky specialist Douglas Laing & Co, has today announced the launch of a new make spirit release, from its Perthshire based Strathearn Distillery.

Strathearn – The Heart (63.5% ABV) takes its name from the eponymous middle cut in the distillation process; the spirit that is collected and destined to later become Strathearn’s Highland single malt Scotch whisky.

Strathearn - The Heart

The new make spirit which comes in 20cl bottles, is said to invite an aficionado audience to “sip and speculate” about the single malt Scotch whisky to come from the Strathearn Distillery in future.

Douglas Laing & Co, acquired the Strathearn Distillery in 2019, and say they have since invested heavily in improving facilities, whilst insisting on preserving the hand-crafted, small batch approach to distillation.

Commenting on the launch, Angela Brown, Strathearn’s Head Distiller, said: “Strathearn spirit is the product of a truly traditional art. From carrying the malt in, shovelling the spent grain out, careful steam control for a gentle and effective distillation – our involvement during the entire process is key. We nose and taste throughout every spirit distillation, paying close attention as we make our cut points. I am proud to be working towards something as special as the Strathearn Single Malt. Our new make spirit is a wonderful preview of the Whisky we will enjoy in the future.”

Limited to 1,800 bottles, Strathearn – The Heart, will be available later this month from specialist retailers, for a RRP of £17.99.

Posted by Steve Rush

FINN THOMSON WHISKY LAUNCHES INAUGURAL RARE RELEASE

Finn Thomson Whisky, has announced the launch of their inaugural release, which forms part of a rare collection of Scotch whiskies, sourced from their family’s private cask collection.

Finn Thomson Whisky Glenlivet 50 Year Old (49.8% ABV) is a single cask, single malt Scotch whisky, which was distilled on March 6th 1970, and matured in a first-fill Sherry hogshead.

Finn Thomson Whisky Glenlivet 50 Year Old

The collection which is from on one of Scotland’s rarest private cask collections, is being curated by the ninth generation, Finn Thomson, and celebrates his family’s 300-year-long relationship with Scotland’s national spirit, from illicit pot stills to the blended whisky boom and beyond.

Finn’s great, great grandfather Peter Thomson set up his grocery and whisky business in Perth in 1908, sharing his patch with blended whisky giants Dewar, Bell and Gloag. When Peter Thomson’s was sold in the 1980s Michael Thomson, Finn’s grandfather, started stowing away the young malt and grain casks that had formed the secret recipe of Beneagles. The casks have slumbered ever since.

Finn Thomson Whisky Glenlivet 50 Year Old, which is the first release in their Crown range, will form part of a wider portfolio of Rare and Core range bottlings.

Commenting on the launch, Finn Thomson, Master Bottler of Finn Thomson Whisky, said: “For three hundred years my forefathers have been involved in whisky - distilling, blending and trading. And growing up, I was always fascinated by my grandfather’s recollections of his time in the whisky trade. These stories have inspired me to reignite the family business and create new experiences and innovations in the exciting world of single cask independent bottlers.”

He went onto say: “Quietly, Granddad Michael spent the 1980s and ‘90s selecting and collecting the young casks of single malts and grains that had formed the secret recipe of the Beneagles blend, handed down over the generations. In doing so, he accumulated one of Scotland’s largest private cask collections. Now, it is my honour to bring this aged collection of rare casks to the lips of a new generation.  Each cask has its own individual personality. Every Finn Thomson whisky is a one-off with its own wonderful character. That’s my vision for the future and that’s why I am so excited.”

Limited to 127 bottles, Finn Thomson Whisky Glenlivet 50 Year Old, will be available later this month from select specialist retailers. RRP (tbc).

Posted by Steve Rush