Distell releases four special edition Scotch whiskies.
CHRISTMAS came early for Scotch whisky fans when Distell, the South African drinks business which owns the Bunnahabhain, Tobermory and Deanston distilleries in Scotland, released limited edition expressions from each of its distilleries.
From Bunnahabhain on Islay, the company has released 2011 Aonadh – meaning ‘union’ in Scots Gaelic – a 56.2% ABV whisky which has been matured in sherry casks before a finishing period in port casks.
Two expressions have been released from Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull: Tobermory 2004 Oloroso Cask Matured and Ledaig 1999 Pedro Ximenez Cask Matured.
The Tobermory expression is bottled at 55.9% ABV and described as both sweet and ginger spiced, while the Ledaig has an ABV of 55.6% and is described as being subtly smoky with deep notes of dark fruits.
Deanston, near Stirling, has released the Deanston 2008 Oloroso Cask Matured. Bottled at 52.7% ABV, the whisky is described as having bold flavours of cherries, dark fruits and gingerbread.
The launch of the four whiskies has been commemorated by a short film written by travel writer Robin McKelvie and produced by Distell, and which features members of staff from all four distilleries.
“Each new expression showcases the very best of our single malt whisky portfolio here at Distell, passionately crafted by our distillery teams,” said Distell master blender, Julieann Fernandez.
“Robin has created some beautiful prose that truly captures the spirit of each of the three distilleries, their link to the local communities and their surrounding landscapes – from the Southern Hebrides of Islay, the Inner Hebrides of Mull to mainland Scotland.
“To be able to tell the stories behind each distillery and showcase the team who have worked so hard behind the scenes to keep our whisky flowing, is a real honour for us.
“These film clips pay tribute to these teams and our distillery homelands.
“We’re incredibly excited to share these four wonderful, limited edition whiskies with fans around the world, each with their own defining characteristics and flavour profiles, inspired by the very best attributes of our award-winning distilleries.”
