Hebridean distillery Bruichladdich has continued its pioneering work on the agricultural basis of Scottish whisky production with the launch of an Islay whisky made primarily from locally grown rye.
‘The Regeneration Project’ is the third release in Bruichladdich’s project series, and the first whisky to be classed as an Islay Single Grain Scotch Whisky.
It came about following a 2016 conversation between Bruichladdich’s production director, Allan Logan, and long-standing farming partner, Andrew Jones, about the potential benefits of crop rotation Mr Jones’ Coull Farm.
Keen to combat the growing cost of agro-chemicals, and avoid monoculture by diversifying his crops, Andrew had decided to add rye to his crop mix, to exploit its ability to sequester excess soil nitrate and improve drainage with its strong root system, boosting soil health, and reducing artificial fertiliser usage.
But with no local market, rye had never been grown on Islay before – so Bruichladdich agreed in advance to purchase Andrew’s entire crop and turn it into a novel whisky, the results of which are now available to the public.
CEO at Bruichladdich Distillery, Douglas Taylor, said: “As a whisky distillery we are accountable for our impact from the ground up, and that starts with understanding where our essential raw ingredients come from, and how they are grown.
“We learned that rye is a hugely beneficial rotational crop which not only reduces the need for artificial input but improves soil health and structure – which matters.
“But with no market for Scottish grown rye, it begs the question – why would a farmer grow it? Well, we could buy it – and create a delicious whisky. All while supporting our vital farming partners, helping the environment and promoting soil health,” said Mr Taylor.
“Pursuing flavour while reducing our impact, The Regeneration Project is the start of something much bigger than whisky.”
With sustainability at the forefront of its business, in May 2020 Bruichladdich became the first Scotch whisky and gin distillery in Europe to become B Corp certified.
As the subject of climate change and support of the domestic farming industry becomes ever more prominent, regenerative agriculture has the power to play a significant role in the long term sustainability of Scotch whisky and environmental impact of its farming partners.
Although rye is more common in American whiskey production, making up approximately 5% of the value of total US whiskey, consumers around the world are interested in exploring the flavours of a more diverse set of grains. Currently, there has been little experimentation in Scottish Rye, with only a small number of distilleries releasing a rye-based whisky.
Bruichladdich said that it hopes this latest release will ‘push the conversation further’ on the subject of regenerative agriculture and finding alternative solutions to modern farming practices.
Bottled at 50% ABV, The Regeneration Project is made up of 55% Islay grown rye and 45% locally grown Islay malted barley. Using a mix of first fill bourbon casks and first fill American Virgin oak casks, the whisky is non-chill filtered, colouring free and fully traceable.
