The team at St Andrews distiller Eden Mill might have had tears in their eyes at Hogmanay as they sang Auld Lang Syne.
The company will open its new distillery this year, with production moving from the original facility, which first fired its stills in 2014.
Two new releases have been bottled to mark this changing of the guard – a bourbon cask-matured whisky and a sherry cask expression, matured in first-fill Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks. Both have been bottled at 46% ABV, without chill filtration or the addition of artificial colour.
“These new expressions are unique in that they come from the old Eden Mill distillery which will never reopen,” said head distiller Scott Ferguson.
“With the new distillery opening in 2024, the original whisky is truly limited with fewer than 400 casks of this precious liquid remaining.
“Both deliver a stunning flavour profile, each with their own very distinct characteristics. The Bourbon Cask, which is Eden Mill’s first release to mature exclusively in bourbon from start to finish, has a unique spicy and sweet vanilla profile – think light spice meets caramel and fruit crumble, while the Sherry Cask is reminiscent of chocolate raisins, dates and subtle cassia spice.
“Whilst they will no doubt appeal to classic malt lovers and those who appreciate a premium non-aged single malt, we’re also expecting a high level of interest from those curious to seek out new single malts outside of the more well-known big-name brands.”
The Bourbon Cask and Sherry Cask single malts also officially launch Eden Mill’s refreshed brand identity and are the first to come in the new-look single malt bottle.
Head of marketing at Eden Mill, Hannah Ingram, said: “Our signature single malts mark the start of an exciting new whisky chapter for us. Until now, our releases have been annual and launched in small quantities, but these two new expressions will be ‘always on’ in our range and carry us through the coming years until the whisky produced in our new distillery has matured and is ready for bottling.
“Given the significance of these two new whiskies, we felt it was the right time to evolve the look and feel of the bottle,” said Ingram. “The sides of the new bottle have ridges which represent the striking silhouette of the roof of our new distillery, and it is embossed with our new tagline: The Spirit of St Andrews.”
