It’s a new era on Orkney as Kirkwall prepares to welcome its third single malt whisky.
The island town is already home to Highland Park and Scapa and will soon boast another malt after The Orkney Distillery produced its first new make spirit.
The distillery – which also produces Kirkjuvagr gin – produced its first run of new make spirit at the end of March. The liquid will now spend the next three years maturing before it is officially single malt Scotch whisky.
In the meantime, Orkney Distillery has plans to install additional stills as well as a larger brewhouse.
The company is planning to mature its spirit in a variety of smaller cask types.
Managing director Stephen Kemp said producing whisky has been ‘our dream’ since the company first started work on its distillery in 2017.
“Over the past seven years, The Orkney Distillery has become well established within the Scottish drinks sector, with our award-winning range of Kirkjuvagr gins a firm favourite in the marketplace,” said Kemp.
“Our single malt Scotch whisky will be a fantastic addition to the distillery’s product range and will be crafted with the same commitment and attention to detail that we’ve applied to our gin production.
“We’ll share more details in the coming weeks and months but suffice to say we’re determined to create a single malt of exceptional quality and provenance, one that reflects our values as a business and celebrates the long tradition of whisky making in Orkney.”
While the distillery’s own spirit matures, the company is releasing two blended whiskies – Hoy and Fara – which contain a number of different malts, including some produced on Orkney.
