The first single malt whisky to be produced in Edinburgh in almost 100 years!
Scotch whisky brand, John Crabbie & Co, have announced the inaugural release from their Chain Pier Distillery in Edinburgh, with just 234 bottles entering the market.
We got to taste Chain Pier Single Malt over a zoom tasting session with Master Blender Dr Kirstie McCallum. Despite being so young - a mere 3 years old - it's a smooth, light and fruity whisky that has been matured in heavily charred virgin oak. It's also 57% yet is still surprisingly easy to drink - especially when paired with ginger chocolates, which helps bring out all the oaky flavour!
This is the first release from the Granton-based site, which was set up by Halewood Artisanal Spirits as an experimental pilot distillery whilst the larger Bonnington distillery was still under construction. (Read about our visit to the Bonnington Distillery here).
Between 2018 - 9 when the Chain Pier Distillery was operational, there was a yield of just 39 casks, making this release one of the scarcest launches to date. As such the price is a bit higher than entry-level whisky but actually incredibly good value when you think about just how rare these bottles are.
And why the name you might ask? Well, it was discussed over a few business lunches at a particular pub in Edinburgh, which takes its name from - have you guessed yet? - an old chain pier. You can read more about the history of the Trinity Chain Pier on Wikipedia.
Where to buy
Chain Pier Single Malt Whisky is available to order from specialist whisky shops and thedropstore.com. RRP £65.
Disclaimer: we were provided with a 50ml sample of the new whisky.
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