Introducing X MUSE: Scotland’s First Blended Barley Vodka

If you’ve been seeking a truly exceptional vodka experience, look no further than X MUSE (pronounced ‘tenth muse’). This exquisite spirit is a tribute to Scotland’s rich heritage of spirit making, blending two heritage barley varieties, Plumage Archer and Maris Otter, with pure, pristine water sourced from an ancient aquifer within the heart of the…

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X Muse: a vodka that tips its hat to Scotch whisky

In his final blog post for The Grape & The Grain, Peter Ranscombe visits Jupiter Artland near Edinburgh to try its new X Muse vodka. IT’S not every day that you taste a vodka inside a temple. But, then again, it’s not every day that you taste a vodka that’s made like X Muse. The…

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Notebook – August 2021

Torabhaig whisky from Skye is among the new spirits reviewed by Peter Ranscombe. IT’S time once again to dip into my notebook and share some reviews from recent tastings. Ahead of its release on Thursday, the second malt whisky from Torabhaig distillery on Skye is among the spirits I explore in the latest in this…

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Belvedere vodka: going organic with infusions

Peter Ranscombe tries Belvedere vodka’s new organic infusions range, which kicks off the brand’s full organic conversion. BELVEDERE today unveiled plans to make all its vodkas using organic rye by 2030, starting with its new organic infusions range. The Polish rye vodka’s brand ambassador, Mike Foster, told an online tasting this morning that all the…

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Wine to Dine – April 2021 – Brodie Williams

Scottish Field wine columnist Peter Ranscombe hums Eddie Grant’s classic tune as he matches bottles to Brodie Williams’ brunch dishes. THE first time I got off the tube at Brixton and saw the sign for “Electric Avenue”, a wee lightbulb popped on inside my head. It hadn’t dawned on me that Eddie Grant’s 1983 reggae…

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A week in whisky: ‘I’ll have a pea, please, Bob’

THOSE enterprising souls at whisky distiller Arbikie have followed-up their carbon-negative Nàdar gin with its vodka twin. Both Nàdar spirits absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than is emitted over the course of the production process. The alcohol inside them is made by distilling peas instead of wheat. Master distiller Kirsty Black developed the…

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