British Airways has poured over its 100 year-old history to create a limited-edition whisky with Scottish distillers InchDairnie.
The partnership will culminate with a centenary dram being served up in 2031.
The two British brands have come together to start the 12-year process of creating a limited-edition pour for the airline’s centenary.
British Airways joined the expert distillers at the Fife based distillery to mix malted barley, water and yeast before distilling and pouring it into a bespoke American oak cask once used to mature bourbon.
The cask heads are from a red wine cask, made from French oak, in a tribute to the first flight operated by AT&T, the forerunner company of today’s British Airways which flew to Paris in 1919. The American oak is a nod to British Airways, as the airline now makes up to 30 journeys across the Atlantic every day.
Over 12 years the spirit will mature, drawing out vanilla and coconut flavours and a dark colour from the cask, before ageing to create a malty, fruity, Scotch whisky designed to work perfectly at altitude. The cask-aged spirit will then be decanted into 300 limited-edition bottles that will be served exclusively on British Airways flights in 2031.
Kelly Stevenson, British Airways’ wine and beverage manager, said: ‘Celebrating our centenary is all about honouring our airline’s history, as well as looking to the future. InchDairnie has a modern and innovative approach to whisky distilling and we’ve incorporated touches with a nod to our history. In years to come our customers will be able to enjoy it from the comfort of their seat – we know it will be worth the wait.’
Ian Palmer, managing director of InchDairnie, who has been distilling whisky for more than 40 years, said: ‘We’re delighted we’ve been able to create a very special whisky for British Airways in their very special year.
‘Although we are a new distillery who have a much younger heritage than British Airways, through the use of industry leading technology we are bringing together decades of industry experience and knowledge, enabling us to fine tune one of the most meticulously designed distillation processes in the world.’
Flyers can also own their own bit of history as InchDairnie have created the ultra-exclusive Centenary Cask programme which will be showcased at the airline’s brand new First bar in New York from June. Just 12 casks are being offered exclusively to British Airways customers between now and the end of September, and each cask will have its own unique taste profile.
InchDairnie InchDairnie Distillery is situated in the outskirts of Glenrothes in Fife where the two springs Flowers of May and Goatmilk Hill springs meet. The name of the distillery means ‘Hidden land close to water’.
And ‘hidden’ does seem appropriate, as the distillery does not have a visitors centre; in fact, signage claim they are too busy making whisky.
InchDairnie Distillery began distilling in 2015 but will not release a single malt Scotch whisky until 2029 – the distillery even has a countdown clock on their website and insist that its whisky will not be rushed.
Find out more on www.inchdairniedistillery.com.
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