Holyrood Distillery launch Embra: a new peated dram

Holyrood Distillery has launched its 2nd single malt whisky, Embra, setting the stage for an exploration into peated whisky. Embra is the first in a series of single malt whiskies set to release in 2024, with each expression designed to demonstrate the independent distillery’s creativity and barrier breaking approach to whisky making. Distillery Manager, Calum Rae,…

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Where to Eat and Drink during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

With less than one month until culture hungry tourists flock to Edinburgh, we take a look at the best places to eat and drink in the city. Whether you are looking for a fine dining experience with a five-course tasting menu or simply a great place to grab your morning coffee, the list has something…

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Whisky news round-up: Award success, Macallan scented candles and more

Artist decanter Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery, The Glenturret, has released a whisky decanter in collaboration with master glass makers Lalique and renowned American artist James Turrell. The Eight Decades decanters were created as a celebration of the artist’s eightieth year, with just 80 available world wide. It is the first time the celebrated artist has…

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Raising a glass to this year’s whisky festivals

SCOTLAND’S whisky festival season is getting underway, with The National Whisky Festival returning to SWG3 in Glasgow tomorrow as part of Celtic Connections. The festival began in 2015 and has grown from its Glasgow base to include events in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Inverness. Gareth Croll, the festival’s coordinator, said: “After such an incredible year touring…

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Holyrood and Heriot-Watt eye old barley varieties for whisky

SCIENTISTS and distillers are investigating which aromas and flavours are produced in whisky by old varieties of barley. Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University will study at least eight varieties over the next six years. Chevallier, a variety popular during the 19th century, is among the strains being tested. The variety fell out of…

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Holyrood Distillery creates two new ‘Strong Waters’

This spring, Edinburgh’s Holyrood Distillery is set to introduce two ‘Strong Waters’ into the UK market. Launching this month, the new varieties, named Charmed Circle, are the magnificent results of Holyrood’s experimentation with heritage barleys and their progressive approach to spirit-making. Fuelled by a passion for Edinburgh’s brewing past and the land that surrounds the…

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Win a chance to discover Edinburgh’s literary heritage

A new competition has been launched offering a pair of literature lovers a once-in-a-lifetime prize – the chance to explore Edinburgh’s literary heritage accompanied by one of the city’s most famous writers, multiple award-winning author Ian Rankin OBE. The competition prize package also includes return travel to Edinburgh, two nights’ accommodation at YOTEL Edinburgh, a…

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Blind tastings crown an 18-year-old Highland malt

Deanston 18 Year Old has triumphed in The Whisky Exchange’s annual tasting, taking the top spot in the only official blind whisky judging undertaken by members of the public. Deanston, a Highland distillery housed in an old cotton mill on the banks of the River Teith, claimed the crown in the 8th annual Whisky of…

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Holyrood Distillery: A ‘rude’ reawakening in the courtyard

Holyrood Distillery has created a ‘sipping gin’ that’s ideal for its reopened courtyard, as Peter Ranscombe discovers. IN A world with more and more gin, it’s becoming harder and harder to find anything that stands out from the crowd. Yet Holyrood Distillery may have just cracked it. The Edinburgh whisky maker set out to create…

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Creating a unique new whisky for Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s Holyrood Distillery is offering the chance to buy casks of its new whisky. Inspired by the history, vibrancy and diversity of the city, Holyrood’s team of distillers has created a cask offering unlike anything that has gone before. By using Lothian spring barley, chocolate and crystal specialty malts, Edinburgh Brewer’s Yeast and their distinct…

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