Holyrood islay peat 1st fill ruby port barrique 2022

Number of bottles per certificate: from 2 bottles
Estimated cost afterwards: 29 euro per bottle
Type of barrel: Ruby port barrique
Age of barrel: mid 2022
Estimated bottling date: from 2027
Distillery: Holyrood

We specifically asked for this combination and got it. The spirit already tastes fantastic. A wonderful cask to mature it in is therefore really ruby port.

At Holyrood, we were received in a special way. As cask holders, we were first allowed to visit their warehouse outside the city. Here it quickly became clear that they are growing out of their skin. The casks are brought from the distillery in ibc’s to the warehouse to be filled. SMWS has also bought quite a bit of Holyrood, which pleases us enormously. After we had taken pictures of our oloroso and muscatel barrels, we were treated to a whole series of experimental spirits.

At the distillery, the distillery manager explained their creative brews which we could taste and buy.

As an Islay freak, I was hooked. When tasting, nobody would doubt the origin. In this spirit, they added a percentage of chocolate malt. This is created by roasting the barley. This produces less sugar to convert into alcohol but gives a delicious flavour to the spirit.

HEAVILY PEATED: Big Islay peat in first fill lightly toasted Port barrique, produced with our holistic approach to the brewing and distilling process.
MALT: Islay peat, Marris Otter & Amber malt
YEAST: Kviek (Norwegian Ale Yeast) & pinnacle M

Bottling we estimate possible from 2027 (this is only an indication) because the barrels are fresh and lightly toasted. Peated whisky can be bottled a little younger, but as usual the participants have their say in this through samples and tasting rounds.