Does whisky owe 80 percent of its flavor to the cask? Not if you ask the Holyrood Distillery. This up-and-coming distillery from Edinburgh relies on a wide variety of malts and yeasts to create the diverse flavor profile of its Lowland whiskies.
For their new single malt, Pitch, the craft distillers use Scottish pot still malt and brown malt. Both are typically used for dark porter beers. With Pitch, the team is also exploring the untapped potential of red wine yeasts in whisky production – specifically, the Pepe Nero and Toro Nero varieties.
Pitch is made using 84% distillers malt and 16% brown malt. It is fermented with 72% MG+ distillers yeast, 14% toro nero red wine yeast, and 14% pepe nero red wine yeast and matured in oloroso hogsheads. It bears no age statement, is natural in colour and non chill filtered.
While the malt contributes chocolate and hazelnut aromas, the specially selected yeast further enhances the chocolate notes and gives the raw spirit a richer flavor. The chocolatey distillate is then matured in Oloroso sherry casks, which accentuate the nutty notes. The result? A liquid fruit and nut bar.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cocoa, blackcurrant, honey.
Palate: Sweet and full-bodied with red fruit compote, hazelnuts, and spicy green bell peppers.
