THE distiller behind the first rum to be made in Scotland has filled its first cask for maturation as it prepares to exhibit at a new north-east food and drink festival.
Banchory-based Dark Matter Distillers, founded by brothers Jim and John Ewen, filled a 201-litre American oak cask of its rum on August 28. It will be aged over an indefinite number of years before becoming available for sale.
The cask filling marks the first time the producer has laid down its rum for maturation, and comes in response high demand for larger quantities of “bespoke” spirit.
The distillers, who launched the business in April, producing their first bottle of spiced rum the following month, said the process will yield a “more robust, mellow tipple”.
The move comes as Dark Matters prepares to exhibit at the inaugural Inverurie Beer Festival on September 25 and 26, when festival goers will be given the chance to sample its wares.
Jim Ewen said: “This is the first ever cask of rum produced in the country and we are extremely excited to see how it matures with age. However, this is just the first step in a long-term cask-filling programme which will be implemented in the coming months. We are looking forward to showcasing our rum to a large, mixed audience in Inverurie and if the response from festivalgoers at the Banchory Beer Festival is anything to go by, we are certain our rum will extremely popular.”
Mungo Finlayson, director of Inverurie Beer Festival director, said: "Dark Matter Distillers have been a great addition to the line-up and offer an exclusive, unique product like many of our other exhibitors."
Dark Matter Distillers has secured listings with a number of bars and shops in the north-east, including Aberdeen venues Fountainhall Wines, The Grill Aberdeen, and Soul Bar
Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh and London, The Good Spirits Company in Glasgow, Hedonism Wines London are also stockists. The rum is distributed by Gordon and MacPhail.
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