A SCOTTISH distiller is to launch two “Strong Waters” into the UK market.

Launching this month by the Holyrood Distillery, the new varieties of spirits are called Charmed Circle.

Fuelled by a passion for Edinburgh’s brewing past and the land that surrounds the distillery, Nick Ravenhall and Marc Watson trialled some of the UK’s most famed barley varieties, as well as digging deep to explore the very water that is found under the city.

Drawing on Scotland’s native drinking culture around white spirits, Holyrood has categorised these spirits as Strong Waters, which the distiller said is an archaic name usually referring to any alcoholic liquids that were not being set aside as aqua vitae.

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Holyrood Distillery said: “For centuries distillers have focused on a barley’s efficiency rather than its flavour, and as a result so many of Britain’s most popular barleys have been abandoned over time in favour of higher yielding varieties.

“Holyrood distilled these barleys as part of their signature single malt new make and then blended them with neutral grain spirit, intensifying the flavours of the barleys, whilst also developing their richness and mouthfeel, creating texture in the resulting spirits. These innovative liquids aim to bring flavour back to the white spirit sector, to be enjoyed neat and in longer mixed drinks.“

The Herald: Edinburgh’s Holyrood Distillery is set to introduce two Strong Waters into the UK market. Edinburgh’s Holyrood Distillery is set to introduce two Strong Waters into the UK market.

While Scotland’s capital has an established brewing history, not many modern spirit makers are utilising the city’s terroir, or land, and high-quality water supply that once powered brewing in the city, Holyrood said.

“The very name of the new Strong Waters refers to a collection of wells situated around Arthur’s Seat. Known as the ‘Charmed Circle,’ this cluster of wells supplied the flourishing brewing community the city once held, with some of the wells and water aquifer still in use underneath the distillery today.

“Heritage barley connects the liquid with the land in the same way as wine relates to its terroir. The two expressions reveal interesting facets of the cityscape, the brewers that came before and the season in which they were developed.”


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