Scots charity whisky released to provide clean water in Madagascar

Each of the 210 bottles are filled with eight-year-old whisky aged in first-fill bourbon and has the potential to provide someone with clean water for life.

The charity was founded by legendary Scottish whisky expert Charles Maclean and his three sons, Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan. It already provides clean water for life for 2,000 Madagascans.

The three sons became the first brothers to row any ocean and were the youngest and fastest trio to cross the Atlantic Ocean in January 2020. In April next year, they will begin the Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Row.

It is a non-stop unsupported Pacific Ocean voyage that will be undertaken in the fastest and lightest ocean rowing boat ever made in a bid to help the charity raise £1 million to help build more clean water bore holes.

The Maclean family with their Glen Scotia bottle (Image: Handout)

TMF’s first charity whisky was an Ardnamurchan 2017 aged in American first-fill barrels and sold out within weeks, providing 700 people with clean water for life.

The Glen Scotia release, which is launching today via Royal Mile Whiskies, is expected to be another sellout.

The bottle is designed by Scottish creative agency Contagious and features a narration by Charles, who helped cask the whisky. He tells the story of the liquid through the window of Alice in Wonderland, as he believes it shares the same call to ‘Drink Me” that enticed curious Alice into a world of wonder in the classic Lewis Carroll novel. 

While tasting the whisky for the first time, Maclean, the Edinburgh-based writer who starred as Rory Mcallister in Ken Loach’s award-winning film ‘The Angels’ Share’, hailed the whisky as a “triumph”. 

He said: “It’s a lovely golden colour, completely clean and remarkably mature for its age. There are fruity top notes, possibly white grape and melon. It is complex. I’m getting a slightly mineralic note too; it somewhat reminds me of aromatherapy oil. It starts sweet, then becomes distinctly salty with some white pepper and peppery-spice in the mid-palate. It’s very pleasant and very easy to drink. I’m also detecting a vanilla and toffee note, which you would expect from American oak.

“It’s a triumph and will do so much good. Every single one of those bottles will provide clean water for life for at least one person in Madagascar.”

Glen Scotia’s Master Distiller and Distillery Manager Iain McAlister partly credits the distillery's traditional dunnage warehouse in Campbeltown for the amazing complexities in the whisky’s flavour. 

Read More: 

• Special casks released to celebrate return of whisky production to Inverness

• Glasgow whisky blender releases limited edition Foo Fighters dram

• Distilleries rewind time to recreate whiskies that fuelled the Roaring Twenties

McAlister said: “This young, unpeated, first-fill bourbon liquid is a real sweet spot for Glen Scotia, demonstrating our signature distillery style – a whisky full of tropical fruit, oiliness, and that distinct hint of the sea. It’s unmistakably Campbeltown and we’re so pleased Charles went with this selection for such an important project.”

McAlister and his team are ‘in awe’ of the work done by Charles Maclean, who has described the Foundation and his sons in helping those less fortunate than themselves, as his ‘legacy’.    

“Charles has become a wonderful friend to us over the years and I’ve loved spending many an afternoon with him at the distillery, sharing stories and talking whisky, life and, of course, family. Family is important to us both and I’m in awe of all the adventures his boys have been on and the impact of the project – incredible stuff.

“Having an opportunity to repay his support by donating this cask to The Maclean Foundation is a complete pleasure, especially knowing the impact it will have for so many in Madagascar.”