New Make Crystal Malt
⏳ Drinking Window
Designed to be enjoyed fresh, upon release, to appreciate its vibrant, unaged character.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Sticky toffee pudding, blue cheese, roasted pecans
✨ Technical Specifications
Holyrood Distillery's New Make Crystal Malt represents a revolutionary bridge between the worlds of craft brewing and distilling. Located in the heart of Edinburgh, Holyrood bypasses traditional Scotch whisky conventions by focusing intensely on the raw ingredients before wood maturation even begins. This particular spirit highlights the use of Crystal Malt—a specialty roasted barley traditionally reserved for amber ales and bitters. During the malting process, the sugars inside the barley are crystallized, which translates into rich, confectionery aromas of toffee, toasted nuts, and sweet porridge when distilled. Unaged and crystal clear, this spirit offers a rare, pure glimpse into the foundational flavors of distilling, celebrating Edinburgh's rich brewing heritage where beer and whisky making historically walked hand-in-hand.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2019 by Rob and Kelly Carpenter alongside former Macallan master distiller David Robertson, Holyrood Distillery marked the return of single malt whisky distillation to central Edinburgh after nearly a century of absence. Housed within a restored 1830s railway goods shed beneath Arthur's Seat in the Lowlands, Holyrood operates with an innovative, flavor-first distilling ethos deeply informed by Edinburgh's historic brewing heritage. Rather than conforming to traditional regional conventions, the distillery experiments extensively with diverse malt varieties—including heirloom, chocolate, and crystal barleys—along with an array of specialty brewing, wine, and sake yeast strains. Utilizing washbacks with extended fermentations and tall copper pot stills, Holyrood captures distinct ester and phenolic profiles before aging spirit in meticulously selected casks. Benchmark expressions include their inaugural single malts Arrival, Ambir, and Embra, alongside singular single-cask trials showcasing red wine, sake yeast, and peated variants.
🍷 ABV
60%