Single Malt Red Wine Yeast 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel 'Full Cask' No 2035
⏳ Drinking Window
Enjoyable immediately upon release; once opened, it will remain in peak condition for several years if stored properly.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
blue cheese, dark chocolate, smoked duck breast
✨ Technical Specifications
Holyrood Distillery's 'Full Cask' No 2035 represents a pioneering approach to Lowland single malt whisky, showcasing the distillery's signature ethos of flavor exploration. By utilizing an active red wine yeast strain during the fermentation process rather than standard distiller's yeast, Holyrood coaxes out an uncommonly rich profile of dark forest fruits, cherry esters, and spicy undertones. This innovative wash is distilled and then matured in a first-fill bourbon barrel, allowing the sweet vanilla, caramel, and toasted coconut notes of the fresh American oak to seamlessly integrate with the spirit's unique vinous complexity. It is a brilliant marriage of modern fermentation science and traditional wood management, paying homage to Edinburgh's rich brewing and distilling history.
🍾 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.