BIG PEAT GOES LIVE Big Peat is a whisky phenomenon. From a standing start in 2009 when Pocket Rocket created the packaging, it has become one of Douglas Laing's best seller. Now, Big Peat has his own web site which will soon be offering a range of quirky merchandise.
The Arran Sleeping Warrior The stunning profile of the summits and ridges on the North end of the Isle of Arran is referred to as the Sleeping Warrior due to its resemblance to a resting human figure. These mountains attract thousands of visitors each year which leads to the erosion of the landscape. A donation from every bottle sold is made to the National Trust for Scotland to help maintain the footpaths on Goat Fell, Arran's highest peak, for the enjoyment of all. Each box comes with a unique retro fold out map of the island and it is a limited run of only 6,000 bottles.
The Arran Cask Strength We were keen to keep the design for this 12 year old Cask Strength Arran Malt simple. The understated graphics of the packaging reflects the artisan nature of the product as each special cask is hand selected by Arran's Master Distiller, James MacTaggart, and is restricted to a small batch production. The label and tube are subtly printed with an old woodcut style illustration of the island on to pearlescent paper, for a premium, but traditional look.
Big Christmas wishes from Big peat... Big Peat gets the Santa outfit on for his Limited Edition bottling at a whopping 57.8% Cask Strength.
FIRKIN GORGEOUS: Pocket Rocket Creative have Designed BenRiach Distillery's most exclusive bottling ever Only forty bottles of this exquisite 32 years old single malt will be available, making this an ultra-rare BenRiach expression. The bottling follows the discovery of an unusual “Firkin” cask at the Elgin distillery.
BenRiach’s Managing Director Billy Walker takes up the story: “It’s always exciting to discover exceptionally rare and unique casks in our warehouses. BenRiach has more than its fair share! Upon unearthing this Firkin, we knew we had found something truly extraordinary and sublime which will delight even the most demanding of BenRiach whisky aficionados.”
Mr Walker explained Firkin casks were traditionally used for the maturation of fine ale and the name is derived from the Middle Dutch word “vierdekijn”, meaning ‘fourth’ – in other words, a quarter of a full-size barrel.
“Because a Firkin’s size is smaller than that of a standard barrel, there’s a greater surface to liquid ratio when the spirit undergoes maturation, and this imparts a more intense, fuller flavour,” he added.
“This cask, number 6337, is one of the only two Firkins in our possession. Distilled and filled to cask on June 26, 1978, and bottled at 40.1% earlier this year, the style of the whisky is classic Speyside. Due to the size of the cask, and the age of the whisky, it has generated only forty bottles, so it’s bound to become a much sought-after collector’s item.”
The forty bottles will be available from September. No price has yet been set.
POCKET ROCKET WIN A FULL HOUSE AT SCOTTISH DESIGN AWARDS What a night! We are delighted to announce that we have won best Packaging Award for our Arran 15th Anniversary Bottling for Arran Distillery, a commendation for Arran's Machrie Moor and a nomination for the Solstice & Horizon range for Benriach Distillery. Our entries were described as "dominating" by the Awards compare on the night.
19.05.11
MACHRIE MOOR Machrie Moor is a limited edition peated (14ppm) expression of Aran single malt. 1st release of 9,000 bottles with just 900 for Scotland & UK.
The bottle depicts Bran, favourite dog of the legendarywarrior Fingal who is said to have tethered the dog to the standing stone Fingal’s Cauldron Seat. One of the many stone circles and standing stones that are strewn across Machrie Moor on the Isle of Arran.
New Horizons for The BenRiach Pocket Rocket Creative has created two new brands for BenRiach Distillery "Horizons" a triple distilled single malt, and "Solstice" a heavily peated/Port finish malt whisky.
SOLSTICE AND HORIZON – TWO NEW WINTER WARMERS FROM BENRIACH
IT'S the winter solstice today (December 21), so it's serendipitous that BenRiach is launching two exciting new products bearing these inspirational names.
Launched on the shortest day of the year, BenRiach Solstice, with its connotations of re-birth and celebration, is a perfect malt for the midwinter, a 15 year-old heavily-peated port while BenRiach Horizons is a 12 year-old triple-distilled malt - a new and original product line which has never been done before by BenRiach.
The bottling strength for both 70cl bottles is 50%. Both are cased in a rigid gift box and a limited quantity is available worldwide.
Marketing Manager Kerry White explained:
"These are two incredibly exciting new products to be savoured on cold winter nights.
"Unusually for a Speyside distillery, we distil whisky from both styles of malted barley, non-peated and peated, enabling us to capture the defining taste and aroma of peat reek in a few special bottlings.
"BenRiach Solstice is one such expression. Distilled from heavily-peated malted barley, the whisky has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in Aged Tawny Port pipes sourced from Portugal's Douro region. The overall maturation period, across both styles of wood, is a minimum of 15 years.
"Horizons, the 12 year-old triple-distilled BenRiach, is one of the most unique whiskies to be released by the distillery. Traditionally, most single malt whiskies are distilled twice, but during the late 1990s BenRiach experimented with some limited production runs of triple-distilled whisky, and we have allowed the whisky to mature for a minimum of 12 years before giving you the opportunity to sample the fruits of our labour."
Kerry added: "Triple-distilled means the raw spirit produced comes off the still at a higher alcohol strength, and the whisky is more fruity and floral than a traditional double-distilled BenRiach - quite different in character, and certainly a rarity amongst single malt whiskies.
"Originally matured in ex-bourbon barrels, the triple-distilled BenRiach has been allowed to finish in Oloroso Sherry casks, and has derived a number of distinctive flavours and aromas specific to the sherry casks."
