A pair of hospitality and drink specialists have teamed up to launch a new whisky brand.
Gregor Mathieson, who developed the Michelin-starred restaurant at Gleneagles with his business partner, Andrew Fairlie, is one of the duo behind the launch of Edinburgh Whisky, an independent blender and whisky merchant based in Scotland’s capital city.
The Aberdeen-born Mr Mathieson has this time teamed up with former LVHM executive Gordon Watt to launch a series of bottlings of Scottish malts – sourced mainly from Speyside – as part of the fledgling firm’s New Town Blends.
The first of these blends has been called “The Advocates Batch”, a special edition of 6,000 bottles, with new ranges expected to follow in 2016. Edinburgh Whisky will also launch its “Library Collection” range of single casks taken from malts distilled at Highland Park in 2000, and Glenlivet in 2007.
Speaking from his parents’ home in Cults yesterday, Mr Mathieson said the duo had ambitions to develop a craft distillery in Scotland – but not yet.
“It has taken us three years to get this far,” he said.
“We had this idea of creating an Edinburgh whisky which ultimately we hope to do with a craft distillery – but that will take years and years.
“In the meantime we decided to create the company and start blending.
“We are just kicking off this week.”
He said the company is “forbidden” from revealing the distilleries that have produced the malts in the Advocates Batch.
“They are very well known much sought after top drawer Speyside,” he said.
He says the whisky the pair has produced is targeted at a modern international market.
“We’ve aimed for something stylish and elegant, not the more traditional heavily sherried Speyside style.
“A lot of people want lighter, more expressive whiskies these days.”
He said that the firm was launching this week as the famous Edinburgh Festivals kick off in earnest.
“There’s an obvious reason for launching at this time of year when the world is on our doorstep in Edinburgh,” said Mr Mathieson, who now resides in Perthshire.
“But 85% of the scotch world is overseas. We are already talking to people in Canada, which will probably be the first export market. Then France, Austria, Germany at some point next year.”
The firm has focused on creating distinctive packaging, which shows Victorian Edinburgh in the noir tradition.
“What we wanted to do was avoid the shortbread tin Edinburgh castle thing. It is a cul-de-sac as far as we were concerned,” he said.
“We’ve already had a lot of interest from businesses looking to be among the first to stock this great new range, and we’re sure that will continue when people try the whisky for themselves.
“We’re encouraged by the early uptake in the UK and we’re currently identifying distributors in key export markets for early 2016.”