Holyrood distillery opened in 2019 as the first new distillery in Edinburgh in nearly one hundred years. They quickly earned a reputation for their Holyrood gin. Later they introduced a series of new make spirits, experimenting with heirloom barley or different yeast types.
Since October 2023 a lot of effort is put into bringing their single malt whisky to the market. Recently they launched The Founding Series: three single malts that represent a wide variety of flavour profiles.
The first is Holyrood Ambir, a combination of first-fill and second-fill bourbon barrels, with Oloroso butts and hogsheads. It features classic distillers malt with five specialty malts (chocolate malt, Vienna, Crystal 240, Highland peated and caramalt) in an effort to create a sweet and creamy whisky.
I like the fact that they’re experimenting and researching, but it seems their current compositions are perhaps a little too wide. I mean: six malt types and no less than ten yeast strains – kudos for the transparency but will they will have an individual impact? On the other hand there’s plenty of room for more specific releases, right?
Holyrood Ambir (49,8%, OB 2024, bourbon + Oloroso casks)
Nose: a bit of a musty start, with plenty of creamy fudge indeed. Buttery caramel, bruised apples and a grapey note. A lactic note too. Then brown bread, beer wort and brown sugar, along with blueberry jam. Hints of shortbread and cake with lemon frosting. A rather curious ensemble.
Mouth: rather young, with some big grainy elements – cornflakes as they suggest themselves – roasted grains and more buttery cake. Then there are spicy notes (ginger, white pepper, gin botanicals) along with a vegetal note and a mildly bitter edge. A bit of lemon zest and a subtle hint of dark chocolate / mocha in the end.
Finish: medium, with more burnt biscuit notes, a savoury touch, dark tea and pepper.
Certainly not the classic cornerstone expression that other distilleries are bringing out. Maybe not an instant crush but quite an intruiging whisky. Available from The Whisky Exchange or Royal Mile Whiskies for instance.
Holyrood Pitch is the newest (and final) addition to the Founding series. It uses pot malt and brown malt (commonly used in Porter beers) with two yeast typically reserved for red wine (Pepe Nero and Toro Nero). Add Oloroso casks and we’re in for a rich and nutty whisky.
Holyrood Pitch (49,4%, OB 2024, Oloroso casks)
Nose: a little more classic, and more sherried too. There’s blackberry and milk chocolate, with hints of raisins and plenty of cold coffee in the background. Then hints of muesli with some roasted nuts and black peppercorns.
Mouth: now the roasted side is really on top. Plenty of coffee beans, dark cocoa nibs, even a little tobacco. Some dried fruits and orange peels underneath. Then hints of Porter beer, with more chocolate ganache and roasted nuts.
Finish: quite long, dark and roasted, with oak spice and coffee pastry.
Slightly spin-doctored again, but I think this is much more successful. The roasted element is quite powerful (at some point it reminded me of Glenmorangie Signet) and gets further enhanced by the sherry casks. Well made. Available from Royal Mile Whiskies or LMdW for instance. Score: 86/100
We kept the smoky whisky until the end: Holyrood Embra. Here they used a diverse range of yeasts and added a number of ex-Islay casks to get a mild smoky element.
Holyrood Embra (43,6%, OB 2024, first-fill bourbon + peated quarter casks + virgin American oak)
Nose: sweet lemons with mild, ashy smoke. Hints of pears, gooseberries and green apple, as well as a fresh whiff of menthol. Then orange peels and vanilla. Even a light floral touch.
Mouth: fairly mild again (Caol Ila style), with a lighter texture than the ones before. Leafy notes with smouldering bonfires. Hints of white pepper, more lemons again, along with hints of burnt toast. The smoke gets louder towards the end, with a mild hint of vegetal bitterness.
Finish: short to medium, combining toasted nuts, earthy woodsmoke, lemon and black pepper.
Given the experimental take of the others, this had a light, even slightly docile nose. On the palate there’s more smoke to be found. This Embra has less personality than the others, I’d say, which makes it a good option if you’re new to peat or simply want a smoky springtime whisky. Available from The Whisky Exchange or Royal Mile Whiskies for instance. Score: 83/100