The first recorded brewing in Edinburgh dates back to the Augustinian monks of Holyrood Abbey who took advantage of the local spring water to brew their ale in the 12th century.
Such was Edinburgh’s prominence in brewing, it was once home to 38 breweries, and is to this day fondly known as “Auld Reekie”, partly due to the aromas created by the brewing process.
Auld Reekie's Wm Younger & Co, Abbey Brewery, circa 1830.
Fast-forward to the current day and the number of breweries currenty brewing in Edinburgh could be counted on one hand. However, this long tradition is being celebrated by Edinburgh's latest crown jewel, Holyrood Distillery, which sits a short distance away from the ruins of Holyrood Abbey.
Holyrood Abbey, within the grounds of Holyrood Palace
Since their inception only two years ago, Holyrood Distillery have sought to create a distinctive product, one that is very much part of Edinburgh and of interest to a local audience and those farther afield. Before the pandemic caused the doors to close, co-founder David Robertson showed us around the distillery and his enthusiasm and passion for those malt blends was clear to see.
With an updated team in place, Holyrood Distillery are now honouring Edinburgh's brewing tradition by releasing a series of casks called "MADE by EDINBURGH".
As any whisky lover may know, one of the first steps in whisky production relies on the creation of a beer like liquid, and through the use of this, Holyrood Distillery are set to celebrate their home town's brewing past with their MADE by EDINBURGH whisky series.
This series celebrates the famous malt styles of 70 and 80-shilling ales, combining Lothian Spring Barley with crystal malt and a touch of chocolate malt to introduce rich mellow tones and a rounded sweetness synonymous with Edinburgh's brewing.
A living embodiment of Edinburgh, EDINBURGH BREWERS YEAST then helps to develop this malt into a bright fruity spirit with notes of melon and pear.
Using Holyrood Distillery's tall slender stills, and utilising cut points that prioritise flavour rather than yield, Holyrood are unlocking a flavour profile unlike any other.
The stills at Holyrood Distillery
Edinburgh is also well known for its bustling port of Leith, and in keeping with this tradition as a hub importing casks for the distilling industry, Holyrood are laying down imported Spanish oak hogsheads each holding 250l of spirit. These "hoggies" have previously been conditioned with some of Spain's finest sherry, with casks available on Caskshare.com including Amantolado, Moscatel, Olorosso and Pedro Ximinex.
Being able to offer whisky fans the opportunity to buy into a wide range of casks is fundamental to the thinking that led us to develop our Caskshare.com platform. I for one wouldn't want to have to choose just one of these casks, but with Caskshare.com I can select a range of casks and when the time comes I will be able to compare and contrast the range of flavours for myself.
Holyrood's Caskshare Cask Listings
With Early Bird offers currently available on all Holyrood Distillery casks, now is the time to start the journey alongside the team at Holyrood by adding these casks to your maturing whisky collection at Caskshare.com.
I can't wait to see what the team at Holyrood Distillery have in store for us next, but I am sure it will be equally as exciting. Being Edinburgh born and bred, I am proud to be supporting their MADE by EDINBURGH initiative.
Why not build your cask whisky portfolio on Caskshare today.