News / Whisky: made in Scotland, bottled in Shetland
THE FIRST whisky ever bottled legally in Shetland is to go on sale next month.
The Shetland Distillery Company today launched its inaugural single malt scotch – but supplies are limited, and don’t come cheap.
The Shetland Reel whisky, which has been distilled in Portsoy, Aberdeenshire and bottled in Unst, has been poured into a total of just 172 bottles.
Twenty one of these are a peated whisky made from a German oak cask, the bottles slapped with a £130 selling price.
The other 151 bottles have been made from other containers, including refill Scotch whisky casks, and will cost £100 each.
The whiskies go on sale from 1 September, but those interested can pre-order by emailing whisky@shetlandreelgin.com.
Shetland Distillery Company director Stuart Nickerson said producing the first whisky bottled in the isles is a “hugely exciting development” for the business.
He added that the company ultimately aims to create its own whisky distillery on Shetland’s most northerly populated island.
“It literally puts Shetland on the map as far as whisky production is concerned – and for the first time,” he said.
“These four casks represent a start to whisky production in Shetland and we have plans to introduce more ‘Bottled in Shetland’ scotch whiskies, with the long term plan being to install our own distillery and start distilling Scotch whisky on Unst.”
The whiskies have been bottled at cask strength, are non-chill filtered and do not have colouring added.
The company meanwhile also produces the Shetland Reel Gin from their Saxa Vord premises.
Nickerson and his wife Wilma own the business alongside Frank and Debbie Strang, who run the former RAF base as a resort.
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