Arbikie launches Haar Vodka

Scottish farm distillery Arbikie Highland Estate has extended its terroir vodka range with the launch of a new expression distilled from zulu wheat grown on the estate.

Arbikie Haar Vodka is the first expression in a new terroir range

Arbikie Haar Vodka is distilled from wheat grown on the Black Laws field. The expression is described as an “incredibly smooth vodka with hints of caramel”.

The vodka is named after the ‘Haar’ – a “soft, rolling and freezing” North Sea fog that frequently blankets the Arbikie farm and distillery.

The new expression joins ‘Tattie Bogle’, Arbikie’s Potato Vodka that is distilled from a combination of Maris Piper, King Edward and Cultra potatoes, grown in the ‘Fiddler’ field on the Estate.

A third vodka is due in Spring 2018 to complete the terroir vodka range.

The Stirling family, owners of Arbikie, have been farming since before 1660 and focus on using terrior in their products with a ‘field-to-bottle’ approach.

“Our aim has always been to disrupt the vodka market by highlighting the importance of your base ingredients and how this impacts on the flavour profile,” said Arbikie director, John Stirling.

“By highlighting the field and wheat variety used in each batch of ‘Haar’ we are giving the opportunity for consumers to trace the ingredients in our spirits. This desire for provenance and traceability of ingredients is prevalent in the food industry and we want to lead vodka’s revival with these in the drinks sector.”

Arbikie distiller Kirsty Black added: “The flavour profile of our vodkas is determined by the ingredients grown on the farm. With ‘Tattie Bogle’ there are clear spice notes and creaminess in flavour; whilst ‘Haar’ has a distinctive caramel note both on the nose and on the palette. We don’t bolt on the flavour in our spirits, the flavour is determined by the crops grown on the farm.”

In January this year, Arbikie Highland Estate released its second gin expression, AK’s Gin, which is made using single estate wheat.