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Arbikie releases Scottish rye whisky

Farm-to-bottle distiller Arbikie Highland Estate has tapped into the rye whisky trend with the release of Scotland’s first whiskies made using the grain in 200 years.

Arbikie is set to release two rye whisky expressions

The first is a Scottish rye whisky, consisting of over 51% rye and odyssey malted barley, both grown on their farms, and water from its estate.

The second expression is an American version said to be in line with techniques typically used in the US.

The news follows Fife’s Inchdairnie Distillery, which earlier this month announced that it is set to release a Scottish rye whisky called Ryelaw. The expression brings together elements of Scotch and American rye whisky by distilling a mash made with a high proportion of malted rye, as well as malted barley.

Arbikie have been growing a variety of different ryes on their farms since 2014. The distillers have been researching and developing rye spirits by experimenting with different varieties and production techniques.

“As both farmers and distillers, Arbikie is in an almost unique position to be able to distil its family of spirits using the crops grown in the fields around our distillery,” said director John Stirling. “Producing our own whisky with full provenance and traceability has been a dream for us that we are now fulfilling. This is a key day in Arbikie Distillery’s history”.

The Scottish distillery today (19 December) bottled a batch of one of its experimental pot distilled Scottish rye offerings.

A limited run of 355 bottles are being released with all proceeds going to the Euan Macdonald Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease.

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