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Pickering’s Gin maker moves into Scotch whisky

Summerhall Distillery, the Edinburgh-based producer behind Pickering’s Gin, has made its first foray into Scotch and revealed plans to expand its whisky operations.

The Broody Hen whisky
The Broody Hen is Summerhall Distillery’s inaugural Scotch whisky

Summerhall Distillery was founded by Matt Gammell and Marcus Pickering in 2013.

The distillery has now made its first move into whisky with the release of blended Scotch whisky brand The Broody Hen.

The liquid is made with casks from Highland distilleries, resulting in a ‘sweet and smooth flavour profile with a palate of vanilla, caramel and manuka honey’.

The whisky is blended and bottled on site at the Edinburgh-based distillery, which also has the ability to produce vodka, gin and rum.

Pickering said: “The Broody Hen is a culmination of almost five years of careful development by myself, Matt and our distillery team and marks the start of our proposed expansion into Scotch whisky.

“This first foray into whisky has been something we’ve wanted to do since we first started out, but it’s taken eight years of building up the right contacts and careful planning to get to where we are now.

“The resulting spirit is one we are very proud of and look forward to sharing with our customers. It is very soft, with a gentle flavour and sweet honeyed undertones.”

The producer said the launch of the whisky marks the start of a period of significant growth for Summerhall Distillery, after rebounding from the pandemic.

The distiller plans to release a range of whiskies under The Broody Hen label, including a 10-year-old single malt at the end of 2022.

Bottling capacity is expected to double by early 2023 as the firm moves most of its whisky operations to a bigger warehouse facility. The move will create up to three new jobs.

The distiller has received pre-orders for The Broody Hen from the Bahamas, South Korea, North America, Japan, Singapore and Europe. The aim is to bring the brand to 12 markets in the next 12 months.

The Broody Hen Blended Scotch Whisky can be purchased directly from the Summerhall Distillery website and independent bottle shops for RRP £28-£32 (US$35-US$40).

In 2019, Pickering’s Gin partnered with British Airways to create what it claims is the world’s first expression specifically designed to be sipped at high altitude.

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