Aberargie Distillery, just outside Perth, has launched its first ever single malt, a barley-to-bottle release made entirely on the Morrison’s Perthshire farm. It’s the family’s first return to distilling in over 30 years, and a significant step for one of Scotland’s longest-established whisky families.
The Aberargie Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Inaugural Release is a farm-grown, field-to-bottle whisky which was distilled in 2017 and matured entirely on site, using barley grown on the family’s 300-acre farm. The mash bill is a 52/48 split of Golden Promise and Laureate, aged in a mix of first-fill bourbon and sherry casks. It’s bottled at 48.2% ABV, non-chill filtered and with no added colour. Flavour notes include baked apple and golden pastry, with layers of dried fruit and a herbal finish.
“Our first casks were laid down in 2017, and we’ve been patiently waiting for the whisky to be ready,” said Niel Hendriksz, Managing Director. “After nearly a decade, the moment feels right to share Aberargie with the world. It’s a proper barley-to-bottle single malt that respects the Morrison family’s heritage but sets out its own direction.”
To mark the release, Aberargie also commissioned a poem from Edinburgh-based writer Miriam Gamble. Titled Golden Promise, after the barley used in the whisky, the poem explores themes of patience, craft and tradition.
“Where prose’s equivalent tipple might be a pint of beer, poetry is language art’s most condensed form,” said Gamble. “Both the maker of whisky and the poet work to distil spirit: one in liquid, the other in language.”
Hendriksz added: “Working with Miriam felt like an honest way to reflect what this release means to us. This is a whisky rooted in land and legacy – but it’s also the start of something new.”
The Aberargie Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Inaugural Release goes on sale from 3 March, priced at £65.