'HERESY' SMALL-BATCH DELIGHTS
Citrus Reveries
While the lazy days of summer present an opportunity for daydreaming, the flavours of the season are very much about the zingy vibrancy of the here and now. As the Society releases its very first Lowland bottling in our ‘Heresy’ series of small-batch whiskies, Julien Willems learns more about this collaboration with Courageous Spirits
When daydreaming or reminiscing about the good old days, it’s all too easy to crack open a bottle of antique whisky and maybe stroll a step too far down memory lane. I would nevertheless argue that there’s no time like the present.
So, to fully relish the moment, there’s nothing like the zing of lemon and citrus fruits to keep you from straying from the path of reflection into that of saudade*. And if the tipple hails from a young distillery, it’ll no doubt help to root our thoughts in the present looking towards the future rather than on faded old glories and could-have-beens. Go with the summer flow and fresh and vibrant is what you need. Think lemon tart and prosecco in the evening, followed by a fresh doughnut and buck’s fizz for breakfast on a radiant morning. Sounds like your cup of tea? Citrus Reveries might be the perfect dram for you.
Our new offering from the ‘Heresy’ series of small-batch blends is the result of a collaboration between ourselves and our friends at Courageous Spirits. Distilled in the greatest city in the Lowlands (Editor: that’s Glasgow, obviously), this is a dram as welcoming as its hometown and has no shortage of zingy flavour for banter.
I caught up for a chat with Robert Torrance, operations manager, and Andy McGeoch, founder of Courageous Spirits, who are the makers of King’s Inch. Their whisky is custom distilled at a Lowland distillery that the Society also collaborates with. The whisky produced for King’s Inch, however, is different than the one from its home distillery, so for us it’s an interesting opportunity to compare notes on two distillates produced by the same stills. It’s also something a bit beyond the unpeated or peated varieties of spirits many distilleries produce. So naturally, when Robert offered us the chance to collaborate on a batch, our interest was piqued.
Citrus Reveries is created using a yeast called DY502, which produces subtle fruity and malty flavours. The distillate stems from a narrow cut, or in layman’s terms, a short interval where the spirit is collected during distillation to obtain very specific flavours. As you can maybe deduce from this, you’re in for a clean, balanced spirit in fresh and quite active bourbon casks.
Although now a bit less relevant, the concept of whisky region seems to apply here. This first ever Lowland malt in our Heresy series ticks all the boxes on the Scotch Whisky Association’s definition of its regional whisky characteristics. I’ll save you a trip on your search engine, it goes as follows: “Soft and smooth malts are characteristic of this region, offering a gentle, elegant palate reminiscent of grass, honeysuckle, cream, ginger, toffee, toast and cinnamon. The whiskies are often lighter in character and perfect for pre-dinner drinks.” Now, soak it all in lemon, lime and grapefruit and there you have it. A picture-perfect Lowland malt.
“We are Glasgow-based and use Ayrshire barley, so a Lowland whisky is what we were aiming for, but we also wanted to make something authentic.”
“Both things landed in the same place originally,” says Andy. “We wanted to create a signature Lowland whisky that was approachable, easy drinking and a quality session whisky of sorts. So light and smooth is where we went.
“We are Glasgow-based and use Ayrshire barley, so a Lowland whisky is what we were aiming for, but we also wanted to make something authentic. First, we took inspiration from Jim Swan to create a balanced, light, fruity and fast ageing distillate,” says Andy. For the benefit of those who have maybe not focussed on the distillation side of things, the late Dr Jim Swan’s legacy is alive and well in several distilleries, both in Scotland and overseas. The school of thought that he founded promotes producing a light and fruity distillate that aims at optimising extraction from the cask. This is the bread and butter of many a young distillery, allowing them to turn around good quality fast-maturing whisky in a relatively short time – it’ll still take a few years to come into its own, though. It’s fine-tuning distillation, not sorcery.
What this translates to in technical facts is a custom-made single malt whisky. “To optimise the output of esters during distillation, for a fruitier whisky, we also went for a slightly longer fermentation time of 72 hours,” says Andy. “One of the main focuses we have is on wood and casks which we select ourselves,” adds Robert. “It’s an area where we’re sparing no effort.
“We also aim to open a discussion with King’s Inch aficionados about the toast and char levels to use for our casks – just as we are open to exploring many different wood types, a process that is already well underway.”
“We love the taste-first approach the Society takes with distillery numbers and flavour profiles,” he says. “For us this was not just about credibility and proof of concept, it was about curiosity: what would the SMWS do with our whisky? We’re not trying to make people conform. That’s why the SMWS is a good concept for us. We often get push back on age statements, but forget about that. When it’s right, it’s right!”
And interestingly, though Citrus Reverie comes under our ‘Heresy’ range with no distillery number attached, it will be the first release of a King’s Inch single malt to ever bear an age statement. Quite an honour. But to illustrate his point Robert adds that “our King’s Inch NAS was awarded a best in show award at London Spirits Competition, and 95 points at IWSC.”
This would motivate anyone to go forward and make plans for the future. And King’s Inch definitely has big plans. But all in good time! While we’re looking forward to seeing what surprises Courageous Spirits will have for us down the line, let’s not get carried away.
As I said, there’s no time like the present, so crack open a bottle of Citrus Reveries and let your mind peacefully wander in the bliss of summer evenings, enjoying the here and now and all the freshness this Lowland single malt has to offer. Slainte!
* an emotional state of melancholic or profoundly nostalgic longing for a beloved yet absent something or someone