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Bruichladdich Barrel Aged Whisky Sour

Brewgood, Bruichladdich Distillery and Vault City logos against the backdrop of Islay

 

In March this year, something happened for the first time ever. Bruichladdich casks were allowed to leave the distillery to be filled with something other than whisky. All the way from Islay to Portobello, Edinburgh, these casks were to become the key component in our three way collaboration with Brewgooder and Bruichladdich, creating our 9-month Barrel Aged Whisky Sour with lemon balm extract and Scottish heather honey.

The whole idea came about the way most things do at Vault City, over a few beers and with good company. Our co-founder, Steve, met with Alan, founder of Brewgooder, and they both got to catching up. A project between both brands had been in the pipeline for some time, but the idea of a Barrel Aged Whisky Sour beer created a unique opportunity, adding another element to an already exciting partnership.

 

“Steve and I talked about one of our favourite cocktails, which was a whisky sour. Bruichladdich felt like the natural choice because of the brand’s shared values regarding sustainability and B-Corp status alongside Brewgooder.”

Alan Mahon, Founder of Brewgooder

 

Alan Mahon, Founder of Brewgooder staring in awe at Bruichladdich casks piled high in the Vault City Brewery

 

We got to experience Islay hospitality first-hand when we visited the Bruichladdich distillery earlier this month. It was 10.30am when Adam Hannett, Bruichladdich’s Head Distiller handed us yet another great dram in the making, pulled straight from the cask. We were in heaven.

Adam spoke about the maturation process and the depth of flavour that comes from the casks. Having previously contained whisky from 2014 to 2021 that went on to produce the Classic Laddie, our 9-month barrel aging process has infused that unique character and iconic flavour with our beer. This creates delicate notes of sweet oak and barley, while the hand-picked lemon balm foraged locally from Islay hills builds on the overall, bright refreshing flavour.

The addition of Scottish heather honey, produced locally by Scottish Bee Company, creates a perfect balance of tart acidity and smoky-sweetness – giving the beer a rich and flavoursome taste.  

 

Steven, Vault City's Co-founder and Richard Wardrop Head of Marketing at Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay 

The impact of this beer will be felt far beyond just those who drink it. Every litre of beer sold will fund 1,000 litres of clean water to communities around the world through Brewgooder’s ‘Billion Pint Pledge’ which aims to produce one billion pints of clean water in the next three years. The initiative in partnership with Charity: Water - an organisation committed to solving the global water crisis in our lifetime - is set to tangibly support projects in 22 countries where reliable nationwide access to clean water continues to be a challenge.

From Islay to Edinburgh, we’ve documented the journey of this beer. We heard from Bruichladdich’s Head Distiller, Adam Hannett, and their local forager, James Donaldson. We also spoke with Alan from Brewgooder, our Co-founder, Steve, and our very own Brewer, Ravi, to detail the process and the flavour of this limited edition, 9-month Barrel Aged Whisky Sour. 

 

 Our distribution partner, Distant Lands, will be helping get this release out to a select few bars who’ll have our 9-month, Barrel Aged Whisky Sour pouring from Tuesday 30th.

 Map of UK bars pouring our Bruichladdich x Brewgooder barrel aged whisky sour whisky sour

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