The Borders Distillery Workshop Series
Here at the Borders Distillery, we’re quietly working towards releasing our very own single malt whisky in the coming years. It’s a long process but is very exciting and as soon as we think it’s ready, you’ll be the first to know.
In the meantime, our fabulous and talented distillers have been hard at work experimenting, blending, and tasting to develop our Workshop Series, a series of whiskies that are experimental at heart, each expressing a unique aspect of whisky making, to see what is possible to achieve.
THE WORKSHOP SERIES
First, our Workshop Series whiskies have to have a foundation. Not a whisky as such, but the pure spirit that all whisky is born from – new-make spirit.
WS:00 – NEW MAKE SPIRIT
All whisky starts off as colourless new-make spirit before it goes into an oak cask to begin maturation, and ours is rather special, having recently won Gold at this year’s Whisky Magazine’s World Whiskies Awards 2024.
Our WS:00 New Make Spirit forms the building blocks of everything we do at the Borders Distillery and will one day evolve into our very own single malt whisky. For the moment though, it’s too good not to taste, so we’ve bottled some of it for you to enjoy at home. Made from Scottish Borders barley grown within a 30-mile radius of the distillery, our delicious new-make spirit comes straight from the still and into the bottle, ready for you to sip and savour.
It’s robust, with a peppery fire, yet carries a rich apple and pear character profile on the palate with underlying grassy notes and a creamy buttery finish.
ABV 63.5%
WS:01 – BORDERS MALT & RYE
Some say there’s nothing new in Scotch whisky. We say, think again!
Our WS:01 Borders Malt & Rye became the first Scotch whisky to leave the Scottish Borders since 1837 when it was released in 2022. Why rye and malt? The rye grain whisky and malt work harmoniously together to create a whisky full of aroma, yet rich and wonderfully smooth. We distilled a small batch of rye spirit and matured it in the same fresh-fill bourbon casks as the malt whisky, before marrying them together.
On the nose, you’ll find soft spice and toasted wood. On the palate, baked fruit and buttery shortcrust pastry, before a lovely warm custardy finish.
ABV 40%
WS:02 – BORDERS THE LONG & SHORT OF IT
WS:02 The Long & Short of It was born from our distillers’ experimentation in fermentation. Why experiment in fermentation? Fermentation plays a huge part in the outcome of flavour. So, our distillers set to work experimenting with very short fermentation times of 55 hours and very long ones of 150 hours to produce a whisky with an intriguing blend of the two, long and short. Both batches were then distilled and matured in first fill ex-bourbon barrels, before being married together with single grain.
The short fermentation reveals fresh bursts of gooseberry skin, citrus zest, and green apple which plays perfectly with the notes of fig pudding, butterscotch, and sultanas from the long fermentation.
ABV 40%
Offer:
If you purchase any 70cl bottle of the Borders Distillery blended whiskies, including Borders Malt & Rye and Borders The Long & Short of It before 16th June 2024, you’ll receive two tickets to our award-winning distillery tour, which will arrive with your order.
However, we don’t only make whisky at The Borders Distillery, many are surprised to learn that we also make vodka!
PUFFING BILLY STEAM VODKA
Puffing Billy Steam Vodka is named after the rare still which is central to its production process. This unfiltered vodka is crafted from malted barley grown locally in the Scottish Borders. The process begins with pot distillation, followed by re-distillation in ‘Puffing Billy’, our specially commissioned Carterhead Still.
In terms of production, we believe in doing things differently. We don’t like regular filtration because we believe it strips away the flavour and texture, so instead the spirit is gently steamed through charcoal inside the still, preserving the essence and character. The result is a vodka with a rich, creamy mouthfeel and a full-bodied flavour.
ABV 40%
If you would like to come and see where we make our whiskies and spirits, and see our pot stills and our Carterhead Still in action, our award-winning distillery tours have recently re-started for the summer season and will run till the end of October.