John Crabbie & Co has launched the first single malt to be produced in Edinburgh in nearly a century, Chain Pier Single Malt. The new whisky is the first to be released from the brand’s Chain Pier Distillery.
The Granton-based site was set up by Halewood Artisanal Spirits as an experimental pilot distillery, while the larger Bonnington distillery for Crabbie Whisky was still under construction.
Chain Pier Single Malt was matured in heavily charred virgin American oak casks. The resulting liquid offers notes of berries, forest fruits, and green apples on the nose, with rich caramel, sweet malt and ginger spice on the palate.
“The Chain Pier distillery was operational for just a year (between 2018 and 2019), yet it gave our team a great opportunity to continue John Crabbie’s legacy of innovation – handcrafting unique distillations and trialing everything from malt types to custom casks,” said James Stocker, marketing director at Halewood Artisanal Spirits. “The launch of the Chain Pier Single Malt is an incredibly exciting step in the John Crabbie & Co journey, as the malt whisky that we have crafted from start to finish at a site of our own. The quality of the liquid is really a testament to our distilling team and master blender Dr Kirstie McCallum, and a great preview of what’s to come from the Crabbie whisky brand.”
Bottled at 57% ABV, Chain Pier Single Malt was distilled on site using a 500-liter copper pot still, and is limited to 234 bottles. It is available to buy from specialist whisky shops and The Drop’s online store, priced at £65 ($88 USD).
Last February, Halewood Artisanal Spirits released 260 bottles of Crabbie 1992 Speyside Single Malt whisky in the UK.