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Scotch whisky and witches are not so distantly related, as it happens. The art of distilling whisky was often done by women, and the bubbling alchemy of spirit distillation could be seen as near enough to the brewing of magical elixirs that female distillers could be accused of witchcraft.
The endurance of witchcraft in popular media owes much to William Shakespeare's "Macbeth". Thought firmly in the realms of fantasy for the modern day reader, the play was extremlely topical of its time. Penned just nine years after the publication of "Daemonologie" authored by Scotland's own King James VI as a compendium on the perceived dangers of witchcraft. This was the King's justification of his brutal witch hunt across Scotland, one of the largest in Europe's history.
Shakespeare is thought to have referenced many of the tropes established by his new paranoid King, who had recently ascended to the English throne as King James I. "Macbeth" solidified these notions in the collective consciousness for over four centuries. The play, with its witches tempting a lord into regicide, mirrored James's concerns and illustrated the dire consequences of such temptations. Shakespeare's troupe, "The King's Men," reflected his need to appease the patron king, resulting in a portrayal that sensationalised and vilified the witches. The iconic introduction of the Weird Sisters in "Macbeth" has been replicated on countless stages, canvases, and screens. Now, our in-house designer and illustrator, Hannah Sneddon, offers her take in our Scottish Witchcraft Series.
Her interpretation continues a tradition of artistic representations shaped by "Daemonologie" and "Macbeth," demonstrating the lasting impact of these works on the modern understanding of witchcraft. The dark and haunting elements they introduced persist in our cultural imagination, reminding us of the centuries-old interplay between literature, history, and art in shaping our beliefs about the supernatural.
Our in-house illustrator, Hannah Sneddon, draws inspiration from Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and centuries of adaptations for The Weird Sisters in our Scottish Witchcraft Series. The eerie trio, dressed in rags, present a concoction with macabre ingredients - eye of newt, adder’s fork, tooth of wolf. They spin their prophecy surrounded by poisonous plants and a brinded cat, and on the horizon sits the silhouette of Cawdor Castle, of which Macbeth is granted thaneship. Their true gruesomeness, however, is only revealed in darkness - the specialised phosphorescent ink will glow in the dark after exposure to light...
Blair Athol Distillery is nestled at the bottom of the Cairngorm National Park in Perthshire, Scotland - the very same region in which several acts of Macbeth take place. To this day many still exist, including Glamis Castle, Dunsinane Hill and Birnam Wood.
This single cask bottling of 26 year old Blair Athol at cask strength is a symphony in Sherry, a true sipping whisky which evolves and develops in the glass, giving you layer after layer of rich flavours.
Nose
Immediate and intense. Swiss milk chocolate, stewed dates, cinnamon and nutmeg laced walnut brittle drizzled in hot caramel. Develops over time into molasses and dark chocolate torte.
Palate
Richly sweet and complex. Dark chocolate ganache, waning into pecan pie. Subtle spices lend a vivacity to the mid-palate. Lebkuchen abounds.
Finish
Very long and rich, evolving from salted caramel chocolate through raisins and fig and into smoothly resinous black treacle. Eventually charred oak and bay leaf, along with marmalade, provides the final encore.
Distillery Blair Athol
Cask number #7654
Finish Oloroso Hogshead
Colour Sanguine Mahogany
Distillation date 26/07/1997
ABV 53.4%
Bottling date 25/09/2023
Age 26 Years
This ephemeral and unique single cask expression is exceedingly limited. Previous releases have sold out in hours so give way to temptation yourself and conjure a bottle of your very own now.
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Designed and crafted by acclaimed Edinburgh-based South African artist Jonathan Freemantle.
Jonathan embarked on a residency in a remote and secluded bothy amongst the Cairngorm Mountains
Here he harnessed the elements of his surroundings, grinding rock, minerals, earth and flora into pigments then blending with water from a nearby stream - the very same elements from which the whisky was crafted
Every part of this expression, from the original artworks to the stand it sits on, and the whisky within, are all sourced from the natural landscape embodying the essence of Scottish terroir
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Distilled: 1991
Cask Type: Refill Hogshead
Cask Number: 2258
ABV: 50.6%
Distilled: 1996
Cask Type: Oloroso Hogshead
Cask Number: 1556
ABV: 44.7%
Distilled: 1997
Cask Type: 1st Fill Sherry Butt
Cask Number: 9318
ABV: 55.2%
A taster of all three 70cl bottles, accompanied by 'coursework' to teach you all about whisky engineering.
Find out More
Click on the whisky bottles to view images and journal entries from Steadman's visits to Scotland and its distilleries.
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