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back against a chariot of stars
moon-belted drouthy tollbooth far
free like urchin-spiked drunken bracken
my love for you this glass won't slacken
light of primal fire & slick wax
I wet my lips, dip the nib back
scythes reap, sip ballads of barley
gold beneath our breath calmly
inspire, respire, spiro, spiritus soars
palm to palm in ritual
of fruit peel & petrichor.
-Janette Ayachi
Janette Ayachi (1982 - ) BA (English Lit. / Film Media, Stirling University) MSc (Creative Writing, Edinburgh University) is a Scottish-Algerian poet. She’s a regular on BBC arts programmes & she collaborates with artists & performs at festivals internationally. Her poetry, prose & essays have been published & translated into a broad range of newspapers, magazines & anthologies. Her first poetry book Hand Over Mouth Music (Pavilion, Liverpool University Press) won the Saltire Poetry Book of the Year Literary Award 2019 & QuickFire, Slow Burning (Pavilion, LUP) was shortlisted for The Laurel Prize & for Scotland’s National Book Awards 2024. She’s now writing her travel memoir Lonerlust & her debut fiction novel Sweet Figs.
All our products are proudly made in Scotland, down to the last drop.
We plant a tree for every cask sold ensuring we support the local environment and help maintain Scotland’s native forests.
Whisky is best enjoyed with good company. We look after the whisky, so the whisky looks after you.
All our products are proudly made in Scotland, down to the last drop.
We plant a tree for every cask sold ensuring we support the local environment and help maintain Scotland’s native forests.
Whisky is best enjoyed with good company. We look after the whisky, so the whisky looks after you.
All our products are proudly made in Scotland, down to the last drop.
We plant a tree for every cask sold ensuring we support the local environment and help maintain Scotland’s native forests.
Whisky is best enjoyed with good company. We look after the whisky, so the whisky looks after you.
The Bruichladdich distillery was founded in 1881 by three brothers, William, John and Robert Harvey. Using John’s expert design skills, Robert’s engineering prowess and William’s financial credentials, the brothers built (what was then) a state-of-the-art distillery of Rinns of Islay off the west coast of Scotland.
Unlike the other nearby distilleries, Bruichladdich was erected out of stone from the seashore, meaning it was, in a way, built out of the island itself.
Despite their brilliance together, the brothers argued intensely, leading to William buying the distillery outright before it was even fully constructed.
William Harvey ran the distillery until 1933 when a fire temporarily shut it down. After William died in 1939, the distillery regularly changed hands and was used mainly for blending processes. Stability followed when it was bought by Invergordon distilleries (later to be purchased by Whyte and Mackay) 30 years later, in 1969.
However, the good times weren’t to last, as the pride of the Islay was shut down in 1994, with it considered to be ‘surplus to requirements’. The story of Bruichladdich distillery appeared to be coming to an end.
That was until 2000 when wine merchant Mark Reiner and expert distiller Jim McEwan combined forces to bring Bruichladdich back to life. Their plan was clear: to restore the distillery to its former glory while taking the art of whisky-making to bold new places. Describing themselves as progressively Hebridean, in Bruichladdich’s mind, using local produce is the key to making great whisky.
Bruichladdich places a strong emphasis on terroir – the influence of a region’s climate, soil and terrain on the flavour of a whisky. All their barley comes from Scotland, and a significant portion is grown on the island itself.
Being innovative while staying true to Bruichladdich’s roots is key to the distillery’s ethos.
Bruichladdich is renowned for its creative use of various cask types, including the rather outlandish approach of using some from prestigious wine chateaux. This experimentation allows for the development of some complex and unique flavour profiles, including the renowned Black Art Series. This is paired with Bruichladdich’s passion for the past.
Even today, the distillery still uses much of its original equipment, including the tall, narrow-necked stills designed to produce a pure spirit.
Not convinced that automation can produce a taste as good as the old and trusted methods, Bruichladdich prefers to rely on skilled artisans to make their whisky. This is one of the many things that gives their spirits their unique profile.
It is certain that wherever William, John and Robert are now, they’d want to raise a glass to the good health of the Bruichladdich distillery.
If a whisky is a reflection of where it is made, then where better to get your whisky from than the Arran distillery?
Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, and is famed for its stunning sunsets and rolling coastal mountains.
The island is affectionately known as ‘Scotland in Miniature’, as it encapsulates almost everything the nation has to offer. It has both high and low lands, historic castles, and all the flora and fauna that you’d expect from the mainland.
In 1995, Arran welcomed its definitive whisky distillery. Using only the most traditional methods, including wooden washbacks and copper stills, the Arran distillery was able to produce a whisky unlike no other.
Many things make Arran’s whisky special. The island’s fresh water, which is cleansed by granite and softened by peat as it trickles down the highlands, gives Arran’s whisky its distinct taste. Arran’s stern sea breeze and clean mountain air, paired with a hint of warmth from the Gulf Stream, means that Arran’s malt is matured to perfection.
Arran’s Single Malt distillery has many claims to fame that single it out compared to other distilleries.
Royal ties
The distillery officially opened on August 17th, 1995, and Queen Elizabeth II opened the visitor centre two years later. To thank her, two casks were presented for Prince William and Harry. Still slumbering in Warehouse 1 and aged well over 20 years, they’ve now aged into a drink full of gusto and character – just like the two men themselves.
First ‘legal’ dram opened in 1998
In 1998, the first cask of Arran single malt whisky was finally opened. Scottish film star Ewan McGregor was in attendance to celebrate this historic occasion for the distillery and the island itself. This was the first legal dram opened on Arran for over 160 years.
So here’s to many more years of producing world-class whisky.
Founded way back in 1810, the Glenburgie distillery has been producing some of the best single malt Scotch whisky for more than 200 years.
Established by William Paul, Glenburgie was the first distillery designed by renowned architect Charles Chree Doig. Doig went on to design a further 55 distilleries and is well known for introducing the Pagoda design of distilleries.
After 60 years of successful operation, the distillery was briefly closed in 1870 before being re-opened in 1878 by Charles Kay.
Uncertainty followed the distillery for many decades, where it was dogged by changing ownership and spells of inactivity. That was until the 1930s when the distillery was acquired by Hiram Walker Co, who reasserted it as one of the best in the area.
Glenburgie’s single malt is a crucial component in several renowned blended whiskies, particularly Ballantine’s and Old Smuggler. Its fragrant, sweet, and slightly grassy profile contributes significantly to the character of those blends.
As a result of this, Glenburgie’s single malt is rarely bottled on its own, making it all the more special.
In fact, in the last 25 years, only a tiny handful of whiskies have been released. These include a five-year-old whisky released in the 1980s and a cask-strengthened 15-year-old bottled recently and still for sale at the distillery.
This makes Glenburgie’s single malt not just a wonderful drink to share a moment with, but also one worth investing in.
By ageing the whiskies for even longer than other distilleries and not rushing to release them, this gives them a unique taste. By ageing the whisky for longer, the spirits interact with the wood, giving it a strong flavour of vanilla, caramel and spice.
The ageing process of Glenburgies whiskies also reduces the harshness of the drink, giving it a more rounded, smoother drinking experience. This is partly because small amounts of air enter the barrel through the wood, and oxidation occurs, adding complexity and depth to the whisky.
So, for a drink with a smooth finish and rich flavours, you can’t look past Glenburgie Single Malt.
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