The Edinburgh-based Holyrood Distillery, has announced the launch of its latest limited release, said to bring the distillery’s flavour-first approach to whisky-making to life through a carefully curated selection of malt, yeast and casks not typically seen together in the whisky world.

Holyrood Smoulder (47.1% ABV) is a single malt Scotch whisky produced using a mash bill of Heavy Peated Highland Peated Malt (75.73%), Scotch Pot Still Malt (17.42%), Plumage Archer (5.71%) and Brown Malt (1.14%). It was matured in a combination of first-fill Bourbon barrels, ex-Rum Barriques and Oloroso Octave casks.

The latest release takes inspiration from its main tasting note, gentle, spicy smoke, and brings it to life through Smoulder. It is a tongue-in-cheek play on the romance novel genre, featuring over-the-top tasting notes and playful artwork. Holyrood is not only looking to push the boundaries of whisky-making, but also to challenge the way whisky is talked about.

In a further jocular twist, the bottle label, designed by illustrator Jamie Edler, takes the smouldering character of the whisky and brings it to life through the passionate gazes shared between lovers, as commonly seen in classic romance novels.

Holyrood Smoulder has been described as delivering an intoxicating earthiness that deliberately tantalises the tongue, deepening with every second. A slow build, the final seductive crescendo of smoky and deeply nutty flavours is said to be worth the wait.

Commenting on the launch, Calum Rae, Distillery Manager, said: “At Holyrood, we take our whisky-making very seriously, but we also believe whisky can be fun and playful. We’ve taken inspiration from the main tasting note, which is a gentle, spicy smoke, and brought it to life through Smoulder. It is a tongue-in-cheek play on the romance novel genre, with over-the-top tasting notes and a bit of fun art.”

Calum, continued: “At Holyrood, we not only push the boundaries of whisky-making, but we also want to challenge how whisky is talked about. We hope people will love the taste and quirkiness of Smoulder as much as we do. From a tasting note point of view, I can say wholeheartedly that the first sip reveals a tantalising taste of what’s to come, before slowly building into a flavour-bursting crescendo that is definitely worth the wait!”

Holyrood Smoulder is now available from the distillery shop and selected specialist retailers, for a  RRP of £58.00.