The whiskies of Tweeddale – starting with the Tweeddale Evolution 28YO – will be available exclusively at The Whisky Distillery from this month.
You may not have heard of Tweeddale, even if you’re an avid Scotch whisky drinker. The main reason for that is it’s a very young brand – Tweeddale Whisky was founded in 2010 by Alisdair Day and Bill Dobbie under R&B Distillers and predominantly produced blended whiskies.
The Tweeddale brand of blended whiskies are actually inspired by a cellar book owned by Day’s great grandfather which he had inherited. His great grandfather, Richard Day, had owned a licensed grocery shop, brewery and whisky blending business in the 19th century, and had meticulously written down the blending recipes produced from 1899 to 1916 in that book. That business may have closed due to the onset of war, but Alisdair Day is determined to honour his heritage by recreating as many of his great grandfather’s work as he can.
One of those whiskies he recreated is the Tweeddale Evolution 28YO. This premium blended Scotch whisky is put together using a handful of classic Speyside single malts as well as a Lowland single grain, of ages ranging between 28 and 31 years. It recently won a Silver Award at the World Whiskies Awards 2019.
Another Tweeddale expression is the limited edition Tweeddale Grain of Truth, a non-age statement single grain whisky, which Day says it’s his attempt to prove that well made grain whisky can be every bit as good as malt whisky.
The (only) distillery on the Isle of Raasay
Now another reason why you may not have heard of Tweeddale is because for the longest time in R&B Distillers’ short history it didn’t have a distillery to call their own. But that recently changed when it opened a new distillery on the remote Isle of Raasay in 2017, with the first drops of spirited distilled in September that year.
It’ll take a couple of years yet before that spirit can be legally called Scotch whisky, but in the meantime Day isn’t sitting on his hands. He’s created the Raasay While We Wait, a single malt whisky that he hopes gives whisky lovers an idea of what to expect when the Raasay distillery finally releases its own. While We Wait combines two different expressions from one distillery – one peated and one unpeated – and then is finished in French oak ex-Super Tuscan wine casks (they once held Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) for a distinctly unique character.
“We can’t wait till we can start working on those maturing spirit,” says Day, who was in town to oversee the official launch of Tweeddale in Singapore. “As we move towards the release of the first ever Isle of Raasay Single Malt in 2020, we’ll continue to churn out more award-winning Tweeddale whiskies.”
Tweeddale whiskies are exclusively available in Singapore at The Whisky Distillery and The Grande Whisky Collection. The Tweeddale Evolution 28YO is priced at $319; the Tweeddale Grain of Truth and the Raasay While We Wait are expected to arrive in Singapore later this year.
Tweeddale Evolution 28YO
Official Tasting Notes
colour Golden amber.
nose Juicy blackcurrant, creamy waxy notes, cherries and plums. A lemon icing note. On a second nosing, freshly baked pastries, and a hint of honey.
palate Big, full, juicy front palate. Christmas cake notes, blackcurrant and pear (almost glühwein-like fruity, sweetness) and a dash of orange zest.
finish Slight hint of American oak sharpening and structuring the finish. Touch of milk chocolate too.
