Project 1927 Tasting Set 7x10cl - James Eadie

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 63.4% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Project 1927 makes it possible to compare the work of six Scottish distilleries before maturation in a cask shapes their spirits. The set contains 0.1 litres of new make from each of Ardnamurchan, Dornoch, Holyrood, InchDairnie and Lochlea, plus an unnamed farm distillery in Fife. The seventh sample, Blended at Birth, combines portions of all six distillates before maturation. Together, the seven bottles contain 0.7 litres; every sample has an alcohol content of 63.4%.

Records of whisky production from 1927 to 1931 inspired the experiments. Historic barley varieties such as Chevallier, Plumage Archer and Golden Promise were used; brewer’s yeasts and fermentation periods sometimes exceeding 100 hours are also part of the project. The distilleries explored different approaches, including locally grown barley, cloudy wort, floor malting and altered distillation methods. This allows differences arising from grain, fermentation and distillery practices to be tasted directly. Among the selected samples, malty and herbal notes sit alongside citrus and berry fruit, while Ardnamurchan also has an oily quality.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The Ardnamurchan new make smells of grain mash, dried herbs and lemon. Lochlea brings lime, mint leaves and a little apple; Blended at Birth combines citrus notes with aniseed and mint.
• Palate: Ardnamurchan is dense and herbal, with peppery warmth and hints of grapefruit and green apple. Lochlea shows berries, citrus fruit, green apple and a little marzipan. In Blended at Birth, pepper and nutmeg join herbs, caramel and berry sweetness.
• Finish: Ardnamurchan ends on a bittersweet note of mint, pepper and increasingly dry cocoa. Lochlea leaves a clean impression of bright fruit; Blended at Birth brings back citrus and aniseed in a slightly bittersweet aftertaste.

Distillery/Bottler:

James Eadie assembled Project 1927 with the six participating distilleries and bottled the seven spirit samples. The starting point was the republication of historic technical writing on distillation. Rather than recreate a single old method, the team invited each distillery to try different production choices and placed their unaged distillates side by side for direct comparison.

The independent bottler today is led by Rupert Patrick, a great-great-grandson of the Scottish brewer James Eadie. Eadie founded a brewery in 1854, and the family history also includes its own recipe for blended Scotch whisky. Patrick later revived this heritage. Through Project 1927, the company brings its interest in historic sources together with the practical work of today’s distilleries.

Facts: