Borders Distillery 8 y.o. First Release

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

First Release introduces the Borders Distillery’s first single malt. This eight-year-old whisky initially matured in First Fill Bourbon Barrels: former bourbon barrels used for Scotch whisky for the first time. It then received a finish in Malmsey Madeira casks. The bourbon barrels contribute vanilla, caramel and honey, while the Madeira finish adds sultanas and other dried fruits without masking the distillery’s fruity character.

The first casks were filled in 2018. Rather than releasing a whisky at the earliest possible opportunity, the distillery waited eight years for its first single malt release. First Release launched on 24 September 2026, with a worldwide edition of 10,000 bottles; this particular edition will not be repeated. The whisky is bottled at 46%, without chill filtration or added colouring. The bottle contains 0.7 litres and comes in a presentation tube.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, sultanas, bright citrus notes and sweet caramel mingle with honey and vanilla. Cola sweets follow, along with a hint of gingerbread and malt.
• Palate: The whisky feels soft and supple on the palate. Ripe berries and ginger preserved in syrup give way to brown sugar, raw cocoa and buttery wholegrain biscuit notes.
• Finish: The warming finish lingers for a long time. Hazelnuts and buttery macadamia nuts give way to dried fruits, candied citrus peel and gentle oak notes.

Distillery/Bottler:

The Borders Distillery has been producing spirits in Hawick since 2018, bringing whisky distillation back to the Scottish Borders for the first time since 1837. It occupies a restored Victorian building in the town centre. Hawick’s long history of textile production and manufacturing provides the local backdrop to this young distillery.

The distillery uses barley from ten farms within a radius of around 48 kilometres. Its water is drawn from beneath the distillery building. Production involves a 72-hour fermentation and four pot stills arranged to maximise copper contact. The resulting light, fruity new-make spirit matures in the distillery’s own warehouses.

Simpsons Malt has supplied malt from its Tweed Valley Maltings in Berwick-upon-Tweed since production began. Established in 2022, the Borders Growers & Distillers partnership links the distillery, the maltster and the ten farms in a traceable supply chain. After harvest, the barley is stored separately, then malted and delivered to the distillery.

Facts: