Holyrood Pitch Single Malt Scotch Whiskey

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 49.4% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

As the fourth and final release in the Founding Series, Pitch puts the influence of malt and yeast centre stage. Its malt bill comprises 84% Scotch pot still malt and 16% brown malt, a type also used in dark porter beers. The red wine yeasts Toro Nero and Pepe Nero are used alongside distiller’s yeast. This combination gives Holyrood’s spirit chocolate and fruit notes even before cask maturation.

The whisky matures entirely in Oloroso hogsheads. Its profile brings together hazelnut and cocoa with dark fruit and honey. Stewed red fruit and green bell pepper add further accents, alongside coffee, raisins and oak spice. Pitch is bottled at 49.4% alcohol in 0.7-litre bottles, without added colouring or chill filtration.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, cocoa, blackcurrant and honey meet hazelnut.
• Palate: The whisky is sweet and rich on the palate, with stewed red fruit, chocolate, hazelnut and spicy green bell pepper. Its silky texture fills the mouth as a slight acidity develops.
• Finish: Coffee, raisins and oak spice linger on the finish, along with hazelnut and chocolate.

Distillery/Bottler:

Holyrood Distillery began operating in 2019 in a former goods shed in central Edinburgh. Rather than relying on a single malt and yeast recipe for its single malts, it experiments with speciality malts and different yeast strains to shape flavour. For Pitch, it combines brown malt with distiller’s and red wine yeasts; after maturation, the distillery bottles the whisky itself.

Facts: