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Ardgowan Distillery has announced the two final additions to its celebrated Clydebuilt whisky series: Anchorsmith and Draughtsman Blended Malt Scotch Whiskies.
The penultimate release in the Clydebuilt series, Anchorsmith combines six distinct whiskies from renowned Lowland, Speyside, and Highland distilleries, each matured in first fill oloroso sherry casks and handpicked by Master Whisky Maker Max McFarlane.
Marking the final chapter of the series, Draughtsman offers a grand finale to savour. This unique blend marries a small parcel of Ardgowan's oldest hand selected casks - including a 25 year old malt - with a selection of distinctive eight year old malts matured in first fill oloroso sherry casks.
Max McFarlane, Master Whisky Maker at Ardgowan Distillery, said: “Crafted with precision and passion, these limited edition blends pay homage to the rich maritime heritage of the Clyde shipyards, embodying the same dedication to quality and craftsmanship that made 'Clydebuilt' synonymous with excellence.
“Anchorsmith is a truly exceptional blend, offering a unique sensory experience with its well-balanced nose of black cherries, lemon drizzle cake and chocolate raisins.
"On the palate, expect a full-bodied symphony of ripe dark fruits, roast chestnuts, and pomegranate juice, leading to a long, lightly tannic finish with hints of earl grey tea and orange marmalade.
“Draughtsman consists of malt whiskies sourced from eight distilleries across Scotland, marrying a 25-year-old malt whisky with a handpicked selection of first fill oloroso matured malts, resulting in our most intense and complex whisky to date.
"Dive into a nose of Ceylon tea, manuka honey, and dark chocolate, leading to a palate bursting with flavours of juicy blackcurrant jam, all spice, and dark red fruits. The finish is a crescendo, starting slow and building to an explosive finale.”
The two new additions join Ardgowan’s decorated collection of Clydebuilt whiskies, which have won a variety of accolades including a recent Master Medal at the 2023 Spirits Business Global Scotch Whisky Masters and golds at the World Whiskies Awards.
Both Clydebuilt Anchorsmith and Draughtsman are bottled at 46% ABV, with a recommended retail price of £52.99 and will be available for purchase from April 22 through Ardgowan Distillery's network of specialist on-trade retailers.
After almost seven years’ careful planning, Ardgowan Distillery Limited’s distillery and visitor experience, which will create up to 47 local jobs and produce up to 1m litres of premium whisky per year, is due to open later this year.
The ambitious plans for the new net-zero distillery include cutting-edge technologies and partnerships with new technology developers to deliver a truly carbon-neutral spirit.
The distillery has partnered with Heriot-Watt University and engineers Briggs of Burton to develop technology to capture all of the CO2 in its fermentation process and transform it into green biomethane - a technique which has never been used in a Scotch whisky distillery before.
The innovative distillery design uses low environmental impact composite cladding, timber and steel materials to create a modern Nordic long hall, symbolising resurrection and rising from the ashes of the former Ardgowan Distillery in Greenock, which was bombed during the 1941 Blitz.
For more information, visit the Ardgowan website.
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