A Scottish hotel is emerging as a must-visit destination for whisky afficionados – thanks to a unique partnership with Scotland’s most acclaimed supplier of rare single-cask whisky.
Edinburgh’s Nira Caledonia is working with Adelphi Selection to provide guests with the opportunity to buy and sample exclusive and highly-collectable limited runs of Scotland’s spirit.
Its latest order consists of 24 bottles of highly-prized eight-year-old Caol Ila single malt from Islay – with labelling that will feature the hotel’s branding as well as information on the source, age and proof.
Nira Caledonia, a 28-bedroom luxury boutique hotel in Edinburgh’s New Town, will be the only place in the world where the celebrated drink is available by the full bottle.
Alex Bruce is the managing director of Adelphi Selections, which bottles and brings to market only one in every 35 whiskies that are chosen or provided for sampling, with its panel of professional ‘noses’ focusing purely on delivering the very best examples of flavour.
He said: ‘It is groundbreaking for a hotel to be cherry-picking the very best limited-run whisky for its customers to buy, whether at the bar or by the self-branded bottle.
‘It means that Nira Caledonia can offer truly rare whiskies that, in some cases, are not available anywhere else in the world. So if ever anyone was looking for a meaningful memento or souvenir of their stay in Edinburgh or Scotland, this fills that gap with aplomb.
‘This latest run of Caol Ila from Islay is very special and one of my favourite ever young whiskies that we have sourced. A supply of this whisky of this quality does not happen very often, so I’m delighted that we can now offer it to guests at Nira Caledonia.’
The partnership is the result of an enduring working relationship between Alex and the general manager of Nira Caledonia, Chris Lynch who for more than 15 years have collaborated across various roles linked to and within Scotland’s hospitality sector.
Adelphi is headquartered near Dunfermline and exists to identify the very small number of casks that have produced the ultimate whiskies. With a panel lead by world authority on Scotch whisky and Master of the Quaich, Charles MacLean, Adelphi accepts just 4% that it is offered.
It also only deals with a select group of businesses which includes celebrity chef Tom Kitchin’s group of companies and Scotland’s only Michelin two star restaurant, Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles.
Nira Caledonia reopened its doors to the public just in time for summer following a £1.4 million intensive project to restore half of the hotel devastated by a fire in 2017.
The Caol Ila purchase is the first order with Adelphi following the reopening.
Chris said: ‘Nira Caledonia is all about providing guests with not just a bed in luxury surroundings, but to make their stay and the quality of service truly special. We see ourselves as being a hidden gem in Edinburgh’s hotel scene
‘By being boutique and independent, it means that we can be selective to pick the best suppliers who can deliver the optimum products and comforts for our guests.
‘The relationship I have with Alex and Adelphi is a superb example of how we do things differently at Nira Caledonia.
‘Over the last 18 months we’ve been able to carefully curate more than 70 bottles of exclusive Nira Caledonia whisky – and we now even have regular clients who will seek out our latest run each and every time they stay.’
The hotel also offers a range of its branded whiskies in its restaurant, Blackwood’s Bar and Grill.
Nira Caledonia’s location in Gloucester Place makes it ideal for city getaways, being just a short walk from Edinburgh’s main shopping district, Princes Street, as well as a host of attractions and historical landmarks.
The hotel’s onsite restaurant, Blackwood’s Bar and Grill, features a menu with a speciality chateaubriand for two or a Scottish seafood platter, sourced locally for the highest quality.
Adelphi opened its own distillery in Ardnamurchan in 2014, to begin the process of producing what will eventually become world class single malts.
Nira Caledonia is part of Shanti Hospitality, a hotel and leisure company with a focus on building and developing exceptional assets and brands. There are two other properties in the Nira portfolio; Nira Alpina in St Moritz and Shanti Maurice in Mauritius.
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