Pioneering partnership honoured as Fusion Whisky unveils plan for future international releases

The team behind the first blend of Scotch and Japanese whisky have spoken of their plans for future collaborations after winning a national excellence award that honoured their partnership with a renowned independent distillery.

Fusion Whisky last night received the Success through Partnership prize at the Scottish Food and Drink Excellence Awards in recognition of its pioneering relationship with the Fife-based Adelphi Distillery, which has seen the release of two new whisky brands and the creation of a whole new category of blended whisky, international whisky fusions.

At a glitzy ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre hosted by celebrity chef Simon Rim and in front of an audience of 800 people, Fusion Whisky director David Moore was handed the Scottish Food and Drink Excellence Award for Success through Partnership.

Mr Moore said the prize was an “enormous privilege and very humbling given the outstanding quality of products taking part in the contest”.

He added: “It’s immensely gratifying to be recognised in this way. Our fusion whiskies, The Glover and The Kincardine, are the result of our groundbreaking collaboration with Adelphi Distillery, one of the country’s best independent bottlers and distillers, and are themselves the product of international partnerships. To have our business celebrated nationally in this way is an enormous honour, and a great boost as we move forwards and prepare to produce more international whisky fusions.” 

Speaking ahead of World Whisky Day, Mr Moore added: “Our fusion whiskies are about celebrating international partnerships so for us to have won on the eve of World Whisky Day, an annual event that celebrates the world’s greatest drink and the spirit of international friendship, is frankly tremendous.”

Mr Moore confirmed that alongside their current Glover and Kincardine fusion whiskies, the company was nearing the launch of another fusion and had “several others” at various stages of production.

He said: “Alex Bruce, Adelphi’s managing director and master blender, has worked wonders with The Glover, a fusion of Scotch and Japanese whisky, and The Kincardine, a fusion of Scotch and Indian whisky from Amrut Distllery. It bodes well for what is coming next. We’re very excited about our future releases.”

The prize came just a few weeks after the company’s newly released fourth edition of its Glover whisky was used at an exclusive tasting event at Scotland House, attended by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, to mark the official opening of the building.

Tonight, the latest edition of The Glover will be included in the UK’s first event of World Whisky Day at a late-night tasting session at Harry’s Bar in Edinburgh’s west end, at 1am on Saturday morning, hosted by World Whisky Day founder Blair Bowman.