Flavours lend two new whiskies their names

Wemyss Malts have released two additional bottlings into its Family Collection range of blended Scotch malt whiskies.

The duo take their names, Blooming Gorse and Flaming Feast, after the flavours found in each whisky.

Both malt whiskies have been crafted from the family’s private collection of maturing whisky casks which were sourced by Isabella Wemyss and filled under her supervision. Years later, the mature whisky casks were selected by famed whisky writer Charlie Maclean and the Wemyss Malts team only when the spirit and casks had reached absolute balance and harmony, ready for crafting into exceptional blended malt whiskies.

Blooming Gorse is the third release of the Wemyss Family Collection range. It is a combination of two Highland single malts matured in a total of 15 first fill ex-bourbon barrels and first fill ex-bourbon hogsheads. Blooming Gorse is a malty and floral Highland Scotch whisky with the fresh notes of coconut, gorse flowers and vanilla. 6900 bottles have been produced.

Flaming Feast, created as the fourth release of the Wemyss Family Collection range, is a combination of 15 casks from two smoky single malt distilleries from the east Highlands and west coast, Inner Hebrides. Contrasting sweet and maritime smokes, as well as maturation in either first fill bourbon barrels or spicy de-charred and re-charred American oak casks lead to a mouth-watering and complex whisky.

The 6000 bottle release of Flaming Feast is noted for a complex mix of sweet and savoury smoke, heather-honey and wood spice.

Each Wemyss Family Collection release focuses on a specific influence that impacts Scotch malt whisky, be it regional, spirit style or cask effect.

For these two releases The Wemyss Malts blenders decided to focus on the Highland region for these twin releases.

Whisky blender and Wemyss Malts brand manager Steven Shand said: ‘The brief we set for these blended malts was to really illustrate the diversity of Highland malt whisky and show that there really is no one Highland regional style.

‘Casks selected for the Family Collection are always very well balanced with active oak therefore the recipes were purposely kept simple. We selected casks from only a few single malt varieties for each blend to find complementing flavours that establish depth and complexity once combined and left to marry.’

Both blended malts are bottled non chill-filtered, in their natural colour and are 46% abv. They are presented in screen printed 70cl bottles with a striking charcoal and copper detailed gift carton.

Wemyss Family Collection; Blooming Gorse and Flaming Feast will be available initially to Wemyss Malts Cask Club members and then in June from selected retailers in the UK, EU and Asian markets with suggested retail prices of £46 and £48 respectively.