The Fife Arms creates its own whisky for its new bar

August 6, 2021 | Uncategorized

A Scots hotel has created its own whisky in partnership with Dave Broom and Adelphi Distillery, for the launch of its new whisky bar.

Beautifully illuminated in a soft amber glow, Bertie’s Whisky Bar opened at the Fife Arms Hotel in the Highland village of Braemar in May . Inspired by the famous Royal bon viveur, King Edward VII, also known as ‘Bertie’ – the new whisky bar at the Fife Arms embraces this much-loved monarch’s extravagance and appetite for life.

To celebrate the opening of Bertie’s, The Fife Arms has commissioned its own whisky, in collaboration with whisky writer, Dave Broom and Alex Bruce, managing director of independent bottler and distiller, Adelphi.

The Fife Arms Braemar Whisky will launch on September 13 and will be the hotel’s house whisky.

When creating the distinctive blended malt whisky, a natural starting point was to explore the traditions enjoyed when the Fife Arms was first opened in 1856. This led to the creation of a whisky which would have been reminiscent of the signature styles of whiskies enjoyed in the late Victorian and Edwardian era.

Choosing a dram at Bertie’s Whisky Bar

These flavours were fuller in style, with a little smoke coming through. The Fife Arms Braemar Whisky has a rich fruitiness to it which comes from sherry casks, the cask type most identifiably and widely used during the Victorian and Edwardian time.

This is then tempered by subtle layers of smoke from Ardnamurchan, Adelphi’s distillery found on the secluded West Coast of Scotland. A distillery powered entirely by renewable energy; the whiskies made here are from Alex’s family barley farms in Fife. The West Coast style of smokiness found in this fine dram is then balanced by a sweet, gentle, light fruit top note.

The whisky will be available to purchase from the hotel’s shop and its online shop, retailing at £95 a bottle.

Later this year, The Fife Arms will launch a collection of single cask whiskies in partnership with Dave and Alex.

Bertie’s Whisky Bar has 365 drams

A born and bred Scotsman with over 25 years’ experience in the world of whisky – whisky writer, Dave Broom was a natural choice for the Fife Arms when curating the concept behind Bertie’s and its whisky collection.

Working closely with the hotel team, Dave carefully curated the collection of 365 whiskies in Bertie’s, one for each day of the year, and each one chosen for its character, flavour and story. Of these, 85% are Scotch whiskies, with the rest of the best from 17 other countries around the world.

Entering Bertie’s is like entering no other whisky bar, in fact, there is no ‘bar’ at Bertie’s – it can be said to be more like a ‘whisky library’. Where guests can lose themselves in a labyrinth of whisky bottles, arranged like books on shelves, backlit in a lustrous amber liquid casting a seductive glow across the room.

Whisky expert Dave Broom

The whole experience has been designed for the novice as much as for the expert – and to be generous, comfortable and opulent. With no bar, guests are actively encouraged to discover, wander and browse with bartenders as ‘librarians’ to answer questions and make suggestions.

Dave said: ‘Bertie’s breaks down the barriers and new ground of what a great whisky bar can be” – a fitting homage to a fun-loving monarch, a true diplomat known as “The Uncle of Europe” – and an occasional drinker.’

Find out more at www.thefifearms.com.