Clydeside New Make Spirit - 63.5%

From the distillery website 

The 'new make spirit' distilled by our sister company, The Clydeside Distillery. Produced using clear water from Loch Katrine, 100% Scottish barley. This is the result of distillation before it is filled into oak casks to mature for years.

Tasting notes

Appearance: Colourless, coats the glass eventually falling as thick, oily legs

Nose: Malt, red berries, blackcurrant and fresh tropical fruit. With water more of the tropical fruit comes to the front

Palate: Creamy mouthfeel with apples, strawberries, a touch of blackcurrant cordial and more tropical notes including banana. With water it becomes even creamier, maltier with a touch more baked apple

Finish: Malty with a touch of berried fruit. With water, malt and apple linger

Summary: I bought this at the distillery after trying a tasting flight and becoming instantly curious about the source of all those red berry notes. The result of using barley exclusively from seven Lowland farms, together with a 72 hour fermentation in stainless steel washbacks, has produced one of the fruitiest, most characterful new makes I’ve tried. 

Normally I enjoy a new make as it gives an insight into the character of the matured spirit and of the distillery itself. Mission accomplished there, but this one also ended up as a stand-alone dram on occasion and even been used as the base of a few experimental highballs, for which it works very well.

Available to purchase at the distillery, or if you’re there and just curious ask to try it as the folks there are so helpful I’m sure they won’t refuse.

If you would like to know more about the Clydeside Distillery or their range of whiskies, follow the link here