William Grant & Sons has announced new range WILDMOOR, the latest addition to the distiller’s portfolio.
WILDMOOR’s high age-statement whiskies are blended from William Grant & Sons’ reserve of Scotch whiskies from across the country. The collection of seven expressions spans from 21 to 40 years old.
The mind behind the WILDMOOR range is Brian Kinsman. Named master blender for William Grant & Sons in 2009, Kinsman originally joined the company as a whisky chemist in 1997. Now, his scientific expertise is applied to exploring flavour through blending and balancing whiskies.
Kinsman and William Grant & Sons approached the collection as means to explore the wildness of Scotland’s landscapes. “We had a vision for WILDMOOR: to create a whisky that embodied the raw majesty of Scotland’s wildest places, the awe- inspiring landscapes. With access to the family’s private vaults of prized liquids, I was able to explore intense flavours,” Kinsman commented.
“I delved deeper into my personal memories of these wild places, and what was initially a single whisky has become a series of extremely old and prestigious blended malts and blended whiskies, each one a multi-sensory tribute to Scotland’s vast terrain.”
The WILDMOOR bottles also pay homage to the wilds of Scotland, through a rough relief effect. The collection of blended Scotch whiskies consists of:
- Dark Moorland 23 Years Old — blended from Highland and Speyside malts and a Lowland grain whisky, the Dark Moorland was matured in American and European oak and finished in oloroso sherry casks.
- Rugged Coast 30 Years Old — finished in oloroso sherry casks, this blend is described as “smoke meets rich stone fruit”.
- Black Mountain 40 Years Old — Ghosted Distillery stock has been blended with grain and Highland malt whiskies, before a Pedro Ximenez cask finish.
- Heather Valley 21 Years Old (Taiwan exclusive) — Highland and Speyside malts blended with Lowland grain whisky have been matured in American and European oak before an oloroso sherry cask finish.
- Ancient Moorland 23 Years Old (China and Taiwan exclusive) — malts from the Highlands and Speyside feature in this blend, matured in American and European oak and finished in oloroso sherry casks.
- Waking Forest 23 years Old (global travel retail range only) — new and sherry oak casks have been used to gift this whisky “smooth vanilla flavours with a rich sweetness”.
- Tropical Coast 30 Years Old (global travel retail range only) — inspired by the Scottish coast in summer, this blend has been finished in a Caribbean rum cask.
WILDMOOR is available via wildmoorwhisky.com.
