WHY WE MADE MYTHS & LEGENDS
Myths & Legends is a series of three Limited Edition whiskies, created to challenge certain Scotch “myths” and celebrate the creative opportunities offered by blending.
Here’s why we made our latest release, Myths & Legends…
LOOKING BEYOND WHISKY’S RECEIVED WISDOM
In matters of Scotch whisky production, a number of myths have taken root. The role of blending especially is often misunderstood, typically associated only with whiskies of a certain category.
To emphasise the central importance of the blending process to all Scotch whiskies, we have created three distinctive blends. The series opens with two single malts, each the result of blending together a variety of casks from discrete distilleries. The final whisky is a blend of malt whiskies, some fruity and the others peaty, from different distilleries.
MYTH 1: SINGLE MALTS ARE THE POLAR OPPOSITES OF BLENDS
In fact, every major brand of single malt blends. Casks filled at the same distillery develop different flavours during maturation, so producers will blend numerous casks together to enhance the complexity of their single malts.
To demonstrate this, Myths & Legends I combines two contrasting parcels of whisky from a Northern Highland distillery. Our blend allows the flavours of both parcels to express themselves and reveals a fuller picture of distillery character.
MYTH II: THE REGION DETERMINES THE FLAVOUR
Speyside may be home to the distillery behind Myths & Legends II, but the tropical fruitiness and waxy texture of the finished blend have nothing to do with the region.
Instead, the distinctive character of this whisky stems from particular processes at the distillery, maturation in different cask types for different lengths of time, and the choices made in the Blending Room.
To understand the flavours of Myths & Legends II, knowing the whisky’s region is not enough.
MYTH III: WHISKIES FROM FAMOUS DISTILLERIES ARE TOO PRECIOUS TO BLEND
A distillery’s reputation should never limit how its whiskies are used. If a whisky is truly great, the whiskymaker can emphasise its virtues even further through blending.
For Myths & Legends III, we added casks from two celebrated island distilleries to some of the same whiskies used in Myths & Legends II. The fruitiness and notes of butterscotch remain, but they are now complemented and enriched by aromatic peatiness.
Creativity and quality matter more than legendary status, or the sanctity of a category.
CHALLENGE OLD ASSUMPTIONS
We love Scotch whisky’s countless stories, but when they impose limits on our enjoyment of the whisky itself it is time to think more critically.
The Myths & Legends series encourages whisky fans to examine old assumptions and to trust their own palate as the ultimate arbiter of quality. These whiskies reveal the beautiful forms and captivating flavours we can create through blending.
