Lindores Thiron 2024

“To Brother John Cor, by order of the King, to make aqua vitae VIII bolls of malt." Fans of whisky and history may recognise that entry in the Exchequer Rolls from 1 Jun 1494 as the first recorded mention of Scotch whisky (or at least distilled malt spirit). It’s claimed this relates to Lindores Abbey, a site where – 523 years later – Drew & Helen McKenzie Smith returned distilling in 2017.

For this release the husband and wife duo hit the history books again. Lindores was a Tironensian abbey, and this whisky uses new French oak casks from trees grown in Thiron-Gardais. These add aromatic roasted notes that play off Lindores’ usual fruity, creamy character from long fermentations and the other casks (their usual combo of bourbon barrels and STR Burgundy red wine barriques). Head blender Lorena Baez Subiabre says these casks in the right ratios “worked like magic”.