Holyrood Pitch – 49,4%

Does whisky owe 80 per cent of its flavour to the cask? Not if you ask the Holyrood Distillery. The up-and-coming distillery from Edinburgh relies on a wide range of malt and yeast varieties for the flavour spectrum of its Lowland whiskies.

For the new single malt in the range, Pitch, the craft distillers use Scottish pot still malt and brown malt. Both are usually used for dark porter beers.

With Pitch, the team is also exploring the untapped potential of red wine yeasts in whisky production – with the Pepe Nero and Toro Nero varieties.

While the malt delivers chocolate and hazelnut flavours, the specially balanced yeast enhances the chocolate notes and gives the raw spirit a fuller flavour.

The chocolaty distillate is then matured in Oloroso barrels, which emphasise the nutty notes. The result? A fruit and nut bar in liquid form.