- Distillery: The Summer Hall Distiller – (August 2022) (Edinburgh)
- Expression: Talisker (“sloping rock or precipitous rock”)
- ABV: 48%
- Type: Lowland Single Malt
- Cask Profile: American Oak.
- Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Toffee, apple, and peat.
Summerhall Distillery
The Summerhall Distillery, in the heart of Edinburgh, was founded in 2013 by Marcus Pickering and Matthew Gammell. While other distilleries in Scotland can boast 200 years of history, Matthew and Marcus made history by establishing the first legal gin distillery in over 150 years.
The Broody Hen takes its name from a 17th Century Scotland, where high levels of taxation incentivised illicit distillers – bootleggers- to take great lengths to avoid the taxman. The story goes that they would hide their precious whisky in the most peculiar of places – including funeral corteges and bottles or the nests of broody hens.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Comforting, sweet and aromatic spice. Creamy notes of vanilla, sticky toffee and buttery apple pie.
Palate (Flavour & Texture): Exceptionally smooth, and easy-drinking whisky that relies heavily on complex herbaceous sweetness. Lingering notes of honey, vanilla, toffee and cream. Cooked jammy apple, buttery crumble and a slight hint of smoky peat. A supremely comforting flavour.
Finish: The lingering notes are of peat, but the sweet apple and toffee demand another sip.
The Verdict & Rating
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Who it’s for: A whisky drinker who appreciates smooth, easy-drinking spirits that are sweet and morish. The Broody Hen Malt elevates what is often a flat genre of whisky.
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Who might pass: Those who are looking for something pushing boundaries. A great example of a whisky designed for those with less adventurous tastes.
The Broody Hen has become a whisky I like to recommend and gift to a certain kind of drinker. It provides a wonderful welcome to newcomers and makes an interesting gift for regional collectors. What makes this spirit so interesting is it’s herritage – or lack of. There are few modern whisky’s with this level of flavour and quality.
