R&B Distillers win two bronze awards at the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition
R&B Distillers are delighted to announce that their Raasay While We Wait single malt and Borders highland single grain whisky have both been awarded a coveted bronze medal in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition (HKIWSC).
These prestigious awards are an outstanding achievement for such young whiskies and is a great addition to R&B Distillers growing list of accolades: in May 2016 the lightly-peated single malt, Raasay While We Wait, won the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) bronze award and was swiftly followed in July by a silver medal in the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC). Raasay While We Wait is now a triple award-winning scotch whisky and the bronze HKIWSC medal is the first international award for Borders.
HKIWSC is run in partnership with the IWSC and is the first truly Asian wine and spirit competition in the world. Judging is conducted by Asia’s most esteemed wine and spirit experts in two stages, first through a silent blind tasting in which the whisky are ranked alongside their competitors and proceeded by a discussion.
R&B stands for Raasay and Borders, two unique Scottish landscapes brought together through one unique whisky company. Co-founder Alasdair Day embodies this coupling; his great grandfather hailed from the Hebrides, while his other great grandfather was a master-blender in the Borders in the early 19th Century. Raasay
While We Wait, which is finished in Tuscan red wine casks, is R&B’s representation of the style of whisky they intend to distill at their brand new Isle of Raasay Distillery. With the distillery currently under construction and set to open and begin production in late spring 2017, the first single malt from Raasay itself will be bottled in 2020.
R&B plan to build a second distillery in Peebles, within the Scottish Borders region and their Borders single grain has been produced to reflect this lowland style. It is uniquely the only single grain Scotch Whisky to contain 50% wheat & 50% malted barley from one highland distillery.
Borders is finished in Oloroso sherry casks rendering it dry and complex with herbaceous and floral notes. Alasdair Day said of their fantastic achievement at the HKIWSC – “Since The Tweeddale Blend was introduced to the Asian market there’s been an interest in the story behind R&B Distillers, and Raasay and Borders have proved no exception. We’ve been able to provide an uncommon Scotch whisky palate to a new younger urban market .”
Raasay While We Wait, priced at £56.95 and Borders priced at £49.95 and is available to buy directly from the R&B Distillers website www.rbdistillers.com T: 0131 564 0761 E: sales@rbdistillers.com
RETAILERS UK:
● Master of Malt (online)
● Whiski Rooms (Edinburgh shop)
● Oban Whisky & Fine Wines (Oban)
● Shop4Whisky (online)
● JL Gill (Crieff)
● Royal Mile Whiskies (Edinburgh & online)
● Raasay Community Store (Raasay)
● Jeffrey Street Whisky & Tobacco (Edinburgh)
● The Whisky Shop (Dufftown)
● Mainstreet Trading Co. (St Boswells, Scottish Borders)
● Oblo Bar (Eyemouth, Scottish Borders)
BARS/RESTAURANTS
● Whiski Rooms (Edinburgh bar)
● Teuchters Landing (Edinburgh Leith)
● Teuchters West End (Edinburgh West End)
● Drysbrugh Abbey Hotel (Drysbrugh)
● Raasay House Hotel (Raasay)
● Sconser Lodge (Skye)
BARS AND RESTAURANTS – TAIWAN
● Mume
● TCRC Bar
● Marsalis Home Hotel
TASTING NOTES:
‘Raasay While We Wait’
Aroma: Surprisingly very little smoke on the nose but instead light fruity notes come through.
Colour: Natural colour, heather tinted imparted from Tuscan red wine oak casks.
Taste: Instantly there is peat smoke and spice (a distant campfire, black pepper, liquorice, oak and then the
sea breeze) slowly this is balanced with the dry fruit from the Tuscan red wine casks (black currant, blackberry,
raspberry and cherries).
Finish: A long lingering finish.
Food Pairings: Pairs well with Sconser Scallops, Smoked Salmon, game, grouse, woodcock, venison, creamy
blue cheese, bacon, haggis.
ABV: 46% Non-Chill Filtered
Year released: November 2015 – 1st Release Limited Edition
‘Borders’
Aroma: Prominent sherry notes on the nose, hints of sugar-coated nuts.
Colour: Natural colour, lightly golden taken from sherry finishing casks.
Taste: Surprisingly dry on the palate with the sherry influences dominating. Walnuts balanced with vanill a,
herbaceous and floral notes coming through towards the end, and just a touch of warm spice.
Finish: Lingering, dry and complex.
Food Pairings: Pairs well with Cocoa Black dark praline chocolates.
ABV: 51.7% Non-Chill Filtered
Year released: November 2015 – 1st Release Limited Edition
Rating: 0.0/10 ( votes cast)