The Benefits of Heritage Barley Varieties in Whisky Production

Scottish whisky requires only three ingredients: malted barley, yeast and water. Our soft island water is ideal for promoting an efficient mash and clean fermentation and we use a relatively neutral yeast, allowing the character from the malted barley to come to the fore of our spirit. We carefully construct our mash recipe, or ‘malt bill’ using different barley varieties selected for the unique characteristics they contribute, to create a complex and unique spirit with a connection and provenance to the island.

Contemporary malting/distilling barley varieties have been carefully developed for efficiency and yield across the board from field to spirit. They are easier to grow, malt more consistently and, in the distillery, produce more spirit with a standardised flavour profile. This focus on yield comes with a reduction in the proportion of other components of the grain like fats and proteins though, which contribute different dimensions to the spirit. In contrast, older varieties will have higher proportions and different ratios of these compounds, in turn producing more distinct and unique flavour profiles. However, there are some large cost implications associated with using heritage varieties, along with processing challenges for the farmer, maltster and distiller. 

We believe these benefits of additional complexity of flavour profile and texture far outweigh the costs and processing challenges of the barley varieties we have chosen to work with, each of which has a fascinating history and makes a unique contribution to our whisky. 

Our Malt Bill

Bere Barley

Bere barley is one of the oldest known landrace cereals, these are species of plant which have naturally become specifically adapted to their local environment over thousands of years. Uist is one of the few remaining places where Bere is still being grown, well adapted to the harsh climate and shorter growing season. Bere grows well in the mineral rich machair soils of Uist which are traditionally low input, using only beach harvested seaweed as fertiliser (known as ‘feamainn uachdair’) and rotational grazing of cattle and sheep to maintain species-rich biodiverse machair habitats. 

In Uist Bere is mainly grown as animal feed, often as a mixed crop of other landrace varieties of oats, wheat and rye. Over the past few years we have been working with local crofters to grow our Uist Bere barley and start to establish a supply chain for our whisky - a large part of which is a traditional floor maltings on the island, more on that later.  

Probably the most challenging and lowest yielding of all the barley varieties we use, Bere nurtures our connection to the islands and its culture, while helping to safeguard this old variety and tradition. Bere barley also provides unparalleled levels of unctuous, mouth coating texture, along with delicate herbal notes and hints of stone fruits, which makes it a great back bone to our spirit. 

Chevallier

This was one of the first varieties of barley systematically propagated for use in the brewing and distilling industry in 1831 when most Scottish distilleries would have still been using local landrace varieties such as bere. Chevallier is known for its high lipid content, producing a really viscous and oily textured spirit, with hints of orange rind/marmalade. 

Plumage Archer

One of the first hybrid barley varieties, Plumage Archer was developed in 1905 by crossing the Danish Plumage with the English landrace Archer, and was widely used into the 1950s. This variety was developed to produce a cleaner fermentation than that of Chevallier, favouring more fruity ester production with a comparatively light and velvety texture. 

Maris Otter

Originally developed in the 1960s for use in English Pale Ales, Maris Otter was the dominant barley variety used for brewing and distilling throughout the 60s and 70s. Still heavily favoured by breweries for its lighter profile showcasing rich malty, nutty and biscuit flavours which also carry well into new-make spirit. 

Golden Promise

Golden Promise was a result of 'atomic gardening' - a practise used in the 1950s and 60s where seeds were exposed to gamma radiation to induce genetic mutations. The result was a short, sturdy, fast-growing variety favoured by farmers throughout 1970 to 1980. Macallan famously built its reputation for its rich and oily textured whisky using Golden Promise. The resulting spirit has a complex nutty, biscuity character dominated by its creamy, buttery and oily texture. 

Biodiversity and Sustainability

One of the potential downsides of using older varieties is a decreased pest and disease resistance, and an overall higher requirement for input from the grower. To combat this we have been running growing trials of organic and low input methods incorporating native wild flowers into the crop to increase biodiversity. This allows the natural insect and plant populations to manage pests and help maintain the health of the soil respectively, better bolstering against disease. We work with local crofters to grow our Bere barley on small crofts making it easier to react to its requirements and the unpredictable weather here in the Outer Hebrides. 

Our Spirit Styles 

We love the flavour profile of Bere barley spirit, however due to the small amounts we have available along with the expense and processing difficulties of this heritage grain, we have opted to weave its profile into everything we produce, rather than producing a relatively small amount of pure Bere distillate.

With our spirit Style 1 we are primarily aiming for a robust, oily spirit; Bere adds a lot of texture, and when paired with Chevallier the result is a highly viscous and mouth coating spirit with a lot of savoury, herbal elements. A small proportion of Maris Otter in this mix can add some nutty, biscuity character which balances the spirit nicely.

With Style 2 we trialled varying levels of heavily peated malt along with similar proportions of Bere, Chevallier and Maris otter to Style 1. We found that the savoury minerality and texture of the Bere-Chevallier mix complemented the earthy and spicy phenols from the peat perfectly.  

In the coming months we will also be producing a lighter style of spirit, for which we will utilise other varieties such as Golden Promise, Plumage Archer and Maris Otter, along with Bere, which will tend toward a slightly cleaner and lighter bodied spirit with more fruity ester dominant profile.