THE FIRST SINCE 1837
When the first ‘nip’ flowed from the stills on the 6th of May 2018, the Borders Distillery became the first Scotch Whisky Distillery to operate in this region of Scotland since 1837.
The Borders Distillery Company Limited was founded in 2013 with the explicit purpose of building a Scotch Whisky distillery in the Scottish Borders, the only region of Scotland without its own Scotch Whisky distillery.
The former home of the Hawick Urban Electric Company was purchased in 2015 and over next two years the derelict buildings were fully restored and a modern distillery installed.
The installation comprises a 5-tonne mash tun, eight washbacks, four pot stills and a Carterhead Still. Hawick is famous for its water and the distillery draws from an aquifer 17 metres below the site, whilst cooling water is drawn and returned to the neighbouring River Teviot.
The distillery now produces all year round with a team of distillers trained by the Company, continuing the town’s long tradition of highest quality manufacturing.
The inaugural release of Borders Distillery Single Malt Scotch Whisky is anticipated sometime in the 2020s; as long as it is ready.
AN AWARD-WINNING DISTILLERY
Winner - Civic Trust Award for Excellence 2019
Winner – Architectural Journal Awards 20218
Winner - RIAS Conservation & Climate Change Award 2019
Winner - EAA Architectural Awards 2019Regeneration/Conservation
Trip Advisor - Travellers Choice Award 2023
Visit Scotland 5-star visitor attraction
GROWERS & DISTILLERS
Responsible production is in our nature
At The Borders Distillery we exclusively use barley grown in the Scottish Borders. The Borders Growers and Distillers programme comprises 12 farms who together supply Simpson’s, our maltster, with Borders barley. Two more farms then convert the distillery’s by-products into biogas.
This collaboration ensures compliance with the highest environmental standards and supports the ecosystem, without which there would be no Scotch Whisky.
A map of the Scottish Borders illustrating the location of our barley farms. Twelve of these farms grow Barley for our spirit, and two others collect the draft material to re-use on their land.
THE BORDERS DISTILLERY PORTFOLIO
The Workshop
2022 2023 2018
Some say there’s nothing new in Scotch Whisky. We say, think again.
From the outset the distillers started experimenting to see what was possible. Grain Whisky was distilled from rye, fermentation was explored from the longest possible to the shortest possible, and casks were filled, tested and tasted to find the perfect partner for grain Whisky.
In 2022 this energy and enthusiasm became the Workshop Series Over the coming years a series of novel Scotch Whiskies will released in anticipation of the Single Malt. Our aim is to nurture our markets and allow our distillers to flourish.
Every one of our bottles of New Make Spirit is hand-poured on site. After much intrigue from Whisky enthusiasts, we decided to offer our New Make to customers, offering a taste of the starting point of our distilling process.
2024 2025 SERIES 2026
Each release carries the designation WS, followed by a number. WS:00 is for New Make Spirit, the basis for everything, WS:01 reflects distilling grain Whisky in a Single Malt Whisky distillery and WS:02 is a combination of Scotch Whiskies derived from different thinking about fermentation. Workshop Series 01, 02 and 03 are blended Scotch Whiskies from a Single Malt Whisky distillery.
In 2024 we will release WS:04 Right as Rain, the fourth release from the Workshop Series. This celebrates our outstanding sources of water, giving new meaning to the phrase ‘todays rain is tomorrow’s Whisky’.
Some say there is nothing new is Scotch Whisky. The team at Borders say, please think again.
NEW MAKE SPIRIT
WS:00 New Make Spirit. The building block of everything we do - and the Category and Gold Winner at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards. This spirit will one day transform into our own Single Malt; the first to leave the Scottish Borders since 1837.
Made from Scottish Borders barley and bottled from the still at 63.5% ABV, our New Make Spirit holds a peppery fire, but also carries a rich apple and pear character with underlying grassy notes.
NOSE
sweet orchard fruit
PALATE
vanilla malt
FINISH
creamy & buttery
BORDERS MALT & RYE
In 2019, we distilled a small batch of rye spirit and matured it in the same fresh-fill bourbon casks as the malt, to create this remarkable and aromatic whisky. This is the first Blended Scotch Whisky to leave the Scottish Borders since 1837, using malted barley entirely grown within 35-miles of our site.
Launching as the first expression of the Workshop Series from the Borders Distillery, Borders Malt & Rye makes it’s mark as a ‘Single Blend’ within the whisky sphere. Having used two types of cereal that have been distilled and blended at one single distillery, this release represents the people, place and spirit of the Borders.
NOSE
soft spice & toasted wood
PALATE
baked fruit in buttery shortcrust pastry
FINISH
warm custard
“The gentle spices are the star of the show and the vanilla and grains are the supporting act. Shows great potential of what is to come from the Borders Distillery, a creative blend and great use of casks to produce something this interesting at this young age”
- REVIEW FROM SCOTCHMALTWHISKY.CO.UK
THE LONG & SHORT OF IT
Fermentation is an essential part of determining flavour in Scotch Whisky. For this second edition of the Workshop Series, our distillers experimented with very short fermentations of 55 hours and very long ones of 150 hours. Both batches were then distilled twice and matured in first fill ex-bourbon barrels, before being married with a splash of single grain to create The Long & Short of It Blended Scotch Whisky.
THE LONG fig pudding, butterscotch & sultanas
THE SHORT fresh bursts of gooseberry skin, citrus zest & green apple
“I really enjoyed this whisky which has a bright yellow, gold colour. On the nose there is a touch of sweet barley, hints of butterscotch, dried apricots which also appear in the taste alongside green apples, lemon peel and a touch of oak. The whisky is young but fresh, vibrant and dangerously easy drinking.”
-REVIEW FROM SCOTTISH FIELD MAGAZINE
YOUR BORDERS DISTILLERY TEAM
MANAGING DIRECTOR
John Fordyce
To receive our price lists and place any future orders, please contact: john@thebordersdistillery.com
LOGISTICS & OPERATIONS
Emma Gilligan, Head of Commercial Operations
For all order enquiries, please contact: emma.gilligan@thebordersdistillery. com
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Kirsten Blackburn, Head of Marketing
To access all marketing and communications support, please contact: kirsten.blackburn@thebordersdistillery.com
DISTILLERY PRODUCTION
Caitlin Heard
For all queries regarding our distillery production, please contact: caitlin.heard@thebordersdistillery.com
1837® PRIVATE CASK PROGRAMME
Charlotte Heard
To learn more about our 1837® Private Cask programme, please contact: charlotte.heard@thebordersdistillery.com
VISITS & TOURS
Maureen McManus, Front of House
To arrange distillery tours or familiarisation trips for clients, please contact: m aureen.mcmanus@thebordersdistillery.com
The Borders Distillery private cask scheme, 1837®, presents the opportunity for like-minded Scotch Whisky enthusiasts to own their very own cask of Borders spirit.
To commemorate the opening of our distillery, our Directors have released 1,837 casks for sale. The owners of these casks can select their own wood type and choose a preferred filling date, to mark a special occasion and join the 1837® community.
For more information on our private cask programme, contact charlotte.heard@thebordersdistillery.com.