Diageo’s Orphan Barrel series introduces first Scotch
Diageo has released the first Scotch in its Orphan Barrel series of “rare” whiskies: a 26-year-old single malt from the now-demolished Pittyvaich distillery.
Launched in 2014, the Orphan Barrel series showcases Diageo’s “nearly forgotten” whisky stocks. Forager’s Keep is the first Scotch whisky in the range, which previously focused on whisk(e)y from North America. It is a 26-year-old single malt from Pittyvaich, a Dufftown distillery that operated for 18 years until it was closed in 1993 and later demolished. According to Diageo, Pittyvaich’s short life means it is “one of the most rarely seen single malts of all”. Bottled at 48% abv, the expression is said to have an aroma of freshly cut apple, vanilla and orange, a “warming taste with a hint of wood” and a sweet finish. Forager’s Keep is the 14th release in the Orphan Barrel series, which is all “hand-bottled” in Tullahoma, Tennessee.