Spencerfield Spirit Raise a Toast to Homecoming
Spencerfield Spirit is launching a limited edition Sheep Dip barrel pack to commemorate this year’s Homecoming Scotland celebrations.
The handmade wooden barrel, lined with sheepskin encases a bottle of Sheep Dip whisky, woven from 16 single malts.
Sheep Dip emerged in the US in the 1980s but was taken off the market by Jim Beam in 2000. Spencerfield Spirit rescued the brand from oblivion five years later and brought it back for the iconoclastic whisky drinker to enjoy in the States and at home in Scotland.
Further back in history, from Spencerfield Farm on the banks of the Forth, farmer and distiller James Anderson set sail for America in 1791 with his wife and seven children. There he advised George Washington to get into the whisky distilling business and helped America’s first President become the country’s biggest producer of whisky.
Alex Nicol of Spencerfield Spirit explains, “Whisky belongs on Spencerfield Farm and we are very proud of our links to the story of America’s whisky. We want to keep the spirit of James Anderson alive and raise a toast to our deep-rooted connection to America.”
This unique presentation represents the historical reference made by British farmers to whisky as “Sheep Dip”. There was a time when farmers distilled their own “home-made” whisky and in order to avoid paying taxes to the revenue man hid the whisky in barrels marked “Sheep Dip”.
The name came about because Farmers' merchants continued this tradition by entering cases of whisky as “Sheep Dip” on farmers' bills, and also “pulling the wool” over the eyes of the farmers’ wives.
Spencerfield Spirit whiskies are available at all “The Whisky Shops”, Royal Mile Whiskies and online at www.spencerfieldspirit.com
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For more information contact: Emma McDonald :: 0131 225 7880 :: emma@hottinroof.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
ABOUT SPENCERFIELD
Founded in 2005 by Jane and Alex Nicol, Spencerfield Spirit is a maverick drinks company, fighting to save orphan brands for the iconoclastic whisky drinker.
Much mythology and mystery surrounds whisky but in truth a great whisky does not have to be the product of one distiller, nor should its age be a measure of quality. Jane and Alex believe that whisky is something simply to be enjoyed and not taken too seriously.
From a farmhouse on the banks of the Firth of Forth in Scotland, Spencerfield Spirit offers whisky which is individual, unusual and above all of the finest quality.
Distributed globally the first two whiskies rescued from the edge of oblivion by Spencerfield are Sheep Dip and Pig’s Nose. Both whiskies achieved cult status in the 70s and have been lovingly recreated by Richard Paterson, Scotland’s only third generation master blender.
ABOUT SHEEP DIP
A hand crafted scotch malt whisky made from sixteen single malt whiskies aged between eight and twenty one years in first fill oak, perfectly balanced and joy to drink. We believe that the wood whisky is matured in is the critical determining factor in the quality of the final product. Despite its iconoclastic name it is a genuinely great whisky.
The name came about because British farmers have long referred to whisky as Sheep Dip. There was a time when farmers distilled their own “home-made” whisky and in order to avoid paying taxes to the revenue man and hid the whisky in barrels marked “Sheep Dip”.
Farmers' merchants continued this tradition as late as the 1980’s by entering cases of whisky as “Sheep dip” on farmers' bills and farmers themselves declaring “Sheep Dip” the whisky as Sheep Dip the “insecticide” thus avoiding any tax and claiming their whisky as an allowable business expense. This ruse came to light in the late 1980’s and gave the brand national notoriety plus a few fines handed out to the thirsty farmers.
Colour: ?Rich, golden copper highlights.
Nose: Delicate and refined. Soft sensual floral notes arise in perfect harmony supported by an attractive array of complex fruit flavours. Melon, pear and orange with a hint of almonds conclude this profusion of charming nuances.
Taste: ?Finesse and elegance gives way to a majestic assertion of pure malty flavours drawn from the four distilling regions of Scotland. Each area forges and makes its own inimitable contribution to this outstanding pure malt - the main accent being expressed from the Highlands and Speyside Valleys.