The Inaugural Release marks milestone for Lowland whisky maker
FAMILY-RUN Jackton Distillery has today (Friday 4 September) begun shipping bottles of its first Single Malt expression.
The official launch of RAER Single Malt Whisky, The Inaugural Release, revives a South Lanarkshire spirits tradition after a gap of more than 180 years as the last malt distillery operating in the area – Gill, near Lesmahagow – closed in 1840.
Historic records suggest Jackton, sited on the Kean family farm near East Kilbride, is the first distillery to distil, mature and bottle its own single malt whisky in South Lanarkshire since then.
RAER Inaugural Release has been drawn from Bourbon, Pedro Ximénez, Amontillado and Oloroso sherry casks, and bottled at 48.7% ABV. Naturally coloured and non-chill filtered, the expression is limited to 6,000 individually hand-numbered bottles and priced at £68 per 700ml unit.
Jackton Distillery says The Inaugural Release has been designed to be opened, poured and shared. The bottle introduces the ‘RAER View’ – a distinctive front-label window that invites people to look through the glass and see the world differently through RAER Single Malt. As the whisky is enjoyed, the view becomes clearer, says the distillery.
Visitors to Jackton Distillery will now be able to taste RAER Single Malt as part of the tour experience. The release will also travel across Scotland as part of a Single Malt roadshow from 5 to 12 September, followed by a special Edinburgh event on 13 September.
Led by Jaynie Kean, 28, one of Scotland’s youngest female distillery founders and managing directors, Jackton has built its reputation as a young, independent and hands-on Lowland producer.
She said: “South Lanarkshire has a whisky story that many people won’t know, so this launch feels bigger than us. The history came long before Jackton, but to bring locally distilled Single Malt back to this area after 180 years is incredibly special for our family and team.
“We laid down our first casks in February 2020, just before the world changed. Since then, we’ve watched, waited, tasted and worked towards the point where we could finally share a single malt with the RAER name on the bottle.
“Our first single malt is collectable, of course, but we hope people open it, too. The RAER View is our way of building that idea into the bottle itself. You can keep it, collect it and remember it, but the whisky has been made to be enjoyed. That feels very true to what RAER is all about.”
RAER Single Malt Scotch Whisky, The Inaugural Release, is available at: www.raer.co.uk/raer-single-malt/
