{"product_id":"lindores-abbey-friar-john-2026-single-malt-scotch-whisky","title":"PRESALE - Lindores Abbey Friar John 2026 Single Malt Scotch Whisky","description":"\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eAn intensely rich, fruit-forward Lowland single malt from the historic Fife distillery, matured entirely in Ruby Port casks and bottled at a bold 52.5% ABV.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; height: 294.75px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 16.6727%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eSpirit\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 81.0051%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aitkenwines.com\/collections\/whisky\" title=\"null\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eSingle Malt Scotch Whisky\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 16.6727%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eStyle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 81.0051%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eRich, Fruity, Spiced, Warming, Ruby Port Cask, Cask Strength\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 16.6727%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eCountry\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 81.0051%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/aitkenwines.com\/collections\/scotland\" title=\"null\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eScotland\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 16.6727%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eRegion\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 81.0051%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eLowlands (Newburgh, Fife)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 16.6727%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eVolume\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 81.0051%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003e70cl\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 16.6727%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eABV\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 81.0051%; height: 35.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003e52.5%\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 16.6727%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003ePerfect Serve\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 81.0051%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eNeat or with just a splash of water\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003ePRE-SALE AHEAD OF RELEASE ON 29\/10\/26\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eAvailable to purchase ahead of the official release. Your order will only be available for collection or delivery from the 29th October.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003ePours a rich, natural mahogany with copper highlights in the glass. On the nose, it opens with mellow dried dates, dark raisins drenched in bitter chocolate, soft figs, and thick bramble jam, accompanied by toasted hazelnuts and a gentle dusting of cinnamon stick.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003eThe palate is plump and viscous without feeling sticky. Mouthfuls of rich strawberry preserve, caramelised dates, and dark treacle syrup take the lead, quickly balanced by warming pepper, sweet oak vanilla, soft marzipan, and roasted almonds. Layers of dark cacao build towards the finish, which is long, dry, and satisfyingly warm, leaving subtle baking spices and dark berries that linger for minutes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"selected\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003eDistillation \u0026amp; Fermentation:\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLindores relies on locally grown Fife malting barley and mineral-rich water drawn from an on-site borehole. Production is designed to build a spirit with substantial weight and vibrant fruit character: the distillery runs unusually long fermentation cycles—often stretching up to 117 hours in traditional wooden washbacks. When run through their bespoke copper pot stills (one wash still feeding two smaller sister spirit stills), the prolonged copper contact strips away heavier impurities, leaving a wash that is clean, clean-fruited, and full of apple and pear esters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eCask Maturation:\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the 2026 annual release, Lindores matured their spirit exclusively in selected Ruby Port casks sourced from Portugal's Douro Valley. Ruby Port wood imparts deep red fruit flavours, rich tannins, and a dense, natural reddish-amber hue without requiring any artificial caramel colouring (E150a). Bottled at an honest batch strength of 52.5% ABV and non-chill filtered, retaining all the spirit's natural oils and aromatic depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Producer\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a break of 523 years, spirit is once again flowing from the copper stills at Lindores Abbey Distillery.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith Lindores Abbey’s widely recognised links to the earliest written reference to Scotch Whisky and learning as much as possible from the great Scottish distillers, past and present, the assembled team are bringing a very modern whisky-making approach to this ancient site.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDistilling was taking place at Lindores on the banks of the Tay between Perth and Dundee, at least as early as 1494, although it was most probably happening long before that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is known this because of the earliest written reference to Scotch Whisky (or Aqua Vitae, as it was then known), which appears in the Exchequer Roll of the same year. It records a Brother John Cor, a Lindores monk, who was commissioned by King James IV to turn 8 bolls of malt into Aqua Vitae. 8 Bolls of malt amounts to around 500kg in modern terms and would have been enough to make about 400 bottles of today’s whisky.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 2017, spirit started flowing once again from copper stills at Lindores Abbey Distillery, and the first single malt whisky was released in 2021.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe whisky is Fife grown, malted, distilled, matured and bottled.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey use the Laureate strain of barley grown on local farms whose fields surround the distillery and would have originally been abbey lands. On site there are three copper pot stills, one large wash still and two smaller spirit stills, which allows greater copper contact in the final distillation, creating a clean and delicate flavour in the spirit. Fermentation takes place in traditional wooden washbacks, supplied by Joseph Brown of Dufftown.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe water for Lindores Abbey Distillery whisky comes from a borehole near the distillery, in order that they can draw from the same supply used in 1494. The Abbey was fed by several wells such as the Abbots well, the Monks well, the Bluidy well and the Witches well.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this age of sustainability and with the aim to reduce carbon footprint, the supply chain is becoming ever more local allowing for the support of local businesses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"We are extremely fortunate at Lindores to have had the late, great Dr Jim Swan, guide us through the early stages of our distillery’s journey. His astounding knowledge and skills in maturation were among his many qualities that gained him a huge amount admiration and respect in the world of distilling and the whole industry gained so much from all his work through the years. He helped Lindores forge some fantastic relationships with incredible cask suppliers from all over the world, allowing us to fill into some of the finest quality maturation vessels that the industry has to offer.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lindores Abbey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57695406555509,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0002\/3537\/2571\/files\/20261027_112526.jpg?v=1793120099","url":"https:\/\/aitkenwines.com\/products\/lindores-abbey-friar-john-2026-single-malt-scotch-whisky","provider":"Aitken's","version":"1.0","type":"link"}