Bere barley is a heritage variety of barley that never quite reached peak popularity with farmers or distillers, owing to its low yield. It never made the recommended growing list for farmers, and so sowing the seed fell out of fashion. The ancient landrace would have been all but lost if it were not for the resurrection mission forged by the Barony Mill with the helping hand of the Orkney College (UHI Agronomy Institute).

This 2011 vintage of whisky, distilled from the six-row grain grown on Orkney in the summer of 2010, is a testament to the longevity of the Bere partnership that started back in 2005. Certainly no ordinary bottle of single malt, its uniqueness has layers; in its unorthodox method of barley supply, its academic interest owing to genetic diversity and perhaps most importantly to us, its intensely unctuous, barley-sugar-sweet flavour.

“Ingredients + process + patience = brilliant whisky. I’ve waxed lyrical about these batches before, so I will simply say I think this is totally terrific, fun, pleasurable, very high quality whisky that people should endeavour to try, and take note of. I love how these batches seem to be developing a waxy quality as they age. I just checked, and at 75 a bottle, in my view this is bang for your buck. Oh, and one final thing, will the people who say barley varieties make no difference please go away and shut up. Thank you.” – Serge, Whisky Fun