The Borders 8 year old - First Release

Profile: An Overview of The Borders 8 year old - First Release

• The Scottish Borders are back – whisky from Hawick makes a comeback
• 8-year-old single malt – the Borders Distillery’s big debut
• Premium bourbon casks meet an elegant Madeira cask finish
• Limited First Release – capped at 10,000 bottles worldwide
• Bottled in its natural state – no added coloring and non-chill filtered

Portrait: What makes The Borders 8 year old - First Release special

Sometimes it takes 180 years for someone to realize: “You know, it would actually be nice to distill whisky here again.” That is more or less how the story of the Borders Distillery might have begun. One thing is certain: whisky distilling returned to Hawick in 2018—bringing it back to a region that had to go an astonishingly long time without a distillery of its own. Patience, it seems, is a virtue in the Scottish Borders.

The Borders Distillery sees itself as a modern representative of an age-old craft tradition. It is based in Hawick, a town renowned for generations for precision craftsmanship and manufacturing. Now, whisky has been added to the mix—and not just any whisky, but a single malt that proudly reflects its origins.

The Borders 8 Year Old – First Release is something special: it marks the young distillery’s major debut and serves, in a sense, as the company’s calling card. Or, to use another metaphor: it is the whisky that rings the doorbell and says, "Hello, we’re back."

For this major debut, the whisky was allowed to mature for a full eight years. It initially spent its time in first-fill bourbon casks before a deliberate finish in Madeira casks provided the final touch—a cask selection demonstrating that Borders is certainly willing to look beyond the conventional.

They have also remained refreshingly down-to-earth regarding the bottling process: no chill-filtration or coloring agents are used. The liquid poured from the bottle is intended to showcase, as authentically as possible, exactly what the distillery has created.

And then there is the limited nature of the release: only 10,000 bottles worldwide. For a debut, that is a modest quantity. So, anyone who manages to secure a bottle holds not just whisky, but a small piece of distillery history in their hands.

In short: The Borders 8 year old - First Release is less of a look back and more of a bold, confident opening statement. The Scottish Borders are back in the whisky business. And this time, they clearly intend to stay.

First Release Outturn: 10,000 bottles worldwide

Tasting Notes: This is how The Borders 8 year old - First Release tastes like

• Nose: Creamy caramel and liquid honey emerge on the nose, accompanied by delicate vanilla notes. These are complemented by the deep, fruity sweetness of dark sultanas.
• Palate: On the palate, the whisky is smooth and harmonious. Ripe berries meet a rounded sweetness, elegantly complemented and structured by a subtle hint of ginger spice.
• Finish: The finish is long-lasting and pleasantly balanced. A fine oak spice blends with the sweet, fruity nuances of sultanas, accompanying the whisky right to the end.