Scotland’s The Cairn Distillery Takes ‘Step One’ Toward First Single Malt

The Cairn Distillery recently released CRN57 Step One, a limited-edition blended Scotch that’s been aged 12 years.

What’s significant about this expression for The Cairn Distillery, it marks the first step on the path to releasing its first single malt Scotch whisky.

A statement from the whisky maker notes that Step One is the first of a dozen new blended malts The Cairn will release annually, in the spring. Interestingly, the number of bottles available to visitors – 1,309 – matches the height, in meters, of the tallest Cairngorm Mountain, Ben Macdui.

The Cairn Distillery recently released CRN57 Step One, a limited-edition blended Scotch that’s been aged 12 years. (image via The Carin)

The Cairn is based on 127 years of whisky expertise from its owners, malt whisky specialists Gordon & MacPhail. Their CRN57 range of blended whiskies sees ages from 12 years up to 70 years old.

The blender’s notes for the CRN57 whiskies show that the spirit evokes the character and flavors to come from the single malts now being distilled and matured at The Cairn Distillery.

That distillery sits outside Grantown-on-Spey, the first to be built in the area since Cairngorms National Park was founded.

Step One was bottled at 43% ABV, and the tasting notes describe the whisky’s nose as fragrant treacle toffee aromas with baked apple and subtle hints of pineapple. On the palate are blackcurrant and sultanas that give way to mature oak.

Mhairi Winters, distillery manager at The Cairn, said that Step One will provide visitors with a taste of what’s to come, and with only a handful of bottles available, they expect this to be popular among collectors and explorers.

“The CRN57 blended malt whisky range is just the start of the journey for us, as we look to give our visitors a hint of what we are creating, all available exclusively at The Cairn Distillery,” Winters added.

CRN57 Step One is available exclusively at The Cairn Distillery for a suggested price of £49.99.