We were among the first to get a taste.
With not one but two Picassos in its public collection (including one very rare piece that features the artist’s only known use of poetry in artwork), you could rightfully assume that art is The Fife Arms main draw. The hotel is owned by major art curators and dealers Hauser and Wirth, after all.
But with the opening of Bertie’s whisky bar on the tail end of Covid, the Fife positioned itself as a destination for the spirits connoisseur, too – so much so that the bar has a decanter of what might just be the oldest whisky in the world, first bottled in 1841 and discovered at Blair Castle in 2022. During a recent visit to Bertie’s, I was told an unnamed client flew in to the hotel from the continent and back, without even a stop off for dinner, specifically to taste a single dram of this rare spirit.
The latest bottle to hit Bertie’s weighted shelves is The Fife Arms’ third proprietary whisky, following its first single malt in 2023 and a blended Scotch in 2021. By the hotel’s own admission, its first release (a very drinkable number made in collaboration with spirits specialist Dave Broom and independent bottler Adelphi) is not the most prestige of spirits. While you can enjoy a dram as part of your in-room welcome treats (along with candy from Braemer Chocolate Shop, a measure of London Dry gin and locally made biscuits), the liquid isn’t stocked at Bertie’s.
Instead, the bar is discerning about the bottles that line its shelves (organised, unusually, by flavor profile rather than region) and the Fife’s candidness about the ranking of its releases is refreshing. On the other hand, its newest single malt, called An Autumn Dram, creeps into the more premium category. Bottled exclusively for the Fife by Glen Garioch, a distillery located some 60 miles east of the hotel and founded in 1797, the liquid has been aging for 12 years in first-fill ex-bourbon casks.
Although chosen especially to complement the Autumn months, (which to me says richer, heavier flavors), on the nose, the whisky is subtle, almost modest, with hints of floral sweetness. When it comes to a first sip, the high alcohol content makes itself known sharpish; at 59.5 percent ABV, it’s a heavy hitter. A drop of water (or ‘châteauneuf de tap’ as The Fife calls it) opens it up, revealing softer tart apple and a flash of citrus.
Each bottle is presented in a purpose-made wool felt holder by British designer Bill Amberg. Shock absorbing and insulating, the collectors piece is intended to be cherished beyond the last drop of whisky.
Just 178 numbered bottles are available globally. A select number are being held back for guests to sip at Bertie’s, while the remainder will be available to purchase via the hotel’s online store.
