Ninefold Distillery - Premium Scottish Rum
Ninefold Rum
Artisan, Locally Made, Divine
Ninefold Distillery is owned by the Carruthers family and run by Kit, the youngest son, and Watson - the distillery cat! The distillery is situated on the Dormont Estate near Dalton and is the first and only rum distillery in the south of Scotland.
Opening the distillery is the latest chapter in the history of the 450 year old estate. The distillery is housed in a converted cattle byre which is around 200 years old but had fallen into disrepair after 30 years of neglect. The family decided to breathe new life into the farm by diversifying the income streams and using the byre for the distillery.
The conversion took around 7 months to complete. An adjacent, modern byre was also converted into a bonded warehouse for cask maturation in the process. This has space for around 250 casks.
Within the distillery you will find a 500 litre copper pot still with 4 plate rectifying column and condenser as well as a 1500 litre stainless steel fermentation tank. The still was handmade in Scotland by Speyside Copper Works and is heated by steam. The equipment took a total of 4 months to install, taking the total build of the distillery to 11 months.
The Process
Kit produces the rum from scratch at the distillery with the whole process taking around two weeks to reach the bottle.
The process starts by fermenting a blend of North African and UK molasses and a combination of yeasts. The fermentaton process is short and hot with the wash being ready for distilling after 4 days. A double distillation takes place over 2-3 days before the rum is cut to the correct strength to bottle (40% ABV).
The rum then rests for a week before it is bottled.
Bottle & Brand
The detail on the Ninefold bottles is amazing. On the front of the bottle you will see a stylised version of a six-winged angel which is the Carruthers family crest. This is the Ninefold logo. The Ninefold name comes from the ninth level of the celestial hierarchy within which the angel sits.
Across the top of the synthetic cork stopper is a watchstrap label which also features the logo as well as proudly displaying that the rum is made near Dalton, Scotland.
The Rums
There are currently two expressions which make up the core range offered by Ninefold. There are also single release aged rums available throughout the year.
Pure Single Rum - the Pure Single (White) Rum is the flagship rum and forms the base of the others in the range. On the nose the rum has notes of butterscotch, vanilla and citrus and is naturally sweet and fruity on the tastebuds. These give way to a spicy, long and delicious finish.
Dormont Spiced Rum - released in early 2021 using the Pure Single Rum as base, the Spiced Rum has been naturally flavoured with nutmeg, allspice and aniseed. A little sugar and natural caramel are added to sweeten it up and give it a beautiful colour.
To view the range from Ninefold Distillery, click the link below.