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24th June 2009 "Caledonia" the whisky is bottled and on sale!
On Thursday 24th June the first bottling from the Inaugural Cask of the Edradour 1977 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky called Dougie MacLean's "Caledonia" happened at Scotland's smallest distillery near Pitlochry. Even before it's official launch the whisky has been in demand! Caledonia will be on sale from various select outlets or you can visit the Edradour Distillery shop or phone them to place an order on 01796 472095.
4th June 2009 Here's a Media Release that has just gone out...thought you may be all interested in reading it!
Photos by Rob McDougall Perthshire Amber Festival announces partnership with Edradour Distillery
Edradour, Scotland’s smallest distillery was today announced as a major sponsor of Perthshire Amber – The Dougie MacLean Festival (30th Oct - 8th Nov2009) and will be producing a unique limited edition ‘Caledonia’ single cask bottling and hosting a rare fiddle concert at the distillery during the festival to celebrate the partnership. 
Dougie Maclean visited the distillery recently to select a special cask of Edradour, which will be released later this month as the Dougie MacLean Caledonia bottling. The whisky was chosen from three shortlisted by Andrew who opened the casks and drew samples of each. Dougie tasted the whiskies and selected an Oloroso Sherry cask from 1997.
Andrew and Dougie also announced a very special concert to be added to this year’s Perthshire Amber programme; a rare appearance of Dougie performing his own fiddle tunes at the intimate Malt Barn at Edradour Distillery on the afternoon of Wednesday 4th November. MacLean’s fiddle tune “The Gael” became known throughout the world when it featured in the hit film “The Last of the Mohicans” and is now preformed widely by pipe bands and fiddle players. He’s also written tunes that have been used in music for television and theatre as well as his own recordings on Dunkeld Records.
Dougie Maclean said; “We are really pleased that Andrew and his Edradour Distillery are to support the Perthshire Amber Festival. Our event is still growing and it’s great that a distinctive and successful local Perthshire business is keen to help its development. This has been an amazing and unique experience and it’s a great thrill to be involved with Edradour and the birth of this new whisky”.
Andrew Symington added; “The whisky will be bottled as a single cask, and unchillfiltered at 46%, to preserve the natural fats and oils. The cask will yield up to 900 bottles, which will be sold through the distillery and a number of export markets.”
Perthshire Amber is one of the key events in Scotland’s national Homecoming celebrations and Dougie’s classic song Caledonia has been officially adopted as the anthem for the year. Marie Christie, Project Director of Homecoming Scotland, said, “This is great news. It brings together several strands of the Homecoming campaign. Perthshire Amber attracts many hundreds of visitors to Scotland each year and in 2009 looks set to be the best yet. Caledonia has worked really well as the theme song for the Homecoming year and is being sung at events and gatherings all around the world. Whisky is one of Scotland’s many great contributions to the world and is being celebrated throughout the Homecoming year. We are delighted that Edradour and Perthshire Amber are working in partnership and look forward to a fantastic festival in beautiful Perthshire”.
Some of the world’s top Celtic artists will be making their way to Perthshire this autumn to perform at the Perthshire Amber Festival. The Festival kicks off with Dougie and Eddie Reader at Pitlochry Festival Theatre where the festival is based and finishes with a gala concert at Perth Concert Hall.
Dougie will feature along with other artists in 10 of the concerts performing either solo, with his band or his trio. One of the concerts will be with his 1990’s band when they perform his “Indigenous” album live for the first time. The 10-day festival runs from October the 31st to November 8th at various venues across Perthshire. As well as the theatres there are concerts in Blair Castle, Dunkeld Cathedral, Castle Menzies and the Iron Age crannog on Loch Tay!
To mark the Year of Homecoming, Perthshire Amber will be presenting a very special finale concert on Sunday 8th November at Perth Concert Hall. Called "The Caledonia Concert" it will bring Dougie MacLean together with wonderful guest musicians from five countries around the globe in the prestigious and dramatic Perth Concert Hall.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Edradour Distillery
Edradour is Scotland's smallest distillery – the whisky is hand made today as it was over 150 years ago by just three men who are devoted to tradition and time-honoured methods. The distillery is only just capable of producing commercial quantities - on average just 12 casks of whisky are produced a week, making Edradour single malt a rare pleasure for a fortunate few.
Andrew bought Edradour from Pernod Ricard in 2002. He has subsequently invested heavily in enhancing the facilities for visitors and relocated his bottling operations from Edinburgh to a purpose built facility at the distillery in 2007. By the end of 2009 a major cask warehouse development will be completed that, in time, will result in Edradour being fully matured at the distillery.
Edradour is exported to more than 30 countries around the world and the distillery is visited by up to 100,000 visitors per year.
Dougie MacLean
“Dougie MacLean is Scotland's pre-eminent singer-songwriter and a national musical treasure” (SingOut USA) who has developed a unique blend of lyrical, 'roots based' songwriting and instrumental composition. He has built an international reputation as songwriter, composer and extraordinary performer which has led to concerts and festivals all over the world including New York's Carnegie Hall, Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall and London’s Festival Theatre.
MacLean’s songs have been covered by hosts of artists, including Paolo Nutini, Amy MacDonald, Mary Black, Frankie Miller and Grammy award winning country singer Kathy Mattea and his song Caledonia has become one of Scotland's most popular contemporary songs. His music has been used in Hollywood films (eg Last of the Mohicans), TV Drama (eg BBC's A Mug's Game) and he has been the subject of three BBC TV music-documentaries. He has also been featured in Transatlantic Sessions, Scotland’s Music and BBC’s Hogmannay Show.
Recent news-
• MacLean’s two concerts (Glasgow Royal Concert hall and City Hall) at the Celtic Connections Festival 2009 were sell-outs and were recorded by both BBC TV and Radio Scotland.
• Dougie MacLean toured in Australia in Dec 08/Jan 09 including the immense Woodford Festival (audience 140,000) where he was the artist with the top CD sales!!!
• Dougie MacLean recently received a prestigious Tartan Clef Award… along with (Beecake, The Almighty, Sharleen Spiteri, Eddi Reader and The Fratellis.) Past recipients have included Wet Wet Wet, Franz Ferdinand, Bifffy Clyro, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Runrig, Nicola Benedetti, Nazareth, Lulu, Jim Kerr from Simple Minds, Donovan, Deacon Blue, Darius, Cosmic Rough Riders, Average White Band, Annie Lennox, Hue and Cry, Midge Ure.
• Dougie MacLean’s song Caledonia has been adopted as the theme song for the ‘Homecoming Scotland’ initiative and features in a TV & cinema advert which stars Sean Connery, Lulu and other Scottish celebs.
• The Dougie MacLean Band 20-date tour in the USA in 2007 (performing at prestigious venues and festivals including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Kate Wolf Festival, Interlochen Festival and Britt Festival…) was such a success that a 2010 tour is being planned.
• MacLean’s song Caledonia is currently taking the USA by storm yet again as the final song of the show Celtic Thunder. Their DVD reached No 1 in the Amazon Music DVD charts. This follows Caledonia being featured in the hit musical show Celtic Woman which is currently touring internationally and his melody The Gael being used in a Nike advert that has had over a million views on YouTube!
• The Essential Dougie MacLean, a double-disc compilation spanning 25 years, has had remarkable sales in the UK and is planned for North American release in August 09.
• Perthshire Amber- The Dougie MacLean Festival, now in it’s 5th year, has grown to a 10 day event. With enthusiasts for the music from all over the world flocking to Perthshire in the autumn, the festival is now an integral part of Scotland’s musical calendar and supported by EventScotland, VisitScotland, Perth & Kinross Council and Scottish Enterprise.
• MacLean’s music regularly features on over 300 radio stations in the USA NPR award winning “Thistle & Shamrock” hosted by Fiona Ritchie…where MacLean was voted best male performer.
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