By Andreas Lykke, The Daily Whisky | 28 May 2026 | Last updated: 28 May 2026
Eden Mill from St Andrews has just launched the first release in a new series of single cask single malts – personally selected by head distiller Scott Ferguson. Distiller’s Cask Release #1 is an 8-year-old, lightly peated single malt matured in an ex-Amarone red wine cask from Northern Italy. It’s bottled at cask strength of 53.2% ABV with an outturn of just 311 bottles. The price is £115 and it’s available now directly from Eden Mill.
Who is Eden Mill?
Eden Mill is based in St Andrews in Fife – home of golf and one of Scotland’s most striking coastal towns. The distillery opened in 2012 and was the first to produce both whisky and beer on the same site in Scotland in over 100 years. Head distiller Scott Ferguson has been behind production from the very beginning, having filled and laid down every single cask in the distillery’s warehouse.
Eden Mill is not an Islay distillery trying to look like one. It’s a Lowland distillery with its own approach: floral, fruity new make spirit, experimental cask choices, and a willingness to release limited editions that actually say something about what’s happening inside the warehouse.
The new Distiller’s Cask series is Ferguson’s personally curated selection. Not marketing. Not a committee. His choice, his cask.
Distiller’s Cask Release #1 – tasting notes
Eden Mill Distiller’s Cask Release #1
Nose: Velvety fig, maritime brine, leather, cigar tobacco, floral peat smoke
Palate: Black cherry, dark chocolate, light smoke, vinous depth
Finish: Long, warm, with lingering peat smoke and dark fruit
ABV: 53.2%
Cask type: Ex-Amarone red wine cask, Northern Italy
Price: £115
Why this cask is so unusual
Peated whisky makes up only around 5% of the casks ever filled at Eden Mill’s original distillery – roughly 40 casks in total. Of those, exactly two ended up in Amarone casks.
This isn’t just a limited edition. It’s one of only two possible versions of this particular combination that exist anywhere.
Amarone della Valpolicella is one of Italy’s most concentrated, structured wines – made from partially dried grapes, with dark fruit, leather and spice as its calling card. It’s a cask that doesn’t leave traces of itself in the whisky’s DNA. It leaves everything.
Pairing that with 20–30 PPM peat is a bold call. Either the cask tells the smoke to sit down – or the two work in the same direction.
Here, it’s clearly the latter. The peat is light and floral rather than a battering Islay phenol machine. It meets the Amarone cask’s dark fruit and tannin structure without either drowning the other out.
The peat source is St Fergus in Aberdeenshire – not coastal peat, not Islay moss peat, but mainland peat with a more earthy and mineral profile. That fits the overall character: smoky, but not aggressive. Approachable, but not unambitious.
As Ferguson himself puts it: “The light smoke is reminiscent of summer evening beach bonfires in St Andrews.”
Price and availability
- Price: £115 per bottle (70 cl)
- Outturn: 311 bottles
- Bottling: Cask strength, 53.2% ABV – not reduced, not chill-filtered
- Availability: Now, via Eden Mill directly at edenmill.com
With 311 bottles, this is not a whisky that will hang around. Eden Mill’s previous limited releases have moved quickly, and the Distiller’s Cask series speaks directly to those who already follow the distillery closely. Particularly collectors of peated Eden Mill – which is, as noted, a rarity in itself – should act fast.
Our take
Distiller’s Cask Release #1 is not a whisky for people who want maximum smoke. It’s a whisky for people who want something to think about – a composition, not a showpiece.
The combination of light Scottish peat and the Amarone cask’s vinous weight is rare and well-judged. The 53.2% ABV adds depth without overwhelming. And an outturn of 311 bottles gives it the credibility that many “limited editions” lack.
For: Eden Mill collectors, fans of peated whisky with a vinous character, people looking for something off the Islay track.
Not for: Those who want heavy peat that hits you over the head.
Frequently asked questions
What is Eden Mill Distiller’s Cask Release #1? It’s the first release in a new series of single cask single malts from Eden Mill in St Andrews, personally selected by head distiller Scott Ferguson. The whisky is 8 years old, lightly peated and matured in an ex-Amarone red wine cask from Northern Italy. Bottled at cask strength of 53.2% ABV with an outturn of 311 bottles, priced at £115.
What is the phenol level of Eden Mill Distiller’s Cask Release #1? The whisky is made from 100% peated malted barley with peat sourced from St Fergus in Aberdeenshire. The phenol level sits at 20–30 PPM, giving a light to medium smoke profile – far from the Islay extremes, but clearly present on both nose and palate.
How much does Eden Mill Distiller’s Cask Release #1 cost? The recommended retail price is £115 per bottle (70 cl). The whisky is bottled at cask strength and is not chill-filtered.
Where can I buy Eden Mill Distiller’s Cask Release #1? The whisky is available directly from Eden Mill’s website (edenmill.com). With only 311 bottles in existence, stock is expected to go fast – check availability directly with the distillery.
Why are Amarone casks unusual for peated whisky? Amarone casks are rarely used for peated spirit because the cask’s powerful vinous character can clash with the smoke note. At Eden Mill, only two of the approximately 40 peated casks ever filled have ended up in Amarone casks – making this release one of just two possible versions of this particular combination.
What is Eden Mill known for? Eden Mill is a Lowland distillery from St Andrews in Fife, founded in 2012. They’re known for floral, fruity spirit combined with experimental cask choices – and for producing whisky and beer under the same roof, something not seen in Scotland for over 100 years before their arrival.
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