A Scot on Scotch

WHISKY REVIEWS, NEWS, HISTORY & FOLKLORE

The Pictish Beastie Returns!

Pictish Beastie is a blended Scotch from Fife-based independent bottler, Fib Whisky. Founded in 2021, Fib’s branding is inspired by Pictish symbolism and mythology. Even the name, Fib, comes from the legendary Pictish King of Fife. The Pictish Beastie is an artistic representation of an animal, that has been found carved on stones dating from 1500 years ago.

What exactly the image is intended to represent is something of a mystery but the fact that it accounts for almost 40% of all known Pictish carvings suggests it held great importance in the culture. In truth, very little is known about the Picts themselves, due to the great lack of written evidence they left behind. Most records come from those who lived alongside and since those relationships weren’t always friendly, a large pinch of salt is required to be taken with any description.

The Picts resided in Scotland, particularly in the north and east, between 300 and 900 AD. Their culture was eventually swallowed up and lost as Alba became fully Gaelicised in the 9th Century. All that survives are the mysterious carvings they left on standing stones and the odd scrap of mythology that has been passed down in the oral tradition for hundreds of years.

Some speculate that the Pictish Beast carvings are, in fact, early depictions of the Kelpie, a mythological waterhorse of Celtic folklore. The Kelpie is a water spirit, able to take the form of a horse or human. It’s commonly portrayed as a malevolent entity that appears to lure unsuspecting travellers to a watery grave. The legend has been immortalised through the hugely popular Kelpies sculpture, which overlooks the Forth & Clyde Canal.

It’s intriguing to consider the possibility that sculptor, Andy Scott, might have been inspired by the same stories that urged a Pictish carver to etch an image on a standing stone, more than a thousand years ago.

*Full disclosure: The whisky featured in this article was sent to me free of charge. As always, I will strive to give an honest opinion on the quality of the dram and the value for money it represents.

Pictish Beastie II Review

Pictish Beastie Volume II is a blended Scotch whisky made by combining a cask of 10-year-old Deanston single malt finished in a PX sherry cask with a 12-year-old Cameronbridge grain, finished in a sherry butt. The blend is a 50 / 50 split of malt and grain, bottled at 59.2% abv.

Tasting notes: The first thing I thought of when I stuck my nose in the glass was caramelised bananas. There was also a slight wood-varnish note and the character of the grain whisky seemed prominent with coconut, creme brulee and toffee biscuits. On the palate, I found currants and old sherry oak with a wee bit of charcoal. Then there was muesli drizzled with honey and baked apples dusted with cinnamon. The longer it sat in the glass, the more the sherry casks came through. A splash of water brought out fresh fruits and wax.

Thoughts: An interesting wee rollercoaster of a dram. The nose has a light, sweet vibe with the aromas of the grain whisky leading and very little in the way of sherry but the palate veers in a different direction. The sherry oak is in full effect from the first sip and the waxiness of Deanston’s spirit gives a great sense of weight to the mouthfeel. It’s a great wee dram that’s totally unique to Fib. In a world where independent bottlers struggle to differentiate their output from one another thanks to limited stock availability, this sort of creativity is very welcome.

Price: £56. A cracking dram that ridicules any suggestion that blended Scotch lacks character.

For more about Fib Whisky visit here

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