My vision for my Lighthouse Series project was a flavour bomb of a coffee liqueur, using a spirit base of rum distilled with spices and botanicals specifically chosen to enhance and complement the coffee flavour.

Crafting an experimental whisky mash bill is where tradition meets imagination. Before the barrel, before the still, before even the fermenter starts to bubble, there is a question: What story do I want this whisky to tell?

Very notably a rum, it has that telltale butterscotch sweetness, but is married harmoniously with those buttery croissant notes from its time in whisky casks – and at 40% ABV, it’s not intimidating or overpowering.

The spirit industry is full of unwritten rules and myths regarding each and every spirit. Some of these have an element of truth to them, and some are just fiction. In the first entry of this series, I'm going to debunk the common myth that all clear spirits are flavourless and reveal the truth behind it.