Edinburgh bottling business to help protect elephants after launching first single cask whisky

A boutique bottling and spirits business will do its bit to protect African elephants after launching its first single cask whisky.
Young Spirits was established in June 2019 by co-founders John Ferguson and Alex Harrison as a boutique bottling and spirits business.Young Spirits was established in June 2019 by co-founders John Ferguson and Alex Harrison as a boutique bottling and spirits business.
Young Spirits was established in June 2019 by co-founders John Ferguson and Alex Harrison as a boutique bottling and spirits business.

Edinburgh-based Young Spirits has rolled out Uhuru, which is Swahili for freedom. It has partnered with conservation charity Tusk to support its efforts to protect African wildlife including elephants, with 10 per cent of the purchase price being donated to the organisation.

Company co-founder John Ferguson is said to have fallen in love with Kenya as a child and spent many summers there soaking up the beauty of the country, as well as being surrounded by its wildlife.

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Uhuru is being positioned as a spirits brand with a “charitable and ethical difference, offering exceptional liquid and founded upon strong philanthropic values”.

The first single cask release selected for the range is a ten-year-old blended malt whisky from Ailsa Bay Distillery. It was chosen as an introduction to malt for newcomers to the spirit, promising an “enticing fragrance of light smoke and cinnamon, entwined with caramelised almonds creating a gentle, soft honeyed experience on the palate”.

Ferguson said: “This is very much a passion project for us. As a team we share a deep concern over the extinction of elephants and other animals in Africa, as well as the deterioration of the environment.

“We feel everyone has a responsibility to contribute towards positive change of the environment globally and we have chosen Tusk as our partner to support that change.

“As with everything we do in the drinks sector, we want to bring fresh thinking and challenge the traditional approaches of the past and this is just a starting point. We hope to evolve Uhuru and over time extend our charitable product lines.”

The new Uhuru whisky will sell for just under £43.

Tusk chief executive Charlie Mayhew MBE said: “The passion and enthusiasm John and the team have injected into creating Uhuru is testament to not just their conservation beliefs, but their ambition to bring fresh thinking and innovation to the whisky sector.

“We’re convinced this striking packaging coupled with its cause will be a big hit among consumers as they seek to source ethical and environmental gifts this Christmas.”

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