This week marks a year since we closed the ballot for batch #1 of our wonderfully wonky River Rock Single Malt...
...And what a year it has been.
From 100 bottles in prototype glass through to awards and international distribution, it's certainly been one hell of a ride so far!
The biggest win for us has been the amazing reaction we've received. Even when you have a 'few' industry years under your belt and believe that you have a great idea, it is always reassuring to find like-minded people who come on board and help bring that idea to life.
With a mission to welcome more people into single malt by focussing on the protection and celebration of the Great Outdoors, we have been blown away by the support from those who have helped us make it happen
(Thanks again – you know who you are!)
Our partnership with the awesome bunch at John Muir Trust means that we know that our 1 bottle = 1 tree promise is being managed sensibly, by passionate informed people who have equally big plans for the planet! We'll be back on Schiehallion again at the end of November, planting your trees under the expert supervision of Izzy!
Gaining our membership of 1% for the planet was a big moment for us, joining a network of inspirational companies, non profits and individuals with the shared purpose of putting our planet first.
Great partners such as Ocean Vertical, Bramblers and The Adventure Photographers who came on board before we'd even launched and helped highlight that for every sustainable adventure, there is a sustainable post adventure dram!
The wonderful packaging genius of Flexi-hex who make shipping River Rock a plastic free dream
And to all of our amazing stockists who have come on board to help us spread the joy.
We now have 40 stockists across the UK, from the Isle of Skye to Bath, Tyndrum to London: whisky specialists, spirit merchants, tourist destinations and on-line retailers. Look out for some of them soon to feature in our social channels
River Rock's appeal has also spread further afield. In August, we launched in Germany with our friends at Kirsch. Within a matter of weeks we were available in more than 60 shops and our first order sold out by September. Our second shipment of gloriously wonky bottles has already landed and is being sold to happy customers across the country
La Maison du Whisky in France launched River Rock in October this year, both on-line and to their strong network of ‘cavistes’. The reviews from France have been fantastique!
‘ A whisky with fruity complexity and gentle, toasted notes. Perfect for those wanting to explore the world of malt whisky’ ‘Paz
‘A long finish of crème anglaise and pepper, with zesty citrus notes throughout. A delicacy that seduces with its lightness, without sacrificing its complexity.’ Antoine
And of course to our wonderful drinkers.
We know that you have a lot of choice so we can't say thank you enough for choosing River Rock
When we finally got out in the real world to meet some of you lovely folk at the Keswick Mountain Festival, we were stoked to find that River Rock really does deliver on its promise. From those of you who already have a few bottles in your collection but still see a place for a sustainable easy drinking single malt to those of you who only stopped because you liked our wonky bottle display
Who knew that we could go from 'hmmm, I don't really like whisky' to 'wow, that is really nice' in one tiny 5ml sample!
So cheers to you all. We look forward to another wonderfully wonky year!
Mark, Laura & Bill