There is a cask sitting in Orkney right now with Karma’s name on it. Inside, a new make spirit — distilled from Scottish malted barley and pure Orkney water through traditional copper pot stills — rests in a 250-litre ex-Sherry Oloroso cask sourced from Spain, already singing with notes of butterscotch and caramel. It will stay there for ten years.
The partnership with Deerness Distillery, one of Orkney’s most celebrated producers, is the kind of collaboration that rewards patience. Oloroso casks are prized for what they give: dried fruit, warming spice, a deep, luxurious sweetness that unfolds slowly. And Orkney’s climate — the cool maritime air, salt-laden breezes rolling in from surrounding seas, the gentle turn of seasons — is not merely a backdrop. It is an active ingredient.
When this whisky is finally bottled, it will carry the story of Spanish oak, Scottish barley, Orkney water and a decade of island air. A whisky shaped entirely by time and place.
Karma’s VIP guests can take the partnership further still, with the opportunity to own their own cask at Deerness — a rare invitation to become part of Orkney’s living whisky heritage. To find out more, contact your Karma Concierge.
