AGITATOR 2018 Sherry Cask Collective #1 Berry Bros. & Rudd

Few distilleries push the limits of production like Stockholm's Agitator. Run by Oskar Bruno, the distillery uses vacuum distillation and experiments endlessly with yeast, barley and wood. In their mind, energy efficiency equals quality, making it one of the greenest distilleries in Europe.

Produced with 40 ppm barley and fermented with Saison yeast, hang on! The nose is almost overwhelmingly complex, with dried mushrooms, forest floor, peat smoke, wonderfully umami. The palate is pleasantly dirty, bringing notes of new leather, pink waffle biscuits, garden fire with a pleasing coastal spine. Smoke and dried fruit linger on an astonished palate.

The Collective's first series, The Pioneers, looks at the pioneers of sustainable, eco-responsible distillation. A selection of ten bottlings, ranging from Irish single pot stills to Tasmanian single rye, The Pioneers series is a tribute to distillers who care about the future of the planet.