aberargie, burns night and poetry
As Burns Night approaches, we’ve been reflecting on what it means to make something worth waiting for.
A celebration of Scotland’s National Bard, Burns Night is a moment to honour language, craft and cultural heritage. This year, we’re marking it in a way that feels true to Aberargie — quietly, thoughtfully, and with a deep respect for time
A poem for the journey
Ahead of Burns Night on Sunday 25 January, we’re proud to share Golden Promise — a newly commissioned poem by acclaimed poet and essayist Miriam Gamble.
Written to mark the countdown to the launch of our inaugural Aberargie Single Malt Scotch Whisky, the poem reflects on patience, repetition and care — values that sit at the heart of both poetry and whisky-making. It takes its name from the heritage Golden Promise barley grown on the fields in front of our distillery and used in our first release.
Nine years on from laying down our first casks in 2017, Golden Promise captures something we hold close: that the most rewarding things are shaped as much by waiting as by making.
Barley to bottle
Aberargie is one of the few distilleries in Scotland to follow a true barley-to-bottle philosophy. Alongside Laureate barley from our other family farms, we grow Golden Promise not for yield, but for flavour — producing a full-bodied, malty spirit with depth and character.
As Managing Director Niel Hendriksz explains:
“Commissioning a poem felt like an honest way to mark this moment — not just as a distillery approaching a first release, but as custodians of land and whisky traditions.”
Poetry and whisky
Miriam’s poem draws a beautiful parallel between poetry and whisky — both distilled forms, shaped by restraint, respect for tradition, and time.
“Both the maker of whisky and the poet work to distil spirit: one in liquid, the other in language.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Read Golden Promise:
Looking ahead
Aberargie Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Inaugural Release
Available from specialist whisky retailers worldwide from March 2026.
Follow us: @aberargie on Instagram and Facebook
With warm wishes for Burns Night,