Sir Ian Rankin has said a cask of single malt whisky which he was given is still maturing at an Orkney distillery nearly 20 years on.
The Edinburgh-based crime writer Rankin visited the Highland Park distillery in Kirkwall in 2007 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his fictional character Inspector John Rebus.
The Highland Park Rebus 20-year-old single malt was selected specially by Rankin as “the ultimate drink” for his whisky loving cop, who first appeared in his 1987 novel Knots & Crosses.
Around 150 bottles of the “rugged and smoky” whisky were produced, with rare bottles emerging at auction known to fetch more than £2,000 each and retailing on the Whisky Exchange for £4,500.
.
Rankin has now revealed he was also given a cask for his own use, which he said was still maturing 18 years on.
Rankin told an event at the Bloody Scotland international crime writing festival: “We got a hundred and odd bottles of this stuff which was amazing.
“At the same time when I was up there they got me to sign another barrel with a sharpie and they said ‘you can come back in ten years or 12 years and that’s yours’.
“That was nearly 20 years ago so it’s still sitting there.”
In 2017 another single malt was bottled at Highland Park to celebrate Rebus’ thirtieth anniversary. A total of 10,000 bottles of the ten-year-old “Rebus30” were made available for public sale.
In addition, 30 bottles of Highland Park 30-year-old “Rebus Edition” were created to be auctioned for the benefit of charities supported by Rankin.
Inspector Rebus now has featured as the main character in 25 novels by “King of Tartan Noir” Rankin, as well as TV adaptations starring John Hannah, Ken Stott and Richard Rankin.
Rankin’s most recent Rebus book, “Midnight and Blue”, was shortlisted for this year’s McIlvanney Prize.
PHOTO Alan Simpson 27/6/2024
