Inside Bonnington Distillery: Nicole Leslie on Crabbie’s Whisky, Hidden Edinburgh Gems & Unusual Cask Maturation

This week on the podcast, we were joined by Nicole Leslie from Halewood Artisanal Spirits for a cracking conversation recorded in The Diggers.Nicole gave us a proper insight into her career in whisky, her work with Halewood, and most importantly, the mysterious Bonnington Distillery—one of Edinburgh’s least talked-about distilleries, largely because it’s closed to the public.We’ve spoken often about the growing whisky scene in Scotland’s capital, but Bonnington has always felt like a bit of a mystery… until now. Nicole walked us through the distillery’s history, current releases, and how they operate behind the scenes.Bonnington’s whisky is bottled under both the Bonnington and Crabbie’s brands—John Crabbie being a legendary figure in Edinburgh’s distilling past. It’s a fascinating dual-brand setup that reflects both heritage and modern craft.Nicole brought along a couple of bottles from each range, and they were very well received indeed. We also got into a lively chat about maturing whisky in unregulated cask types and the controversy surrounding the Dalry Milk release from Master of Malt.A brilliant episode shining a light on a hidden distillery, a storied brand, and some of the big conversations happening in whisky today.Enjoy! 🥃 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.