Scottish distillers to launch whisky to raise funds for Japan disaster

Scotland's independent distilleries have jointly made limited edition Spirit of Unity, a new whisky to raise funds for the disaster relief effort in Japan.

According to the organisers, each of the scottish distillery have donated a cask of single malt to create a limited edition whisky.

The new Spirit of Unity limited edition whisky's 2,000 bottles that were expected to be produced have been pre-sold ahead of its planned bottling by mid-May.

The sale of this new scotch whisky is expected to raise a fund of £80,000 for Japan disaster.

The combined casks will produce about 2,000 bottles with 1,200 available in the UK at a cost of £59 each.

Those behind the collaboration, between distillers Arran, BenRiach, Bladnoch, GlenDronach, Mitchell's Glengyle, Kilchoman and Springbank, said the firms had never collaborated in this way before and were never likely to again.

The remainder will be shipped to Japan, with some being donated for sale in New Zealand to assist with relief in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake.

Arran Distillers Isle managing director Euan Mitchell said on seeing the scale and horror of the problems they are facing the company was moved to help and other craft distillers immediately came on board.

"Not a penny of profit will be taken from this project by any of the parties involved, with the packaging being donated free of charge," Mitchell added.

David Broom Independent whisky expert said nothing like this has been produced before and whisky lovers around the world will be clamouring to own and taste this one-off bottling.

The Spirit of Unity is being handled by two online whisky retailers - Royal Mile Whiskies and Loch Fyne Whiskies - and in their respective shops in Edinburgh and London, and Inveraray, as said to BBC.