Bere is Britain’s oldest strain of cultivated cereal and would have been used by Scotland’s early distillers through distant centuries. However, in the 20th century an emphasis on efficiency and commercial return encouraged the pursuit of yield over flavour – favouring varieties that would produce the easiest crop and greatest extract. As champions of flavour, we’ve been working with the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Agronomy Institute since 2005 to reintroduce Bere barley to the distilling of single malt whisky. However, its importance stretches beyond whisky making. It is believed that this varietal has huge potential for the future of food production.
