Shield Maiden
Distilled Braggot | For the Connoisseur
Here at Below The Salt we love Shield Maidens !
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Vikings were a smart and practical lot.
Feisty women joined their men on land and at sea to explore, fight and settle in new lands. At home, others, absorbed their men’s duties, deftly adding them to their own, yet ever at the ready to wield shield and sword.
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And, when not otherwise occupied, they were busily making ale and mead.
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Today our Shield Maidens are often unheralded – toiling among us as Engineers, Seafarers Doctors, Community Activists and the Fire Fighter who lives next door.
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To honour the Shield Maiden, we've taken the traditional Viking braggot, rebalanced the ale and sweetness in our own secret way, distilled it into a slow sipping brandy, and given it the respect it deserves by laying it up in noble French casks with an abundance of history.
Slip into a tumbler of Shield Maiden and explore the warm, mellow depth, infused with flavours of vanilla, butterscotch and honey.
While you linger on the long, complex finish, let your mind wander to rejoice the Shield Maidens of your own world.
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Shield Maidens are among us !
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Skål!
Distiller's Notes
I have been making braggot in one form or another for well over thirty years. My attempts at distilling it had never quite lived up to my vision of what it could be - until now. What changed? I designed and built an Adams Patent still. From the first heads that poured through the parrot, to the hearts, and even tails - I knew I had finally the tool to make a WINNER.
Made from Al Stewart's wonderful organic grains at Horton Ridge and honey from Cape Breton and Antigonish County, Shield Maiden is the true taste of Nova Scotia terroir.
TASTING NOTES: A spicy nose with hints of vanilla, apple and honey. Smooth mouth feel with the grains coming through on the initial, leading to the subtle honey and warming French oak on the finish.
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A Bit About the Label
Below the Salt Partner Victoria, captured this image when taking the STCW Marine Emergency Duties Basic course as part of her long term fine art photography project Trading Places.
Pictured here, is a fellow participant learning to lead crew members towards a raging tank fire. Knowing what to do in the event of fire is an important safety skill aboard ship. Not only did Victoria capture great footage, she learned fire fighting skills, survival at sea, and earned her Transport Canada Discharge Book enabling her to work as a seafarer.