Drink-driving with a difference!

IT was a whisky-fuelled afternoon with a difference for James May and Oz Clark.

THIRSTY The whisky powered sports car THIRSTY: The whisky- powered sports car

The Top Gear presenter and the wine buff were filming for the third series of Oz and James’s Great British Adventure at Bruichladdich Distillery, on Islay.[>

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It features James at the wheel of a 150mph sportscar. But rather than high-octane petrol, it was fuelled with a 92 per cent proof version of the distillery’s quadruple-distilled X4 Islay spirit.[>

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With the island’s Atlantic shore road closed to traffic and cleared of sheep and cattle by Islay’s five policemen, May pushed the Radical SR4 racing car to a hair-raising 100mph, managing 0-60 in 3.5 seconds over four runs.[>

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Islanders gathered to watch as the pair proved the unmodified 205bhp 1500cc engine was just as happy drinking the water of life. [>

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Bruichladdich managing director Mark Reynier said: “Oz’s face was an absolute picture, he was horrified at using the stuff as fuel. May was loving it, though, they managed 100mph before they ran out of road. [>

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“Ultra-pure whisky wouldn’t make a very good biofuel as £22.30 per litre goes to the Government in tax plus VAT. [>

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“That’s a bit pricey, even with fuel at about £1.60 a litre here.”[>

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The clear spirit, reminiscent of the earliest whiskies, was tasted by wine and spirit expert Oz before three litres were poured into the car.[>

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Distillery manager Duncan MacGillivray said: “The exhaust smells much better than petrol.”[>

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The Scotch Whisky Association branded the independent distillery “irresponsible” when it first announced it would distil the potent whisky. The fiery drink is uniquely distilled four times in pot stills, while single malt whisky is usually double distilled.[>

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Martin Martin, writing of his 1695 tour of the islands, made reference to a four-times times distilled spirit, translated from the Gaelic as perilous whisky.[>

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He said: “At first taste affects all the members of the body: two spoonfuls of this last liquor is a sufficient dose; and if any man exceed this, it would presently stop his breath, and endanger his life.”[>

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The X4 Islay spirit is already maturing in new oak casks, with a limited release being bottled in the autumn at 55 per cent ABV.[>

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The Islay episode of Oz and James’s Great British Adventure will be seen later this year on BBC2.[>

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