The Malt Cask

Something very special today with the launch of a new independent bottler: Halcyon Spirits This family-owned independent bottling brand, based in Aberdeenshire, was developed by brothers Daniel and Craig Milne, who also co-founded global auction platform Whisky Hammer and whisky e-retailer Still Spirit. Picture courtesy of  Halcyon Spirits And their first release is definitely not one to miss with a 30 year-old single cask from Macallan, distilled in 1993 and matured in a first-fill sherry cask! Halcyon Spirits were kind enough to send me a sample to review, so here goes! My tasting notes: Nose: Rich, nutty, oak, raisin, slight citrus (orange), walnut, creamy macadamia, prunes, wood polish, hints of smoke, vanilla fudge, oak spice and rum-soaked raisins, a little liquorice root too. Palate: Dark and oaky, quite powerful and concentrated for under 50% abv, spicy dried fruit, dark roast coffee and nutmeg. Quite tannic. There is also a fresher side to it with hints of orange blossom...

  Today, I’m in for a treat with a sample of Benromach Polish Oak single cask 772, bottled as usual, unchillfiltered, uncoloured and at the natural cask strength of 58.6%. As per the Benromach website, “Polish Oak has long been known for being a great oak for whisky maturation, due to the strength and thickness of the wood, and the depth and character it brings to the flavours.” So let’s see what that’s all about! My tasting notes: Nose: Benromach DNA straight away, slightly dirty, smoky sweetness, fruity, oak, spice, vanilla, mixture of black cherry and lemon, stewed fruit, peaches, dark cocoa, hints of linseed oil, nutmeg, wood polish, peanut butter, orange… Wow, wow, wow! What a start! Palate: Rich & chewy, oak , aniseed/fennel, dark fruit, toffee, bitter orange marmalade, slight nuttiness, nutmeg, caramel wafers, hints of back pepper, milk chocolate. What a dram! Finish: Smoky, liquorice, embers, some fruity notes too, strawberry jam, red fruit, vanilla pods. With water:...

  Picture courtesy of  www.corkandcask.co.uk A second review from new indie bottler Fragrant Drops. And this time it is a Linkwood 12 years old (2010/2022) fully matured in an ex-Tokaji wine barrel and bottled unchillfiltered, undiluted and uncoloured, at 58% Distillery:  Linkwood Bottler:  Fragrant Drops Age:  12 years old Distilled:  2010 Bottled:  2022 Cask:  Ex-Tokaji barrel Abv:  58.0% Unchillfiltered:  Yes Natural Colour:  Yes Nb of bottles:  260 Extra:  Cask #3001290 My tasting notes: Nose:  Fruity sweetness, barley sugar mixed with drying tannin. Raspberry and white chocolate, fresh oak, lemon, caramel, hints of minty chlorophyll, creamy vanilla and honeycomb. What an inviting nose! Palate: Sweet and spicy, oaky. Quite a powerful arrival. Poached pear and vanilla, dark fruit, blackberry jam, bitter dark chocolate, black pepper & nutmeg, acacia honey and still a little hint of mint kicking around, which I ...

Picture from  www.corkandcask.co.uk A brand new indie bottler today with gorgeous bottle designs: Fragrant Drops. And first on the list, a Teaninich 14 years old (2008/2022) finished in a fresh Bordeaux barrique and bottled unchillfiltered, undiluted and uncoloured, at 53.8% Distillery: Teaninich Bottler: Fragrant Drops Age: 14 years old Distilled: 2008 Bottled: 2022 Cask: Ex-bourbon and Fresh Bordeaux Barrique finish Abv: 53.8% Unchillfiltered: Yes Natural Colour: Yes Nb of bottles: 287 Extra: Cask #900264 My tasting notes: Nose: Malty first followed by fruity notes, raisin, overripe strawberries, raspberries, honey, a little orange peel and some fresh oak spice wrapped in caramelised/ slightly charred oak. There also a touch of minerality. A very inviting start! Palate: Thick and chewy, oily too and slightly maritime as well with a hint of salt. There’s oak spice, vanilla, some earthy notes and some restricted bitterness. The fruit is present but quite concentrated wi...

Arran 13 with Lochranza Castle in the background Today, I am reviewing a bottle I should have reviewed a while back now. In April 2019 I headed out to the Isle of Arran with a few friends and after some very picturesque hikes, we stopped at the distillery for a tour and a tasting. Both were absolutely fantastic and I left with a bottle of 13 year-old Arran, exclusive to the distillery shop. Arran is know for using many types of casks, from sherry, to wine but I wanted to go back to the essence of the spirit with this ex-Bourbon cask. Distilled on 20/05/05, the spirit spent over 13 years in a Bourbon barrel before being bottled on 14/11/18. This is bottle 115/194 and is of course unchillfiltered, natural colour and cask strength (57.1%) My tasting notes: Nose:   Fruity and sweet, honey, fresh fruit (peach and grapes), vanilla, oak, raisins, caramel, some floral hints as well (jasmine and orange blossom) A very promising start! Palate: Pretty big, fruity and spicy, some bitterness, ...

  Celebrating ‘Try January’ today,  with something new from the guys at Atom brands and their Wormtub 10 year-old release. No nonsense here with a Speyside single malt aged for 10 years, finished in Sherry casks and bottled uncoloured, unchillfiltered and at the natural cask strength of 56.8% No info on the distillery apart from the fact it uses worm tub condensers and there aren’t actually that many distilleries left which use them… (personally, I'd be tempted to think Mortlach...) I cannot wait to dive in! My tasting notes: Nose: Fresh, spicy and fruity. Vanilla pods, oak spice, raisins, ginger (fresh & crystallised), orange, white peach, dark chocolate, hints of walnut, slight toffee & cinnamon, honey, jasmine tea. Slightly metallic too. Palate: Dark, chewy, rich & spicy. Liquorice, walnut, chocolate, oak, candied orange, spicy prunes, black pepper, wood polish, caramel, crystallised ginger & candied grapefruit bitterness. Finish: Walnut, bitter chocolate...

Christmas is fast approaching and, together with Bushmills UK, I bring you the perfect dram to share with those you love: Bushmills 21 Year Old single malt. Having spent at least 19 years in hand-selected Oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels, this award-winning single malt is then finished for two years in Madeira casks. The result makes for an incredibly fruity and engaging whiskey which will appeal to any whisky enthusiast! I guess it’s time to remove the cork and share my thoughts… My tasting notes: Nose: Super fragrant, fruity, oaky, citrusy. It’s full of apple, lemon, orange blossom like a spring orchard! There’s also some milk chocolate, almond, honey and vanilla notes, hints of dill and mint in the background, as well as oak spice, dried apricots and banana. What a start! Palate: Juicy and fruity, a lot of peach notes, apple, ripe mango, orange, pears, apricots, cherries - an absolute fruit salad! All the fresh fruit is accompanied by some toffee, oak spice, dark chocolate...