An intriguing mix of casks here, from the 3rd batch of Raasay’s ‘While We Wait’ series – a custom creation from Loch Lomond distillery, having sat for its life in Tuscan wine casks. Pair that with a new-ish release from SMWS, a 14yo Glenlossie coming out of a PX cask – hold on to your hats!
46.0% | ?/2017
R&B Distillers (Raasay)
Tuscan wine cask
150ml
Batch number 3 promises to be just as mad as the previous two: expect a pinkish colour and an intense sweet wine smack.
↪ Bottle Information
59.8% | 2002/2017
SMWS
Oloroso / 1st fill PX butt
150ml
It’s very rare to find a ‘sherry finished sherry whisky’, but that’s what this is: first oloroso, then PX – should be chewy!
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A couple of young releases from SMWS, both in refill bourbon barrels. These sprightly offerings fizz with fresh, fruity flavours! A tasty pair from a couple of lesser-seen distilleries.
59.9% | 2008/2017
SMWS
Bourbon refill barrell
150ml
You don’t see a lot of MacDuff on the market, nor from SMWS, so this rare gem is a wee treat!
↪ Bottle Information
54.5% | 2005/2017
SMWS
Bourbon refill barrel
150ml
Interesting fact: the bottle number (54.49) is only 0.01 away from the ABV (54.5) – for that reason alone, this should be excellent.
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Two 11yo drams from very different distilleries. The Suntory-owned Islay brand-behemoth takes on the family-owned Speyside sherryphiles, and all before lunchtime.
Youthful, cask-strength Ledaig. One in bourbon, one in sherry. A great set to compare casks, or just to drink some high strength peaty fun.
60.9% | 2006 / 2015
SMWS
Bourbon Hogshead
150ml
SMWS don’t bottle Ledaig too often, only their 17th in fact. It’s got a high strength and it’s sure to be a big, peaty hit.
↪ Bottle Information
50.6% | 2008 / 2015
Archives
Sherry Butt
150ml
7 years in sherry is a good benchmark for something peaty in my opinion, although the sherry cask doesn’t seem quite as active as some in terms of the colour – a classier dram than you’d expect.
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2 absolute stunners, from the peaty majesty of the Lagavulin 12 to a rare, sought-after sherry Gorda cask of Glenburgie from SMWS. A BIG pair.
54.4% | 2014
OB
150ml
Ah yes, an absolute classic. The 2014 version, a little lower in strength than the previous year – perhaps hinting there’s something a bit older in here? Always amazing stuff.
↪ Bottle Information
57.6% | 1998 / 2015
SMWS
Sherry Gorda
150ml
Ooooo, these sherry gordas from SMWS are always amazing – deep, rich and hammy. I’ve tried them from 3 totally different distilleries now and they’re always great – will this make it 4 in a row?
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This newly bottled standard expression from Aultmore bears the tagline ‘Foggie Moss’, and is now up at 46% in strength. Compare that with a slightly younger Balmenach, a distillery that is one of the most consistently-fruity of all.
46.0% | 2014
OB
Refill Hogsheads
150ml
The newer official bottles of Aultmore under the ‘Foggie Moss’ banner – gets decent reviews.
↪ Bottle Information
46.0% | 2006 / 2014
Gordon & MacPhail
Sherry Hogsheads & Butts
150ml
Lovely, fruit Balmenach. You don’t often see it bottled in sherry casks, could be intriguing.
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A combination of a well- and lesser-known sherry cask. Lasanta doesn’t get talked about that often, but offers an intriguingly deep sherry hit, whereas the 20yo Glen Spey bottled for Cadenhead’s Club could well be a classic in the making.
46.0% | 2015
OB
Sherry Casks
150ml
An under-rated whisky, perhaps? Big, rich, sweet and moreish.
↪ Bottle Information
52.7% | 1995 / 2015
Cadenhead
Single Sherry Cask
150ml
An exclusive bottle for members of Cadenhead’s Club, this is a stunning-looking sherried dram.
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An interesting mix of a bourbon-cask 8yo Ardmore next to a consistent Islay cask strength NAS, which up until recently advertised itself as an 8yo on the bottle.
46.0% | 2008 / 2014
van Wees
Bourbon
150ml
Young and in your face, an entry level Islay dram that should do what you think it will.
↪ Bottle Information
61.3% | 2015
Ian MacLeod
‘Oak Casks’
150ml
A great series of whiskies. No longer bearing the 8yo age statement, it still seems to perform just as well.
↪ Bottle Information
Let’s go big.. Two massive-looking Islay drams – a youthful private-cask Bruichladdich next to a huge imported Ledaig – these will blow most whiskies out the water.
55.2% | 2006 / 2015
whiskybroker
Bourbon barrel
150ml
A young Bruichladdich, but its time in the bourbon cask has softened it up and remains light in colour.
↪ Bottle Information
61.7% | 2004 / 2015
van Wees / Ultimate
Sherry cask
150ml
This is big all the way – big peat, big sherry and big colour. This is highly likely to be turned up to 11.
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A cracking auction combo – a hard-to-find cask strength Springbank brings the meaty punch, and a very rarely-seen Tasmanian Distiller’s edition should bring a bit of class.
NB the Lark is 100ml only.
54.9% | 1997 / 2008
Official Bottling
Sherry cask
150ml
A bottle you can only get on auction, this is a rich, meaty Springbank.
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46% | 2009 / 2014
Official Bottling
Rum cask
100ml
The primo Tasmanian distillery, it’s very hard to get anything from them in the UK.. a rare find!
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Our first sample set, and what better way to start than a couple of rare whiskies? A cracking old Littlemill next to an imported young Old Pulteney.
46% | 2008 / 2015
van Wees / Ultimate
Bourbon barrel
150ml
A rare independent bottling of Old Pulteney, this was released for the Dutch market.
↪ Bottle Information
53.8% | 1992 / 2015
whiskybroker
Bourbon cask
150ml
Littlemill at this age from a bourbon cask is often right up there with the best whiskies – from a private cask.
↪ Bottle Information