All The Way To The Finishing Line

What an incredible few months it's been. Unbelievably we now hit March and the rumbling of the jungle drums has begun in earnest, with the whisky business releasing a salvo of new releases upon us or urging us to revisit some classics of old.

Last month perfectly highlighted this premise, when I attended a superb whisky event in Helsinki. Uisge, now in its 2nd year was a rip roaring success and the organisers estimated that over two days, around 1,5oo people attended the event, held at the heart of the city. What is surprising is that despite the good will of the organisers, the brands attending- and of course the attendees, it is virtually impossible to do anything remotely exciting with whisky- and indeed- other spirits, due to the draconian rules imposed by the Finnish government and their state monopoly Alko, who control the sale of high strength alcohol. Uisge was a huge success, without any promotion, advertising or even an official website! Hell, the only thing you could find about the event was an 'unofficial' Facebook page and lots of chatter about it via Finnish whisky groups and societies.

Anyway, this isn't a piece on the state of Finnish drinking culture. What I wanted to highlight is that Finland, alongside its Scandinavian cousins is now a real serious hotbed of whisky knowledge and passion.

As part of my talk on cask finishes- the organiser presented me with a mystery whisky to discuss with the assembled group. It transpired that it was a cask strength Laphroaig, which have been re-casked into a smaller five litre vessel, which had previously been seasoned with Oloroso sherry for several weeks.

A debate ensued as to how long the whisky needed to develop extra complexity and depth- not that long is transpired - with a rich treacle like overcoat giving the powerful laphroaig an amazing additional personality. I was also fortunate enough to take home several samples of similar finishing experiments undertaken by one of Finland's keen collectors and whisky aficionados, Mika Hanka - including a wonderfully rich take on Ardbeg's Renaissance. Many thanks Mika!

Anyway, all this got me thinking about the nature of cask finishing. Some people hate it, some people, it seems, can't get enough of it. I think the problem largely lies in the fact that the majority of cask finishes of old were done to hide the undesirable characteristics of the base whisky, masking it in whatever sticky/tannic/fruity cloak available.

One series of cask finishes that changed the benchmark with their ability to highlight the synergy between a distillery's individual characteristics and the additional maturation in decent, complimentary casks was the Diageo Distillers Edition range. As we discussed last week, during the lagavulin tasting post, the Distillers Edition bottling Laga, highlighted that sherry and peat can happy play in the same sandpit, even growing up as childhood sweethearts. It still stands as one of my all time favourite Lagavulins, especially that each batch seems to differ slightly, but never disappoints.

Whilst in Helsinki, I had the opportunity to try the Talisker Distillers Edition and was shocked by how much the hot,peppery, salty peat consumed so well with the Amoroso casks used for the additional maturation, so all this got me thinking, wouldn't it be nice to demo a few of the others in the range, that you don't get to see every day?

So here is the first tranche of three, including the Oban, Clynelish and Caol Ila.

Oban - Distillers Edition - Distilled in 1995 - bottled in 2010 - Double matured in Montilla Fino sherry oak - 43%

Nose: An initial note of cloudy apple juice kicks off the proceedings, followed by white grape fruitiness, some elderflower notes, floral/zesty candle wax and a slightly salty/briny note. Balanced and extremely inviting.

Palate: A big malty coating, followed by some orchard fruit sweetness, some hints of liquorice and then a wash of sea salt. It's big chewy and dominating.

Finish: Liquorice notes, a hint of anise and the sea salt all linger, as the palate dries out.

Overall: A proper mouthful of whisky. It is smooth, well balanced but bold and compelling. The fruit is harmonious the the character of the original whisky. What a great start.

Next up: Clynelish, in all its waxy glory...

Clynelish - Distillers Edition - Distilled in 1993 - bottled in 2010 - Double matured in Oloroso Seco oak - 46%

Nose: Well, first things first - there's the wax. Big bold and beautiful floral candle wax, but this time, there is a distinctly sweet fruit note to contend with too. Almost fresh gooseberries, a bowl of over ripe strawberries and some malted breakfast cereal. Perhaps even a whiff of powder paint too.

Palate: Strawberries and fresh cream, all the way. A distinct malt note also develops, perhaps like rye bread but it balances the sweet fruit out nicely.

Finish: Lingering fruit, with a return of the classic Clynelish wax right at the end.

Overall: Another cracking example of putting the right whisky with the right cask. Lovely stuff.

Finally for this instalment - Caol Ila.

Caol Ila - Distillers Edition - Distilled in 1997 - Bottled in 2010 - Double matured in Moscatel oak - 43%

Nose: A very sweet, almost sickly smoke note, which has undertones of barbecued bananas, icing sugar and dessert wine. Surprisingly integrated, with the medicinal notes balancing well with the sweet fruit.

Palate: Very clean, with more sweet peat on the palate, but developing sugary notes, some ripe banana again and a little drizzle of lemon juice.

Finish: Lingering notes of the sweet medicinal peat, but a resurgence of some of the sweeter wine characteristics.

Overall: Perhaps the least 'immediate' from this batch of Distillers Eds, but nonetheless, inviting and drinkable. I think in terms of the peat monsters, Lagavulin certainly has the edge from this series.

We'll be introducing several of the other bottlings in the range in part two, but until then, let us know your thoughts on cask finishing - have you experimented at home? Tried a finish that was out of this world?? We want to hear from you....

Distillery Only

I’m really a country boy at heart. Stick me in a Barbour and a pair of Hunters, give me a hip flask full of Scotch and walking cane and I’m as happy as Larry; “wandering o’er vale and hill...” and all that.

But much like Wordsworth himself, I find myself here in London. Occasionally cheery at it’s beauty, it’s wonder, it’s fantasy. At other times with despair and dissolution. This is summed up by Wordsworth in his poem “London, 1802”:

Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour:
England hath need of thee: she is a fen
Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,
Have forfeited their ancient English dower
Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;
Oh! raise us up, return to us again;
And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.
Thy soul was like a star, and dwelt apart:
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,
So didst thou travel on life's common way,
In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart
The lowliest duties on herself did lay.

He’s right ya know. Have you ever tried using the tube between 17.30 and 18.30. He must have caught it at its peak; 18.02...

Anyway... enough of the bad jokes. One of the things that makes London (or any major city) amazing is discovering new shops, museums, restaurants, bars... that are totally unique to this city.

I remember fondly the first time I encountered Gordon’s on Villiers Street near Embankment Station. A tiny little wine bar located in the former building where Samule Pepys lived in 1680.

Or when, as a student, I used to take frequent walks along the Southbank where I encountered witty, well composed and though provoking graffiti by some chap called Banksy... I think a few people know who he is now.

But you don’t tend to get this sort of unique discovery in the countryside, do you?

Well, yes you do! I’m not talking about donning a metal detector and discovering some long burried Roman gold. If you happen to find yourself up in the beautiful Scottish countryside, there is unique treasure to be found at most distilleries in the form of Distillery Only Bottlings.

These come in various shapes and sizes: Bruichladdich have their Valinch series, a cask in the shop where you can fill your own bottle. Glenfiddich do a similar thing, but with a cask strength version of their 15 Year Old. Macallan often have a very limited edition which are hand filled on site. Ardbeg can be seen to roll out Single Casks, with the last one a single cask, cask strength version of their 10 Year Old. And they all seem to be at a very reasonable price, too. Quite right, I say. Once you factor in the cost of getting to the distillery itself, it’s great to have a well priced, unique reward waiting for you...

This brings me on to the two whiskies I have in front of me; the Oban and Blair Athol distillery only bottlings. These were introduced earlier this year along with the Lagavulin and Glenkinchie and I was a little surprised to find out that, up to the release of these four, the only other Diageo-own distilleries that provided visitors with a unique bottling were Caol Ila, Talisker and Clynelish.

Those of you who read the blog from this years Islay Festival will know about the Lagavulin, but let’s just run over that one again. It has no age statement on it, but is natural cask strength being bottled at 51.5% ABV and as with the Distillers Edition this has undergone a second (or ‘double’) maturation in Pedro Ximenez-treated American oak casks. We liked it, but then we really like the Distillers Edition and so to have basically a cask strength version of that really pleased us. I did hear a rumour that there were 1,000 cases of this (6,000 bottles) but I don’t know how true this is.

The obvious place to go next is the Oban as this too is a mirror of their Distillers Edition Release. Another NAS, this is bottled at 55.2% and has been double matured in Pedro Montilla Fino-treated American oak casks. Note: I guess, as with the Lagavulin, that maturing in ex-American Oak which has been treated with sherry means that you get a greater surface-area-to-whisky ratio (as opposed to using larger European Oak casks) and therefore faster maturation, hence the No Age Statement... again, just a guess however. The run for this release runs to just under 9,000 bottles apparently.

Oban – Distillery Only Bottling – NAS – 55.2%

Nose: well, of course you get the initial big hit of sherry. But this is a rich, treacle-like sherry infused with nutmeg and orange blossom. Hints of travel sweet and some dandelion and burdoch.

Palate: The strong sherry tones are the loudest notes in this orchestra but as you give it time clear honey bursts through with some delicate elements of light woodsmoke and hint of dry leaves. With water it become a little more curried, with the spices staying put the underpinning element of strong oak going.

Finish: Medium in length, oaky and spicy. Lingers slightly with mint but then its gone leaving a dry, cake-mix element behind.

Overall: This is a solid dram. It kinda needs to be at caskstrength for all the richness to come out and therefore you can’t take too much of it.

Onward to the Blair Athol. Not a distillery we are overly familiar with, but we know what we’re looking for. I’m sure this will ring a few Bells... This bottling is much more straightforward being matured in first fill european oak sherry casks and bottled at cask strength of 55.8%. Again, this carries no age statement.

Blair Athol – Distillery Only Bottling – 55.8%

Nose: The classic BA nose of ginger but with some red fruits backing it up in the distance and a touch of lemon grass. A really lovely and subtle nose.

Palate: A really soft and chewy mouthfeel with some coffee notes, walnuts, a hint of thick, dark leather and some peppery-spices. All underpinned with the ginger from the nose. With water it become a whole lot more rounded and smoother without losing any of the personality from before. Can really take water well.

Finish: long and lingering, warm and soothing. Becoming slightly bitter towards the end, like a good real ale.

Overall: I really wasn’t expecting too much of this dram, but it is excellent. I’m not sure of the RRP, but if it falls sub-£60 then it’s well worth a shot. Tasty.

By Order of The Management... part one

A few posts ago, we ran a little story on the new Diageo Manager's Choice series, which received a fairly mixed response. Some reacted with delight at the new series, hoping they would at least follow on the legacy of the original Manager's Choice bottlings.

Many others however reacted with surprise and anger at the pretty stiff pricing these bottling's would be available for - the initial flight is priced between £200 and £300.

Well, a box arrived earlier this week with samples from the first 6 releases:

Cardhu, Glen Elgin, Linkwood, Mortlach, Oban and Teaninich.

We imagined the distillery managers presenting their finest casks up at Diageo headquarters, waiting patiently for a reaction.

Then rather perversely, our imagination switched to the classic scene in The Untouchables, when various mob managers sat around the dinner table, all listening to De Niro's intimidating Capone speech about teamwork, enthusiasm and....Baseball. Every boss is keen to impress and no one wants to f**k up. Clearly one did - and paid for it via a dramatic head splattering demise.

Capone sure liked his Baseball, but didn't like his managers making mistakes. Would a similar situation apply here with these drams?? Here's what three of Manager's Choice bottling's had to say...part 2 on its way soon...

Linkwood - Manager's Choice bottling -Distilled 1996 - Bottled 2009 - 58.2% - Matured in European Oak -

Nose: Almond paste, hazelnuts, an earthy forest floor quality, peardrops and a hint of dried fruit. Surprisingly it doesn't have as much dried fruit as I expected, let alone sherry, with a slightly more aromatic cognac aroma. With water, apple, lemon zest rose water and sweet marzipan all come through. Light and dare I say it... slightly summery.

Palate: Sweet and chocolaty, it has a liqueur like mouth feel with lots of chopped hazelnuts thrown in for good measure. Herbaceous notes also come through- rosemary and a whisker of thyme.

Finish: The nuts get even nuttier and a little note of oaky spice pops in right on the death.

Overall: As I mentioned earlier, the effect of the wood clearly hasn't taken presidence here. This is a lightweight and fairly floral dram. The mouthfeel is excellent, but I would have to question whether there are more reasonably priced quality Linkwood bottlings out there.

Glen Elgin - Manager's Choice - Distilled 1998- Bottled 2008 - 61.1% - Rejuvenated European Oak -

Nose: Initially a fair whack of spirit, followed by some freshly turned earth. Brittle sugary caramel (the homemade pan variety) is the next aroma, but not much else on first nosing. Leave this one alone in the glass for a while and it starts to open up. Also, with the addition of water strawberry sherbet and fruity bubblegum come through and take us back to our favourite sweet shop, which is an unexpected bonus.

Palate: Again a very sweet dram, but more like sugared Weetabix on first entry. Chopped nuts and a whisker of dried fruit leads to something a little soapy on the mouthfeel. It's pretty closed. I left this for a good 30 minutes to open up, which gave some pronounced vanilla notes, but also a little dryness.

Finish: Drier than the Linkwood, but something fresh and grassy on the death.

Overall: A very mixed bag indeed. The nose promises more than the palate can deliver and I felt distinctly underwhelmed with this bottling. Capone would be circling... bat in hand...


Onto the final dram of this part and we've got high hopes for the Oban- a whisky which has seldom disappointed in the past.

Oban - Manager's Choice - Distilled 2000 - bottled 2009 - 58.7% - Sherry European Oak -

Nose: Ooh. Now there's something in here which smells very exciting. Very light smoke (almost like a gas camping stove), chopped mint, peaches and something a little exotic (however not in any way like one of our recent posts!) It has that sharp/sweet aroma that, say a handful of penny 'Fruit Salad' sweets has- a welcome blast from the past! Over time, a little cask mustiness creeps in, but is well balanced by some floral marzipan. With water, some lemon infused white chocolate cuts through, mixed with a hoppy aroma in a subtle way. Very good indeed. (Incidentally, it looks great in the glass with some lovely long legs. Kim Basinger springs to mind.)

Palate: On its own, the Oban has a sensational spicy and velvety touch on the tongue which is very moreish indeed. You immediately want another sip. Menthol notes cut through the sweetness and there is definitely the influence of some sherry (although, in keeping with all these bottling's, no where near as much as expected.) Further on and sliced apple, more marzipan and a deft hint of white pepper all stand their ground to give an excellent all-round balance. With water- and a very inviting perfumed note comes through in waves- rather like repeatedly kissing the perfumed neck of a 1920's gangster's moll. Capone would certainly approve. (unless you happened to be kissing HIS moll)

Finish: Lightweight, with no evidence of the sherry or dried fruit, just fresh apples and grassy notes. Perhaps a touch soapy on the death, but certainly a minor point.

Overall: Unquestionably the best of the three, the Oban delivers a varied palate with some excellent touches and is a hugely drinkable whisky. It is the most expensive and ironically the youngest, so the cost debate will no doubt rage on...


Well, Jonny 'pretty legs' Oban from the Westside (of Scotland) has saved the day here for his less impressive pals. It was a definite step beyond the other two, which weren't bad, just lacking in real presence or authority. Surely something of a pre-requisite when it comes to management? Why don't we ask Mr Capone....

Choice FM

Ok, here's a little scoop for you....some of you will have already heard about Diageo's plans to release a Manager's Choice single cask bottling from each of their operational distilleries (except for Roseisle, which is obviously not ready yet). We, like many of you received an excitable email recently about the release and immediately our appetites were whetted.

Here are the details of the first batch of distilleries, unveiled... a pretty attractive looking starting point:

Cardhu - distilled 1997- 252 bottles - £250

Glen Elgin - distilled 1998 - 534 bottles - £250

Linkwood - distilled 1996 - 480 bottles - £200

Mortlach- distilled 1997 - 240 bottles - £250

Oban- distilled 2000 - 534 bottles - £300

Teaninich - distilled 1996 - 246 bottles - £200

However, one thing keeps nagging away whilst I type this....the pricing.

Granted, some of these bottlings will become legendary- especially when we get into the Talisker/Lagavulin/Caol Ila territory (look at the 15 yo Caol Ila Manager's Dram of old - purportedly an astonishing sherried expression of Caol Ila & now retailing for around 500 quid).

But consider one thing:

At this years Feis Ile, the "Diageo-owned-operational-Islay-distilleries" both released single cask bottlings, of a similar age to the Managers Choice, hand selected by The Manager (or Iain McArthur in Lagavulin's case) which retailed for between 60 and 70 quid. That seems like pretty good value, in any financial climate. Okay, you had to get to Islay on a certain week at the end of May, but I can't help thinking that the new bottlings seem mightily expensive, especially when you can pick up one of these bottling on eBay (or equivalent site) for well under what the first batch of the Managers Choice's are being released at.

That said, these bottles are unique and individual. And to have a complete collection of Manager's Choice bottlings in one's cabinet would be pretty impressive, wouldn't it? This is mirrored in the press release where Classic Malts Selection spokesperson Nick Morgan says:

"We have occasionally issued single-cask bottlings of individual single malt whiskies before, for instance for visitors to the annual Islay Festival. And single-cask bottlings of our malts can sometimes be obtained from independent bottlers.

“But this is a much more ambitious venture - the most extensive collection we’ve ever released of single cask malt whisky bottlings, from 27 of our operational malt distilleries, involving both the well-known and those whose product isn’t widely available.

“Each individual distillery cask selected by the experts after an extensive examination has doubly earned its place in The Managers’ Choice, regardless of its age: because it faithfully illuminates that distillery's individual DNA, and also because it will offer the connoisseur a different, interesting and perhaps unexpected experience of that whisky.”

Hopefully at some point we'll be in a position to bring you a few notes on a couple of the Managers Choice whiskies but until then, you can re-enjoy the notes on the Caol Ila Feis Ile 2009 (Billy even put his signature on that bottle...) and the 2007, 2008 and 2009 single cask Lagavulins by clicking on the text.

A 'Classic' case of recollection...

"Wrap that scarf around tightly young fellow, you'll catch your death going down there", said a kindly old lady, as I was about to board my transport for the day... in this instance, a fully inflated, luxury fur-trimmed-double-air-mattress.

Hello?!... Crazyfool!! I hear you say.

My destination? the bottom of a very steep hill in Crystal Palace Park.

For once, not the ramblings of a drunken fool because, unless you've been on a beach in the Caribbean, drinking fine rum, you'll now realise that London, and the whole of our fair isle has been gripped with the heaviest snow fall for the last 18 years.

The city totally ground to a halt this week, as hundreds of like minded adults grabbed anything resembling a sledge and took to the parks with childlike zeal, all smiles, wide eyes and glowing cheeks. I was one of them - and for a brief two hours, I bombed down the slopes giggling like a twelve year old possessed (albeit with facial hair and a tweed hat).

This got me thinking. Do you ever reminisce about the first time you tasted THAT single malt? You know, the one that set your pulse racing and pointed you in the direction of malted delirium?
Well after such a day of recalling how much fun life used to be, Caskstrength thought it was high time to revisit several of our first ever 'malt encounters', in this case, from the Diageo 'Classic Malts' series. Will it be a similar feeling to that hair raising, 'whoosh' down a snowy mount? Or conversely, like watching a re-run of the A-Team: dis-jointed and best left in the past...let's find out...

Cragganmore – 12 YO – 40% Vol – 70cl

Nose: Pasteurised apple juice, hints of fudge and mint. Crisp Chardonnay, heather burning on a wood stove. Really lovely. Subtle, simple and delicious.

Palate: More apple juice, leading into sweet buttery muffins, covered in heather honey and brown sugar. The palate bears a striking connection with the nose, as more subtle wine notes come through as the spirit unwinds in your mouth. For a sub-£30 single malt, this is a total surprise. Brilliantly well rounded and expressive for its age.

Finish: Gentle, fruity and delicious, with hints of slightly smoky fudge turning up when you are least expecting it.

Overall: Cragganmore was the 3rd whisky I ever purchased in my pursuit of malt excellence, over 12 years ago. I’m pleased to say that there is a certain amount of resonance returning to this bottling. For the price, it sits very comfortably as a fine drinking whisky and will always be considered a Caskstrength house staple!!

Oban - 14 YO - 43% Vol - 70cl

Nose: Wow, I think i’ve just wandered into my favourite 2nd hand bookshop. Dusty, musty and intriguing. Hints of soft summer fruit crumble and hazelnut reveal themselves, leading into a very faint minted lamb note. Sounds all over the place, but some how retains its poise, without becoming a dog's dinner.

Palate: Peppery, followed by a really sweet nuttiness. Lots of sherry and dried fruit start to emerge, but somehow, this doesn’t feel as well put together as the Cragganmore.

Finish: Quite dry, with more sherry and a hint of...dare I say it.... disappointment.

Overall: The nose really gives you a slightly inflated impression of this dram- there’s nothing inherently bad about it, but other than the varied fragrances present, it is hard to lock down anything particularly memorable from the palate or the finish. Not a patch on the Cragganmore and unfortunately, not as good as I remember thinking it was years ago. More 'Faceman' than Snowman...

Lagavulin 16 year old 43% 70cl

We make no secret that we’re huge Laga’ fans at Caskstrength. Reviewing the recent 12 yo and Feis Ile bottlings was a totally pleasurable experience. As with the Cragganmore, our first forays into malt heaven were well-paved by the Oban, Talisker 10 yo (previously reviewed here) and 16 yo Laga' and it feels like the right time to stick a review up at last!

Nose: Gritty and intensely heady, this runs the whole gamut of aromas; freshly turned earth, carbolic soap, cereals, rich dark brown sugar and a surprising hint of Play-Doh. But make no mistake, there is no ‘Doh!’ about where this whisky takes you- it’s like returning to a welcoming warm bed and your pet cat on a bitterly cold day outside. Timelessly classic.

Palate: Fresh wholemeal bread, burnt brown sugar, green herbs and dark chocolate covered Turkish delight. Whilst this whisky can differ from batch to batch, it still retains some effortless pointers, no matter what.

Finish: Slightly salty but still lingering notes of fudge, peat, roast meat and herbs. Medium in length.

Overall: Another triumph for the nose and tastebuds. At around 37 quid, it really is worth grabbing a bottle for that long night, escaping from the cold. Believe me, it was the first whisky I thought of when returning from Crystal Palace with a burst airbed, feet like iceblocks and a smile as wide as my chilly lips would allow!!!