Category Archives: Cask Strength

TBWC Cotswolds 3 year 50.4% – Happiness in a glass!

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At the London Whisky Show, two things stood out – a most enjoyable start to our explorations at the Cotswolds booth and the fabulous 10th Anniversary celebrations with That Boutique-y Whisky Co.

So what better idea than to combine the two by acquiring That Boutique-y Whisky Co’s Cotswolds’ Batch 1 for our April evening for the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai.

What did we think?

Cotswolds 3 year Batch 1, 50.4% (TBWC, Home Nations Series) 1,785 bottles

  • Nose – Honey, floral, very soft and sweet, some ripe cantaloupe, then a little prickly herbal quality – like fresh mint, mid-summer, cucumber, apricot – pulpy and inviting, and was there the tiniest hint of peat or perhaps smoked almonds? Shifting back and forth between tropical then citrus fruits
  • Palate – Had a surprising spice burst of mixed peppercorns and red chilies to start, then mellowed into Big Red chewing gum with that cinnamon sweetness, and finally settled into a fruity compote with drizzled honey or caramel
  • Finish – With the 1st sip there was a quick burn, but once we calibrated to the cask strength – realized it had a lovely finish with some spice and vanilla bean
  • Water – We didn’t even try – this whisky was perfect exactly “as is”
We absolutely loved this whisky. At only 3 years it was a delight with a wonderful nose, rewarding palate, and satisfying finish. Perfect for mid-summer sipping… what a delicious dram!
We set it aside to try the other whiskies in our That Boutique-y WHisky Company evening, and returned to such a joyful, happy dram – simply fabulous!! And for many, this was the favourite of the evening!
So, what do the folks over at That Boutique-y Whisky Co have to say?

The distillery is the brainchild of Daniel Szor who acquired an estate with two stone buildings and proceeded to convert them into a distillery and visitor centre.

The distillery was set up with guidance from renowned industry legends Harry Cockburn, former Distillery Manager at Bowmore, and Dr Jim Swan, fondly known as ‘the Einstein of whisky’ for his formidable knowledge of the science of distillation and maturation.

The distillery is committed to using only local barley. All the barley will have been grown in the Cotswolds. The distillery uses Britain’s oldest working maltings at Warminster. 100% of the malt they use is traditionally floor-malted.

The malt is milled and mashed at the distillery, and two strains of dried yeast are used for fermentation. Long fermentation of just over 90 hours to allow fruity flavour compounds called esters to form. This was one of Dr Jim Swan’s masterstrokes. It gives the spirit a fantastic fruity complexity.

And here are their official tasting notes for this 1st batch:

  • Nose: Sweet and rich on the nose – there’s caramelized almonds, sweet pineapple and cherries with a hint of vanilla too.
  • Palate: The sweetness continues, but citrusy warmth interjects – there’s lemon, orange and grapefruit.

I purchased this bottle online in Germany from Whic.de for Eur 52 (on sale)  and opened it in Mumbai for a Whisky Ladies‘ session in April 2023 together with:

As for our other Cotswolds whisky-tasting experiences? Check these out:

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TBWC English Whisky 12 year 63.1% – A poetic nose with a dragon fire palate!

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Whilst Scotland is considered by many the true “home” of whisky, go a little south and you will find the English are also getting into the game! To celebrate this, That Boutique-y Whisky Co started a “Home Nations” series… My original aim was to get an English trio however despite some efforts, couldn’t track down in Germany the Adnans, Circumstance wheat spirit, Oxford grain, or White Peak Single Malt Spirit.

So instead, brought two fine English single malts to an April evening for the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai – this English 12 year and Cotswolds 3 year.

It was fitting to close our evening with the oldest new English distillery – named ‘St George’s’ but bottled under the label “The English Whisky Company” (perhaps so as not to be confused with their American St George cousin?). Regardless of the name, it was the 1st English distillery to produce whisky after 100 years, with its inaugural bottle released in 2009. Which I believe makes this 12 year the oldest English whisky available!

What did we think?

English Whisky Company 12 year Batch 3, 63.4% (TBWC Home Nations Series) Bottle 146 of 299

  • Colour – Burnished copper
  • Nose – Vanilla custard and biscuits, butterscotch, a hint of rum raisin, and hiding behind the dessert elements, a whiff of blossoms
  • Palate – Deceptively soft and fruity and sweet at first and then wildfire, settling down into a Canadian butter tart
  • Finish – Quite a bit of masala spice, gentling into marmalade with cloves
  • Water – A must!!! It absolutely transforms this whisky from something promising but a bit imbalanced into something stunning. The hints of rum raisin on the nose and palate blossom into a rich single rum, charred pineapple, simply delicious.
This whisky was described as being quite romantic and poetic on the nose, Then like dragon fire on the palate… or akin to the first time you smoke a cigar! Of all the three single malts we tasted that evening, this one is best with water. Beautiful!
And what do the folks over at That Boutique-y Whisky Co have to say? Let’s start with their amusing take on describing the distillery:
The English Whisky Company distill English single malt whisky at the aptly named St. George’s distillery with their own logo featuring St. George and the dragon he’s said to have so bravely vanquished. Well, we weren’t going to turn down the chance to have a scrap with a dragon on one of our labels were we? Our dragon, potentially a connoisseur, appears to have some gorgeous golden Boutique-y whisky amongst his hoard of treasure.

Then move on to their tasting notes for Batch 3:

  • Nose: Delightfully delicate, with butterscotch, light honey, floral – spring blossom, backed up with the oak spices,
  • Taste: Gently warming with creamy custard cream biscuits, spicy oak, vanilla essence, clove, and a long satisfying finish.

I purchased this bottle online in Germany from Whic.de for Eur 76 and opened it in Mumbai for a Whisky Ladies‘ session in April 2023 together with:

Curious about other English drams? Read on:

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TBWC Macduff 10 year 52%

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Now I will admit to having a mixed experience with Macduff Distillery. Whilst normally Bacardi uses Macduff in blends, you can also find Macduff under the label Glen Deveron or just The Deveron – named after the nearby Devon River. Specifically under the brand Glen Deveron, they are known to have more affordable age statements. However, every time someone says “Oh wow a 20-year-old whisky for only xyz?!” I remind them of the old adage – typically you get what you pay for!
That shared, I trust the folks at That Boutique-y Whisky Company, so when this bottle was on sale from Whic.de, thought why not try?? Especially as 50 cl bottles means you can bring 3-4 bottles into India instead of just 2!

Macduff 10 year Batch 10, 52% (TBWC – Single Malt Scotch Whisky) Bottle108 of 1024, 50ml

  • Colour – Bright golden straw
  • Nose – Initially quite sour, then reminded a bit of Grappa, quite vegetal, some agave or Mescale, capsicum… is that also a whiff of sulfur??
  • Palate – Was that pudina (mint)? It coats the tongue with a texture a bit like ghee, was it like eating sourdough starter, barley, or something a bit bitter?
  • Finish – Licorice bark, a bit malty
  • Water – Reminded one lady of sniffing oregano oil
You can tell the nose was described as anything but a typical whisky. Remarks such as ‚heatburn, acid reflux, etc were bantered about. The palate was also filled more with questions than answers…
Which is part of why we enjoy tasting together. It is such fun to experience the unexpected and have both very pleasant surprises along with a few duds. You can tell which category this one fell into!
There is also something to be said for the whisky-tasting order. I struggled a bit with this set as initially thought to begin with the Macduff before the Cotswold and English. However in the end decided to go with a simple age progression. Which didn’t do the Macduff any favours…
Let’s just say after the remarkably good Cotswolds, we were again reminded age does not necessarily make it better… In this case, a mere 3-year-old clearly outclassed a 10-year!

What more do the good folks at That Boutique-y Whisky Co have to say? A few words about the distillery but alas not this particular batch!

The Macduff distillery was founded in the 1960s and is kitted out with five stills, four of which have lyne arms that are rather oddly arranged, with one of the wash stills’ lyne arms being U-shaped too, just so they’ll all fit in the still room! They don’t release whisky themselves under their own name – they release it under the name The Deveron. This is why the name Macduff might be more familiar to you from Shakespeare’s play, ‘Macbeth’. We’ve even put one of the deleted scenes from the play on the label of our Macduff bottling. Press the stopper down to hear the director’s commentary from Shakespeare himself (probably a lie).

I picked up this bottle in Germany from Whic.de for Eur 51 during a whisky sale – yes these do exist!

We tried it together in Mumbai with the Whisky Ladies in April 2023 together with more bottlings from That Boutique-y Whisky Co:

Curious about other Macduff whisky experiences? Read on:

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Chorlton’s Tullibardine 29 year 47.5%

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Last in our “Swansong” trio celebrating drams of days gone by was a Tullibardine from Chorlton‘s  La Nouvelle Vague series…And why would this whisky qualify for such inclusion? It was completely “mothballed” back in 1995 and wasn’t re-opened for production until 2003. And this particular expression came from 1993!

What did we think?

Tullibardine 29 year (1993) 47.5% 

  • Nose -Shy. waxy crayons, lots of sweetness, could immediately tell this was a well-aged whisky, light caramel, bananas, quite subtle, berries – especially strawberries with pepper, pink Amul strawberry ice cream, Maltese-chocolate creamy fruity filling
  • Palate – On the 1st sip, we found ice cream, some wood, simply delicious, by the 2nd sip we discovered some marvelous spunk and character chased by sweetness – when I later read David’s notes could completely understand where he found the gingerbread & rye… yet still with pastries
  • Finish – Balsa wood finish, dry

What a marvelous malt! There was a delightful combination of indulgent desserts with elements of much greater substance. A truly interesting dram – inviting, enjoyable, and unique. Fabulous.

What did David have to say? The following is an extract from his website…

A characterful but easy-drinking example of this distinctive Highland make. The nose has banana bread, caraway and rye, peanut brittle, honey, olive oil and apricot jam. The palate takes us to a bakery somewhere in central Europe with gingerbread, rye bread, baking spices and honeyed pastries, plus orange cream and sweet Frisian tea.

This hogshead produced 181 bottles at a cask strength of 47.5% and was released for £160 back in the summer of 2022. Thanks to Brexit, I couldn’t purchase it directly, so instead impatiently waited for it to make its way to Whisky.base, where I purchased it in November 2022 for EUR 200 + 18% tax + shipping.

We tried it together in early January 2023, in a Mumbai evening spent exploring “Swansong” drams:

As for other Chorlton bottles from La Nouvelle Vague series? I’ve had the pleasure of exploring a few expressions:

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Cambus 29 year 52% “The Whisky Trail Retro”

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We kicked off our special “Swansong” evening celebrating whiskies that once were with a closed lowland grain distillery – Cambus. This particular cask was bottled by Elixir (aka Sukhinder Singh’s company) and was inspired by my recent experience at Paris Whisky Live with their Cambus 29 (part of Atom Brand’s Darkness range). It was a lovely nuanced fruity expression that drew one in… so I thought this might be a marvelous way to begin our journey. 

So what did we think? To start, there is the amusing “retro” label that harkens back to days gone by when Super Mario Brothers video arcade games were all the craze… a wee bit earlier than when this whisky was “born” aka 1990! This more playful approach to whisky labels was most famously done by That Boutique-y Whisky Company, but now can be found popping up in various forms all over.

However, what matters most is the liquid the bottle contains…

Cambus 29 year (1990 / 2020) ex Bourbon Cask No. 93596 52% 

  • Nose – Spirited at first, fluctuating between hay and grass, then lightly floral, an aromatic chemical, one found a bit of match-head sulfur, the sweetness of honeydew melon, then back to acetone
  • Palate – Sharp, sweet, resinous, dark shriveled Indian grape with seeds, bitter almond or hazelnut
  • Finish – For a grain, has quite a finish
  • Water – Brings out a nice nuttiness on the palate

We set it aside to sample the other two whiskies and on the return, found that the grain had softened, particularly on the palate. One even described it as having a bit of marmite added to the other elements!

What do the folks at Elixir have to say?

A 1990 Cambus single grain whisky from indie bottler Elixir Distillers, matured for 29 years in a single hogshead before being bottled in June 2020 as part of its Whisky Trail Video Games series. Aromas of fresh grass, buttery biscuits, lemon, white chocolate and oak spice fill the nose. The palate offers notes of candy apples, hazelnuts, crystalised pineapple, milk chocolate-covered honeycomb and fragrant chamomile tea.

Whilst we didn’t find all of the elements described, it was interesting… just not sure it was worth the Eur 140 price tag! (purchased this from WhiskyFass in November 2022).

We tried it together in early January 2023 in Mumbai in an evening exploring “Swansong” drams:

Curious about other tasting experiences with Cambus? Check out the following…

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Swansong – Cambus 29 year, Glenburgie 21 year, Tullabardine 29 year

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Most would be familiar with the term “Swansong” which is the final performance of what was hopefully an illustrious career! This was the theme of a very special whisky-tasting evening early January 2023 in Mumbai – all liquid that marked the “end” of a distillery or that particular “avatar” of the distillery. To make it even more interesting, all were also from “indie” bottlers – from well-established, large-scale to newer, very small-scale.

What did I pick for this carefully curated evening?

Cambus 29 year (1990 / 2020) ex Bourbon Cask No. 93596 52% (Elixir, The Whisky Trail Retro) Lowland

The most obvious example is Cambus distillery. This grain distillery had a mixed history of highs and lows, closing in 1993 with the distillery completely demolished to eventually make way for Diageo’s cooperage.

From Elixir (aka Sukhinder Singh’s continued ventures), the bottle I picked is from their “Whisky Trail Retro” series with fun “Mario gameboy” style labels. Already sold out in the UK, I managed to snag this bottle in Europe for EUR 140 (+tax/shipping). Here I must admit that I was inspired by the remarkable Cambus 29 year tasted at Paris Whisky Live.

Glenburgie 21 year 43% (Gordon & Macphail Distillery Labels) Speyside

Glenburgie is still producing whisky, however, this particular bottle came from before production stopped in 2000, with the distillery being completely rebuilt in 2003/04. Making this spirit from a previous “avatar” of the distillery. My experience with Glenburgies from this period is very positive – summery drams with warm peaches, elegant and classy.

Here I selected a bottle from Gordon & Macphail who do more than “bottle”, they also have a hand in the casks used to mature the whisky. In this case, they also have the “right” to use the distillery label. I purchased this bottle in early 2021 for Eur 110 (+tax/shipping) and have been impatiently waiting for the right opportunity to open! 

Tullabardine 29 year 47.5% (Chorlton) Highland

Last, but certainly not least! I chose to close with a whisky from Tuillabardine distillery. Again you could argue “But hey, they are still producing whisky!” And you would be (partly) correct… however the distillery was completely “mothballed” back in 1995 and wasn’t re-opened for production until 2003. 

My choice for bottler was clear – the very creative Chorlton indie bottler with his eye-catching medieval labels and consistently quality drams. This bottle was acquired in Europe for EUR 200 (+tax/shipping), certainly steeper than my usual choice, but simply couldn’t resist!

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Paris Whisky Live 2022 – VIP Antipodes Caperdonich, Mortlach + Glenfarclas

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Paris Whisky Live was chock full of a dizzying array of offerings – particularly in the VIP section. With such crowds too, it sometimes was a bit of a “get what you can, when you can!” type scenario.

With the Caperdonic & Mortlach, my scant tasting notes didn’t even capture which “Antipode” they were featured… just the photos let on that both were in the 20 year range…

Dubbed “Glen Grant 2”, Caperdonich was founded by J & J Grant around 18978 next to the main Glen Grant distillery. Shut only a few years later in 1902, it was primarily used to supply parts to its sibling across the road. That all changed in 1965 when it was rebuilt by Glenlivet, updating its name to Caperdonic, and resuming production. Changing hands a few times, it stopped production in 2002 and then was demolished just 10 years later.  You can read more here.

So what about this particular cask, bottled by Signatory for La Maison du Whisky?

Caperdonic 22 year (6 July 2000 / 5 Aug 2022) Hogshead Cask #29480 57.6%

  • Colour – Copper
  • Nose – Quite shy initially, then increasingly fruity
  • Palate – Interesting spice, a touch nutty
  • Finish – Gently faded away

A good example of the fruity, nutty character Caperdonich is known for… what a treat.

I then moved on to another exclusive La Maison du Whisky bottling – this time for their “Chapter VII” series…

Mortlach (2012/2022) 58.1%

  • Colour – Brilliant ruby
  • Nose – Sherry and ” boom!” intense and unmistakable sherry aromas
  • Palate – Again – dark rich and heavy sherry influences, veering into rum raisins
  • Finish – Continued in the same vein

What a sherry bomb! Heavy and showing every bit of its age – in a good way!

Like all experiences at a whisky festival, this was just a quick “sniff” and “swish” so please treat these tasting notes as superficial impressions! More of a starting point than a well-informed review.

Glenfarclas 10 year “Family Cask” (17 May 2012 / 20 May 2022) Sherry Hogshead #2504 60.9% (LMdW) 300 Bottles

I hope I can be forgiven for just a few scribbles for this next whisky – from the reliable Glenfarclas family stable – my notes literally state only:

Classic sherry nose, nice spicy sherry on the palate – lively and bursting with character.

Check out more interesting experiences from Whisky Live Paris here.

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“Character of Islay” – Ardbeg, Octomore

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You thought we were done with Atom Brands? No chance! I simply had to go back to explore their “Character of Islay” range! From their Stories of Wind & Wave series, there were two distinct offerings.

Alas like the others, at Whisky Live Paris it was a mere sniff and swish, so forgive the brief impressions… That’s the beauty and danger of festival offerings…

Ardbeg 15 year (2004) 54.9% Bottle 012

  • Nose – Robust character, proper peat with smoked meats, something herbal too
  • Palate – A delicious meaty treat, peppery
  • Finish – Long and strong

Can I just say – yum! This came at the close of my 1st day and was definitely the direction to wind up a fabulous day of tasting adventures. Particularly as it came after the Lagg masterclass where I was well primed for something peaty!

If you want this for yourself, may need to track it down at a fest as it seems to be sold out! However, it was once available for Approx GBP 315.

Octomore 9 year (2011) 50% Bottle 140

  • Nose – Fruit forward then heat, sea breeze, and vanilla cream
  • Palate – Burst of flavour – peat and then shifts quickly to fruity sweet, then more peat and sweet
  • Finish – Fab all the way through the finish

I wasn’t alone in becoming a fan of this dram. A well-known Parisian chocolatier pronounced this the specific whisky he wants to use for his next single malt singular chocolate. Oh la la!

What a wonderful opportunity to try this powerful yet eminently quaffable dram from Bruichladdich. It may be tricky to find, however, it once retailed for GBP 187.

What a fabulous way to wind up my exploration of Atom Brands:

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Darkness Sherry – Mortlach, Blair Athol, Cambus

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At Paris Whisky Live 2022, the VIP section had an area dedicated to Atom Brands – best known for That Boutique-y Whisky Company which was celebrating its 10th anniversary! However, they also featured their Darkness range of intensely sherried whiskies.

Is it OK if I confess to being a bit confused about their new “Darkness” range? After all, That Boutique-y already has their well-known Whiskies, Gin, and now also rum… so why not build a twist on this? Nope! True to form, they don’t do the predictable.. instead created a completely new brand for intensely sherry whiskies – both limited edition vintage and then another line which are matured for only 8 years.

As they explain, their approach for their Limited Editions is:

Finished in Octave Casks that may have held any type of sherry wine, our Head of Whisky explores specific finishes (Oloroso, Palo Cortado, Pedro Ximenez, Moscatel or Manzanilla) chosen for their ability to enhance individual distillery characteristics.

These are unrepeatable releases that have each undertaken Darkness’ signature liquid transformation in tiny octave sherry casks.

As always, what matters most is what is in the glass! On offer in Paris was:

  • Mortlach 20 year 49% (Darkness) EUR 171 for 500ml
  • Blair Athol 18 year 49.4% (Darkness) EUR 105 for 500ml
  • Cambus 29 year 45.7% (Darkness) EUR 145 for 500ml

As it was just a sniff and swish, please forgive the light impressions… however enough to hope there will be future opportunities to explore further!

So… where did I begin? With the Mortlach naturally!

Mortlach 20 year 49%

  • Nose – A burst of flavours! Loads of sweet dry fruits, chocolate
  • Palate – Amazingly rich. Gorgeous and delicious – nothing shy about this Mortlach!
  • Finish – Resinous and rewarding, mocha

If this Mortlach was any indication, calling this an “intense” range was spot on! Stunning and well worth exploring. A mighty and most enjoyable Mortlach malt.

I then moved on to the Blair Athol….

Blair Athol 18 year 49.4%

  • Nose – Oh my! Also quite the sherry bomb! Strong sherry elements – dark fruits, nutty
  • Palate – Yum! Superb. Figs and nuts, like an indulgent chocolate bar
  • Finish – Fruity, caramel

A clear stamp of Olorosso sherry! And frankly, simply delicious.

And last but certainly not least, an aged grain from the closed Cambus distillery.

Cambus 29 year 45.7%

  • Nose – Initially quite shy, then opened up to a lovely fruit basket
  • Palate – Complex, creamy, subtly sweet
  • Finish – Soft finish

After the incredibly robust Mortlach and Blair Athol, it was quite a shift to this Cambus. However, once my senses adjusted to something softer and gentler, could appreciate the lovely nuanced character.

What an interesting trio! Whilst I miss the fun That Boutique-y Whisky Company labels can appreciate the quality of the liquid in the Darkness bottles!

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TBWC 10th Anniversary – A funky Ben Nevis 25 year

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I have to admit, Ben Nevis isn’t typically my preferred style of whisky, however, there was no way I would pass up a recommendation from Dave Worthington! Or miss trying a 10th Anniversary dram from That Boutique-y Whisky Company after the absolutely stunning 45 year Grain blend or the delightful Clynelish.

Ben Nevis 25 year (2022) Batch #16 55.8% (TBWC 10th Anniversary) GBP 260 for 500ml

  • Nose – Mineraly, salted chocolate, then some fruity elements, then shifting to cheese with a dash of balsamic
  • Palate – Spicy and robust, meaty, more of that balsamic, a touch of tobacco
  • Finish – Nice peppery finish

Dave described this as a “dirty Ben Nevis – in a good way!” And I would have to agree. Well worth trying… very interesting.

What do the folks at That Boutique-y Whisky Co have to say?

One of the few remaining truly “old-style” producers in Scotland, Ben Nevis has arguably never been as fashionable as it is now, with certain vintages (including this 1996 example) earning devout cult followings.

And the official tasting notes? Entertaining and spot on!

  • Nose – Overripe oranges on the turn, waxy shoe polish, a little sour apple juice too. Hints of rancio, dried fruits, and balsamic. Funky!
  • Palate – Big, and meaty. Balsamic glaze, dried fruits, leather, tobacco, slightly earthy, waxy, and black pepper.  Ooh dirty!! Classic ’96 Ben Nevis!

About the label?

Our label artist Emily Chappell has taken cues from our long-standing Ben Nevis label that features a chap atop Ben Nevis (mountain), looking at Ben Nevis (distillery), drinking Ben Nevis (whisky) and holding Ben Nevis (bottle, featuring the scene again on its label). Here, it’s just the mountain itself in a glass, raised in (Ben’s?) hand for a 10th birthday “cheers”

Their brilliant cheeky “That Boutique-y Whisky Company” 10th Anniversary special drams were also joined by:

  • Clynelish 25 year (2022) Batch #11 47.1% (TBWC 10th Anniversary)
  • Blended Grain #1 45 year (2022) Batch #3 44.2% (TBWC 10th Anniversary)

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