With some top-end single cask whiskies
Robert Burns was no stranger to Scotland’s national drink. For one thing, he was an exciseman, charged with levying the draconian taxes that were driving the consumption of (legal) whisky out of the reach of common folk. Those same taxes, of course, were leading to the creation of a whole new industry of illicit distillation in remote glens. For another, Burns loved whisky, even as he had to admit that much of the whisky in his day was poor quality ‘rascally liquor’.
After a decade in London, I think I have finally cracked the problem of sourcing the best haggis here; and that is something I shall be more than happy to raise a dram to on Burns Night this Thursday. The dram itself is the easy bit - no fear of 'rascally liquor' at Uncorked. We have a shelf weighed down by single cask whiskies, from top independent bottlers A.D. Rattray.
Tim Morrison has spent a life around whisky, and he's one of the top noses in the industry. He is also A.D. Rattray's secret weapon, and spends hours in select distillery warehouses, sniffing out and choosing the very best barrels. One barrel will only have enough whisky for something between 200-600 bottles (according to size, and how much has evaporated - 'the angels' share'), so as well as being highly individual takes on the known character of each distillery, these bottlings are also extremely limited. You might not have heard of many of the distilleries on the list below, but that is because their produce is usually snapped up to become part of top-end blended whiskies. A few of the outstanding Rattrays currently on our shelves:
Craigellachie: at the confluence of the Spey and Fiddich rivers, Craigellachie sits right in the heart of Speyside whisky country. This sweet expression has passed through two sherry butts (casks) to acquire a spice cabinet’s worth of complexity.
Stoisha: a heavily peated expression from Bunnahabhain Distillery on Islay. Think bonfires on the beach, kippers, breaking waves, the coal bunker. Love it or hate it. If you’re not sure, steer clear.
Arran: there’s an assumption that age brings depth and complexity to whisky, but there are some youthful whiskies that belie that. This bottling from the remote distillery on the island of Arran is one such. It is not showy, but it is breathtakingly poised, pretty and complete.
Invergordon: something a little different - a single cask grain whisky from one of Scotland's six dedicated grain distilleries. Grain whiskies (based mainly on corn rather than barley) tend to be richer and sweeter than their malt counterparts, and often have a flavour profile closer to bourbon. This was then given a stay in an ex-Oloroso sherry cask which previously held a very peaty whisky. Peat, sweet, earth and spice, this touches every note.
And the last word is - water. These whiskies are bottled at cask strength, which is often around 60%, so you need to add a good splash of water. It will bring out the aromatics and transform the texture. /NT
