Blackadder Black Snake Vat No. 17 Third Venom Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 59.6%

A snake sheds its skin but keeps its venom. Black Snake works on the same principle: every time a portion is drawn off, something stays behind in the cask, and the next release inherits it.

Expert description

Blackadder Black Snake Vat No. 17 Third Venom is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in First Fill Bourbon and an Oloroso Sherry Butt and bottled at cask strength, 59.6%.

The series runs on a solera-inspired system. The whisky first matures in first fill bourbon casks and is then moved into an oloroso sherry butt. From there a share is bottled while the rest is topped up with fresh bourbon-matured whisky. That means a remnant of the very first Black Snake is always present, and every bottling carries a little of all the ones before it.

Vat No. 17 identifies the cask, and Third Venom records that this particular cask has been drawn from three times. Blackadder does not disclose which distilleries the malt comes from, which is standard practice for the house's vatted releases.

Tasting notes

Nose

Full sherry straight away, followed by vanilla, spiced oak and dark fruit. At cask strength the concentration on the nose is considerable.

Palate

Powerful and oily. Caramel, dried fruit, spice and roasted nuts arrive in layers, and the alcohol carries all of it without cutting.

Finish

Long, warm and layered with clear sherry character and the intensity cask strength brings.

Specifications

Name: Blackadder Black Snake Vat No. 17 Third Venom Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 59.6%
Bottler: Blackadder
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 59,6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First Fill Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry Butt
Bottled: March 2021
Edition: Black Snake Vat No. 17 Third Venom
EAN no.: 5055030611905

Flavour profile

Sherried · Spiced · Powerful · Nutty · Dark fruit

Investment potential

Medium. The Black Snake series is released in small numbered vats, and the early Venom bottlings have become hard to find. The concept has a steady following among collectors of independent bottlings.

Did you know?

Robin Tucek, the man behind Blackadder, declined to patent the method behind the house's Raw Cask releases. His explanation was that nobody else would dare filter as roughly as he does.

See our full range of Blackadder

Listen to our podcast:

Frequently asked questions about Blackadder Black Snake Vat No. 17 Third Venom Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 59.6%

What does "Third Venom" mean?

It records that cask Vat No. 17 has been drawn from for the third time. After each bottling the cask is topped up again, so the contents mix new and old — which is exactly why every round gets its own number.

Which distillery does the whisky come from?

Blackadder does not say. Black Snake is assembled from malt from several sources, and the bottler keeps the names confidential. That is not unusual for independent vatted releases.

What is cask strength, and why does it matter?

Cask strength means the whisky is bottled at the alcohol level it held in the cask, without dilution. That gives more concentration in both aroma and flavour, and lets you decide how much water goes in.

Is it too strong to drink neat?

59.6% takes some getting used to, but the oiliness from the sherry cask makes it more approachable than the number suggests. Start with a small neat pour, then add water drop by drop until it opens.

How does a solera system work in whisky?

You bottle only part of the cask and top it up with fresh whisky. Over time you get an average in which the oldest components never quite disappear. The method comes originally from sherry production in Spain.

Is it worth collecting?

The series is small, numbered and built on a cask that cannot be recreated. It is the rarity and the concept, rather than the age, that make the individual Venom releases interesting to collectors.