WHITLAW 2013/2022 SIGNATORY VINTAGE 9 YEARS DENMARK-CASK SINGLE ORKNEY MALT SCOTCH WHISKY 58.7%. The first whisky I want to talk about is Whitlaw 2013 from Orkney. Perhaps the name Orkney already rings a bell with you? In case there is any doubt, Orkney is home to only two distilleries, Scapa and Highland Park. Whitlaw is a name used for independent bottlings from Highland Park and this one is no exception!
This Highland Park has spent 9 years in cask and has been finished with 1'st fill Sherry Butts and what a fantastic color it has got from this! It is incredibly dark and almost looks like a heavy Sherry or even a (slightly light) Cola. The color already creates high expectations and I can already reveal that this whisky, for me, exceeded those expectations. I found it incredibly complex, deep and balanced, especially considering the relatively young age of 9 years. The first encounter with the nose brought a wealth of notes and I will remember this whisky for the smell as much as the taste.
Nose: Roasted corn (a bit like popcorn), freshly baked seed bread, honey, taro fruit, wild berries, a hint of balsamic vinegar and a gentle campfire smoke. Then it was time to taste! The taste of the Highland Park house style was definitely here, with a delicious extra layer of flavor brought by the 1'st fill Sherry cask. The nose had already revealed the direction the flavor will take, however, I perceived the flavor to be a little 'darker' than the aroma.
Taste: Blackcurrant juice, orange peel, leather, coffee, black pepper and a gentle but distinct taste of sweet peat smoke. The finish was medium long and once again 'darker' in expression. A slightly funny, but very appropriate development this whisky goes through.
Finish: Dark chocolate, figs, burnt caramel and Olorosso Sherry (and all that it brings). I then experimented with adding a drop of water, which resulted in the whisky becoming much more punchy and peppery in taste. In fact, it's a bit like how I perceive Highland Park's own relatively new Cast Strength series. Personally, I prefer the more balanced expression it has without water, but if you prefer a good jaw shaker, feel free to add a few drops of water. All in all, it was a really good experience to taste this bottling from Highland Park and it is certainly not excluded that it will find its way home on my shelf at some point!
BUNNAHABHAIN STAOISHA 2014/2022 SIGNATORY VINTAGE 7 YEAR OLD DENMARK-CASK SINGLE ISLAY MALT SCOTCH WHISKY 59.3% The next bottling I enjoyed this time around was nothing less than a strong, young Staoisha from the Bunnahabhain distillery. Bunnahabhain comes from the Islay region and is known for having an alternative approach to Islay whisky. The majority of Bunnahabhain's core range is unsmoked (or with very low ppm levels). This is far from the case with this whisky, which, unlike much of Bunnahabhain, is heavily smoked. The smoked versions of Bunnahabhain have been nicknamed 'Staoisha' by independent bottlers and are available in many varieties. This variant was distilled in the year 2014 and has been aged for 7 years in dechar/rechar hogshead casks. Roughly speaking, this means that one or more older casks have been re-charred and thus renewed. The beautiful amber-golden color is reminiscent of a sherry-aged whisky, but the experience is completely different! I suspect that the cask has been re-toasted hard, perhaps up to char-level 4 or 'alligator' toasting. For more information on cask types and toasting, please read the blog post: ''Do you have a handle on cask storage?'', at: whisky.dk/blog https://www.whisky.dk/shop/har-du-styr-18067p.html However, it should be added that none of this information is stated on the bottle, so this is purely speculation on my part. The aroma was incredibly rich and welcoming, despite the high alcohol content and high ppm level.
Aroma: Hard cask roast (sweet wood, charcoal, vanilla), heavy smoke, pear, grated apples and a nice sea breeze. The taste was very different than I expected, the smoke was understated in a really good way and didn't feel nearly as powerful as the nose implied.
Flavor: Pineapple, coconut, vanilla bean, smoke, coal, sea salt. Almost like a smoked and salted Pina Colada! Really fun and delicious taste! The aftertaste was pleasant, but on the short side. 7 years of cask ageing has given this whisky plenty of full-bodied flavor and it is on that parameter that this whisky shines through. It was my impression that the aftertaste was extended a bit after a few drops of water.
Finish: Oak, pineapple, sweet malt and extinguished wet fire. Staoisha 2014, like Whitlaw 2013, was a great pleasure to deal with. These are not cheap bottles, if you look at the age statement, but it's clear that quality active casks have been used to age these bottlings. A prime example of how age in whisky simply doesn't mean everything.
