As a cask comes to maturity, Finn curates sampling sessions in interesting and relaxing environments, with friends, whisky experts and trusted partners to discover the personality of each cask and gauge the experience each dram evokes.
All the best distillers pride themselves on crafting whisky with a distinctive flavour, which is determined by the water source, grain and barley, the peat and malting, and their distilling processes. High quality original spirit is integral to every cask we bottle.
The cask itself interacts with the whisky over time. The type of wood plays a big role, as do treatments such as the whiskies are aged in a variety of types of casks. The whiskies are aged in former sherry or bourbon casks, augmenting the cask influence. External conditions such as air temperature, pressure and humidity also interact with the cask producing a knock-on effect that makes the spirit inside unique.
Finn uses these factors to balance each FT whisky experience. He may sample a cask and decide to leave it on the rack, allowing age to further develop its personality. He might decide to re-rack a whisky in a new cask to add a finishing touch. Or, he might simply deem it ready. When Finn decides the flavour is perfectly balanced, it’s time to bottle the whisky.
There is always something incredibly special about bottling a whisky from a bygone era. And this 36 year old Glen Garioch is exactly that. Distilled in 1988, this cask was filled at a time when Glen Garioch was still producing a peated style of spirit. The early 1990s saw the boom of single malt whiskies with blends slowly taking a back seat and Glen Garioch evolved its production style to focus on making an unpeated whisky instead.
The old Glen Garioch had a wonderfully rugged charm, firm, earthy, and distinctly smoky. There was a waxy depth to it, with malty sweetness, gentle peat, and a dry, herbal edge that spoke of the old floor maltings and coal-fired stills. It was a whisky with real Highland grit, full of texture and character you simply don’t find today.
The old peated style was lost to time and there are just a handful of casks from this era that still give drinkers an insight into this lost style of Glen Garioch. This cask is a reminder of how the Scotch Whisky industry changes with time. While the names and stories may all stand the test of time, it is worth remembering the liquid produced is ever evolving with the times. No two casks are ever the same which is the true beauty of rare single cask whisky.
At 36 years of age there is just a gentle wisp of smoke. The long maturation has resulted in a whisky with an explosion of umami flavours - smoked nuts, cured meats and brown butter all hint at the impressive age of this cask. There is an oily mouthfeel also that is only possible to find in such well aged whiskies.
There is always something incredibly special about bottling a whisky from a bygone era. And this 36 year old Glen Garioch is exactly that. Distilled in 1988, this cask was filled at a time when Glen Garioch was still producing a peated style of spirit. The early 1990s saw the boom of single malt whiskies with blends slowly taking a back seat and Glen Garioch evolved its production style to focus on making an unpeated whisky instead.
The old Glen Garioch had a wonderfully rugged charm, firm, earthy, and distinctly smoky. There was a waxy depth to it, with malty sweetness, gentle peat, and a dry, herbal edge that spoke of the old floor maltings and coal-fired stills. It was a whisky with real Highland grit, full of texture and character you simply don’t find today.
The old peated style was lost to time and there are just a handful of casks from this era that still give drinkers an insight into this lost style of Glen Garioch. This cask is a reminder of how the Scotch Whisky industry changes with time. While the names and stories may all stand the test of time, it is worth remembering the liquid produced is ever evolving with the times. No two casks are ever the same which is the true beauty of rare single cask whisky.
At 36 years of age there is just a gentle wisp of smoke. The long maturation has resulted in a whisky with an explosion of umami flavours - smoked nuts, cured meats and brown butter all hint at the impressive age of this cask. There is an oily mouthfeel also that is only possible to find in such well aged whiskies.