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.
With the Thomson family roots so deeply ingrained in Perthshire distilling, it was important to me that we showcased one of the region’s current distilleries in the first set of releases for Finn Thomson Whisky. Blair Athol is one of the unsung heroes of the industry with the vast majority of its spirit going towards some of the best-known blends around. So it is a treat to be able to present such a high quality single cask of this stalwart Perthshire single malt.
This particular cask is a smaller than usual ‘hogshead’. Originally holding around 230 litres instead of the usual 250, maturation has been faster than expected allowing us to bottle this cask at just 9 years old. Fruit, nut and chocolate flavours combine – if a famous ‘Fruit and Nut’ chocolate bar could be converted into whisky, this would be it!
Caol Ila is a unique distillery within Scotland. It is the only distillery to exclusively use triple distillation and has a distinctive character because of that. The new make spirit produced here comes out the stills at 81%, considerably higher than at other Scottish distilleries. This results in a spirit with fewer impurities and a smoother and lighter flavour. More typical of an Irish whisky and a throwback to 19thcentury distilling when triple distillation was the trendier, more popular style of production. The spirit style is light, sweet and citric.
With such a light spirit character there is a real balancing act when it comes to cask influence. On the one hand the spirit can be easily overpowered by wood while at the same time the spirit relies on the interaction with oak for much of its flavour. This is especially the case with an older cask like this. The wood has by no means taken over here though. Stoned fruit and melon notes shine through alongside the mustier, autumnal notes that the cask has passed on over their marriage of 15 years.
I can’t quite believe how well balanced this is. At 15 years of age it’s so easy for Caol Ila to be blown away by the cask. Yet here we have the trademark zesty fruitiness that you’d expect from a younger Caol Ila alongside the earthy, nutty, Autumnal notes that have developed over the years of ageing. There’s a brilliant liquorice finish here emerges on the finish and adds that extra wow factor you’d expect from such an old whisky. Very special stuff here.
With the Thomson family roots so deeply ingrained in Perthshire distilling, it was important to me that we showcased one of the region’s current distilleries in the first set of releases for Finn Thomson Whisky. Blair Athol is one of the unsung heroes of the industry with the vast majority of its spirit going towards some of the best-known blends around. So it is a treat to be able to present such a high quality single cask of this stalwart Perthshire single malt.
This particular cask is a smaller than usual ‘hogshead’. Originally holding around 230 litres instead of the usual 250, maturation has been faster than expected allowing us to bottle this cask at just 9 years old. Fruit, nut and chocolate flavours combine – if a famous ‘Fruit and Nut’ chocolate bar could be converted into whisky, this would be it!
Caol Ila is a unique distillery within Scotland. It is the only distillery to exclusively use triple distillation and has a distinctive character because of that. The new make spirit produced here comes out the stills at 81%, considerably higher than at other Scottish distilleries. This results in a spirit with fewer impurities and a smoother and lighter flavour. More typical of an Irish whisky and a throwback to 19thcentury distilling when triple distillation was the trendier, more popular style of production. The spirit style is light, sweet and citric.
With such a light spirit character there is a real balancing act when it comes to cask influence. On the one hand the spirit can be easily overpowered by wood while at the same time the spirit relies on the interaction with oak for much of its flavour. This is especially the case with an older cask like this. The wood has by no means taken over here though. Stoned fruit and melon notes shine through alongside the mustier, autumnal notes that the cask has passed on over their marriage of 15 years.
I can’t quite believe how well balanced this is. At 15 years of age it’s so easy for Caol Ila to be blown away by the cask. Yet here we have the trademark zesty fruitiness that you’d expect from a younger Caol Ila alongside the earthy, nutty, Autumnal notes that have developed over the years of ageing. There’s a brilliant liquorice finish here emerges on the finish and adds that extra wow factor you’d expect from such an old whisky. Very special stuff here.