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.
This deliciously balanced Ardmore 14 Year Old is born from the beauty of uniting two traditions. Originally the smokey backbone to Teacher’s blended whisky, Ardmore is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the best mainland peated single malts.
In contrast to its smokey island competitors, Ardmore’s mainland peat imparts an earthier and sometimes more delicate smokiness that allows the whisky to present additional flavour profiles alongside the peat. Upon first tasting this cask, I detected an inherent sweetness that served as a delicious undercurrent to the smoke.
I made the decision to emphasise the whisky’s natural sweetness by finishing it in a cask from one of my favourite wine types: Hungarian Tokaji, renowned for its unique traditional production style which uses overripe grapes to create even more sweetness.
The result is a subtle dance between Scottish Highland peat and Hungarian grape; a sweet and smokey dram that brings together flavours as disparate as their roots, combining to create an exceedingly moreish whole.
Originally the smokey backbone to Teacher’s blended whisky, Ardmore is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the best mainland peated single malts.
In contrast to its smokey island competitors, Ardmore’s mainland peat imparts an earthier and sometimes more delicate smokiness that allows the whisky to present additional flavour profiles alongside the peat.
I made the decision to emphasise the whisky’s natural sweetness by finishing it in a cask from one of my favourite wine types: Hungarian Tokaji, renowned for its unique traditional production style which uses overripe grapes to create even more sweetness.
The result is a subtle dance between Scottish Highland peat and Hungarian grape; a sweet and smokey dram that brings together flavours as disparate as their roots, combining to create an exceedingly moreish whole.
This deliciously balanced Ardmore 14 Year Old is born from the beauty of uniting two traditions. Originally the smokey backbone to Teacher’s blended whisky, Ardmore is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the best mainland peated single malts.
In contrast to its smokey island competitors, Ardmore’s mainland peat imparts an earthier and sometimes more delicate smokiness that allows the whisky to present additional flavour profiles alongside the peat. Upon first tasting this cask, I detected an inherent sweetness that served as a delicious undercurrent to the smoke.
I made the decision to emphasise the whisky’s natural sweetness by finishing it in a cask from one of my favourite wine types: Hungarian Tokaji, renowned for its unique traditional production style which uses overripe grapes to create even more sweetness.
The result is a subtle dance between Scottish Highland peat and Hungarian grape; a sweet and smokey dram that brings together flavours as disparate as their roots, combining to create an exceedingly moreish whole.
Originally the smokey backbone to Teacher’s blended whisky, Ardmore is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the best mainland peated single malts.
In contrast to its smokey island competitors, Ardmore’s mainland peat imparts an earthier and sometimes more delicate smokiness that allows the whisky to present additional flavour profiles alongside the peat.
I made the decision to emphasise the whisky’s natural sweetness by finishing it in a cask from one of my favourite wine types: Hungarian Tokaji, renowned for its unique traditional production style which uses overripe grapes to create even more sweetness.
The result is a subtle dance between Scottish Highland peat and Hungarian grape; a sweet and smokey dram that brings together flavours as disparate as their roots, combining to create an exceedingly moreish whole.