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 is the second in a series of single cask Glen Garioch bottlings that I hope will showcase the flexibility of this wonderful distillery in various types of casks. The first release of the series was a refill bourbon cask 11 year old Glen Garioch that revealed the inherent malty and meaty style of the distillery.
This release has had a 12 month finish in Hungarian Tokaji casks and has resulted in possibly one of my favourite whiskies I have bottled.
There are layers of flavour here that develop with patience. Initially the meaty and robust style of Glen Garioch is evident but after a few minutes in the glass there is an abundance of juicy tropical fruit notes from the Tokaji influence. The finish is long and oily - the Tokaji sweetness balancing perfectly with the earthy distillery notes.
Sitting next to its sister cask released the year before, it is easy to see the beauty of independent single cask bottlings. Two whiskies, distilled on the same day, lying in the same warehouse but with just one year of maturation in a different cask type. You can see the evolution of flavour alongside the original qualities of Glen Garioch’s inherent distillery character.
Glen Garioch has a meaty and malty style that makes it a robust style of whisky, perfectly suited for different types of cask maturation
The Tokaji has added flavours of orchard fruit and extra sweetness - stewed, caramelised apples.
Initially the meaty and robust style of Glen Garioch is evident but after a few minutes in the glass there is an abundance of juicy tropical fruit notes from the Tokaji influence. The finish is long and oily - the Tokaji sweetness balancing perfectly with the earthy distillery notes.
This is the second in a series of single cask Glen Garioch bottlings that I hope will showcase the flexibility of this wonderful distillery in various types of casks. The first release of the series was a refill bourbon cask 11 year old Glen Garioch that revealed the inherent malty and meaty style of the distillery.
This release has had a 12 month finish in Hungarian Tokaji casks and has resulted in possibly one of my favourite whiskies I have bottled.
There are layers of flavour here that develop with patience. Initially the meaty and robust style of Glen Garioch is evident but after a few minutes in the glass there is an abundance of juicy tropical fruit notes from the Tokaji influence. The finish is long and oily - the Tokaji sweetness balancing perfectly with the earthy distillery notes.
Sitting next to its sister cask released the year before, it is easy to see the beauty of independent single cask bottlings. Two whiskies, distilled on the same day, lying in the same warehouse but with just one year of maturation in a different cask type. You can see the evolution of flavour alongside the original qualities of Glen Garioch’s inherent distillery character.
Glen Garioch has a meaty and malty style that makes it a robust style of whisky, perfectly suited for different types of cask maturation
The Tokaji has added flavours of orchard fruit and extra sweetness - stewed, caramelised apples.
Initially the meaty and robust style of Glen Garioch is evident but after a few minutes in the glass there is an abundance of juicy tropical fruit notes from the Tokaji influence. The finish is long and oily - the Tokaji sweetness balancing perfectly with the earthy distillery notes.