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.
Longmorn Distillery perhaps has one of the most loyal followings of any distillery despite the fact that it flies under the radar due to a large proportion of its output being used for blends. Indeed, its fruity character was central to the recipe of my Grandfather’s bottlings of Beneagles and it is for that reason that I am blessed to have a number of casks from the distillery from the late 1980s.
On the face of it two of these casks are almost identical. Both are hogsheads with some Oloroso sherry influence giving an amber glow as well as coffee, dark chocolate and a chewy texture that coats the mouth. Both could be bottled today as incredible examples of aged whiskies from this remarkable distillery.
The only point of difference is that this cask chosen for bottling has taken on some added elements from the wood which gives it a more mature and complex taste than it’s sister cask (17154). It is undoubtedly ready for bottling now while it still has that underlying trademark Longmorn fruitiness.
Longmorn is one of the most sought after distilleries for those that really know their whisky. A new make style that is rich and fruity, Longmorn has great potential for a long ageing process and even works in very active casks. This single cask is the perfect example of this where despite 33 years of ageing the fruitiness of the spirit still shines through.
A dark caramel colour is the first clue that the wood has worked it’s magic with the liquid here. Oloroso notes on the nose and a coffee aroma suggest European Oak with sherry once adorning its insides. There is chocolate, ginger spice and coffee all working together here as a result of this patient ageing process.
The fruitiness of the spirit character has combined perfectly with the sweet and spicy notes given by the cask. What makes this stand out for me though is the chewy texture that one gets at cask strength. This is a true gem of a distillery and at this age it is singing all the right notes.
Longmorn Distillery perhaps has one of the most loyal followings of any distillery despite the fact that it flies under the radar due to a large proportion of its output being used for blends. Indeed, its fruity character was central to the recipe of my Grandfather’s bottlings of Beneagles and it is for that reason that I am blessed to have a number of casks from the distillery from the late 1980s.
On the face of it two of these casks are almost identical. Both are hogsheads with some Oloroso sherry influence giving an amber glow as well as coffee, dark chocolate and a chewy texture that coats the mouth. Both could be bottled today as incredible examples of aged whiskies from this remarkable distillery.
The only point of difference is that this cask chosen for bottling has taken on some added elements from the wood which gives it a more mature and complex taste than it’s sister cask (17154). It is undoubtedly ready for bottling now while it still has that underlying trademark Longmorn fruitiness.
Longmorn is one of the most sought after distilleries for those that really know their whisky. A new make style that is rich and fruity, Longmorn has great potential for a long ageing process and even works in very active casks. This single cask is the perfect example of this where despite 33 years of ageing the fruitiness of the spirit still shines through.
A dark caramel colour is the first clue that the wood has worked it’s magic with the liquid here. Oloroso notes on the nose and a coffee aroma suggest European Oak with sherry once adorning its insides. There is chocolate, ginger spice and coffee all working together here as a result of this patient ageing process.
The fruitiness of the spirit character has combined perfectly with the sweet and spicy notes given by the cask. What makes this stand out for me though is the chewy texture that one gets at cask strength. This is a true gem of a distillery and at this age it is singing all the right notes.