Neil Ridley, esteemed and, surprisingly, occasionally sober beverage editor for The Chap, has seized the opportunity to release his very first single cask Scotch Whisky, cutting out the middle man betwixt he and the tempting barrels of whisky in the Scottish Highlands.
The bottling, labelled ‘Cask Strength And Carry On’, is a 1998 vintage single cask of whisky from the Isle Of Arran Distillery, which yielded just 92 bottles. It is bottled, according to Ridley, at ‘gentleman’s strength’ – which means it weighs in at a powerful yet debonair 49.9%. The bottling will be exclusively available from Master Of Malt, purveyors of fine spirits and fortified wines, priced at £48.95, quite reasonable for a single malt of this calibre.
Ridley, who has penned articles on many of the world’s most delightful libations for The Chap and other drinks publications, decided to purchase the cask with his associate Mr. Joel Harrison, in response to the growing number of increasingly bland offerings from some of the larger distillery companies. The Isle Of Arran has only one independently-owned distillery and, since its inception in 1995, has been making single malt whisky that is revered by connoisseurs the world over. Ridley hopes that imbibers will be bowled over by the intensely sweet fruity nose, with rich creamy toffee notes on the palate and some lingering vanilla on the finish. For more information on this exclusive gentleman’s strength bottling, visit Masterofmalt.com
Every time I open this to pour a dram, I get a quick sherry nose, but it disappears at first sip.
Where is the sherry cask? Yes, it is smooth and elegant, some vanilla, but no sultana finish. Don’t get me wrong, not every 12 yr old needs to be as raisin-y as the Tomatin 12, or Arran 14, but this does not deliver what it promises. Seems more like an American or French Oak that takes up the nose. Not worth the price….the ‘Fine’ oak available only at North American duty-free shops would be the better option