Introduction
In Part 1 of Saved by the Staves (Column No.10 of A Rich Pour), I focused on the history of the wood barrel and the tremendous influence oak maturation exerts on the flavor profile of Scotch whisky. Here, in Part 2 of Saved by the Staves, I focus on the Scotch whisky bottling process, take a brief look at just a few of many superb cask-strength single malt Scotch whiskies, and delve into the pros and cons concerning the addition of still water to these whiskies.
Breaking the proof barrier, and cosmetics for whisky
Ever since marketing of whisky in bottled form overtook dispensing of the spirit straight from the barrel, questions of standardization of alcoholic strength and uniformity of hue have lurked in the background. What degree of alcohol do Scotch drinkers prefer, and what do they expect from their whisky in terms of color consistency?
The alcoholic strength of any beer, wine or liquor is of concern not only to the consumer, but also to governments and associated agencies, many of which have argued for and continue to favor imposition of heftier financial penalties on high-alcohol beverages as a means of controlling substance abuse and its negative health and societal consequences. Taxation represents and remains the primary means to this end. Over time, whisky firms and their customers have grown accustomed to an in-bottle strength hovering around the 40 percent alcohol by volume mark, and practically all commercially available Scotches adopt this standard. Comparatively, an average ‘shot’ of such a whisky contains approximately the same quantity of alcohol as a glass of wine or a bottle of beer.
In 1968, the Glenfarclas Distillery in Speyside bucked this trend by releasing its ‘105’, a cask-strength whisky tipping the scales at 60 percent alcohol by volume. The Macallan soon followed suit. Ostensibly, such high-proof spirits offered the traveller a means by which to lighten his or her load. One could now simply pour some whisky, add a little water and, voilà, a ‘normal’ dram in the glass with the added advantage of having depleted the contents of the bottle less – even better if one had pleasant company with which to share!
Lighter in the luggage yet heavier on the palate...
Glenfarclas was a pioneer in the marketing
of cask-strength single malt Scotch whisky.
But there’s more to it than that. Whisky aficionados began to notice that cask-strength whiskies exhibited richer, more exciting flavor profiles, often with higher levels of wood-derived extracts accompanied by greater sweetness. For some years, Glenfarclas and The Macallan were lonely lights in the dark, and lovers of straight-from-the-barrel Scotch relied on independent bottlers of single malt to fill the void. More recently, however, cask-strength whiskies have become the buzz-bottles of the industry, with more and more distilleries scrambling to release their own versions – perhaps not surprising, as such offerings tend to occupy the premium-price segment of the market. Given that premium and single malt whiskies edged close to capturing a fifth of total Scotch sales (by volume) around the dawn of the New Millennium, the emerging popularity of cask-strength editions is noteworthy.
As to the coloration issue, bottlers of blended Scotch have, for quite some time, added varying though minute quantities of spirit caramel to their whiskies in order to ensure consistency of appearance from one batch to the next. And this practice has spilled over, to a fair extent, into the realm of single malts. Though most whisky firms insist that the amounts of caramel utilized are far too tiny to be discerned other than visually, some amateur and professional tasters disagree, citing instances where certain Scotches display additional, artificial, toffee-like characteristics that dull the dynamics – most often on the finish. This is no simple matter given the extreme difficulty in being able to distinguish between naturally occurring, wood-derived flavor elements possessing caramel or toffee traits and spirit caramel itself. Still and all, the solution seems too simple to be true – forego the use of caramel coloring, educate the greater Scotch-buying public to accept slight variations in appearance and be done with the issue. Judging from the increasing availability of single malt Scotch whiskies sporting labels with the phrase ‘no artificial coloring’, the word is spreading.
Caught in the filter
Transference of distilled spirit from barrel to bottle requires some form of filtration to avoid the possibility of consumers encountering sizable distillation or wood-derived sediment in their drinks. Yet just how thorough this filtration should be is still open to discussion.
Relatively benign methods of dealing with solid deposits involve racking off and simple mechanical filtration. These approaches can remove large, visible types of matter, but will almost certainly permit microscopic, suspended substances to pass through.
The vast majority of Scotch in the marketplace, though, be it blended, pure malt or single malt whisky, undergoes chill filtration. During chill filtration, whisky is cooled to around the freezing point of water and then passed through a fine filter. This process essentially removes all particulate and suspended matter – even those so fine that they appear merely as cloudiness or haziness, and then only when the whisky is stored under cold conditions or when diluting water is added. Large-scale purveyors of such Scotches maintain that chill filtration has little if any impact on quality of taste, adding that consumers prefer their whiskies to appear clean as a whistle. However, many others disagree, and with good reason.
The key to chill filtration rests in its ability to remove substances that dissolve in alcohol, but not in water. Although filtering out of some ethyl esters may not lead to significant alteration in the taste of a whisky, the loss of other substances, such as long chain fatty acid esters, definitely does affect textural depth and flavor profile to a degree. In this regard, single malt whiskies from Islay may suffer more from chill filtration than their Highland and Lowland cousins.
How strong is cask-strength?
Though a number of cask-strength Scotches can be found on retail shelves, these whiskies are not all exact equals, and they therefore fall into distinct categories.
Some distillery-released cask-strength single malts, such as the standard no-age-specified Bowmore from the Isle of Islay, are marketed on a continuous basis. These whiskies are usually minimally reduced to a consistent alcohol level through the addition of very small quantities of water (in the case of the Bowmore cited, to 56 percent alcohol by volume), and would therefore be more accurately described as high-proof spirits.
One step up the ladder stand those widely and regularly available distillery-released cask-strength whiskies blended from a variety of stockpiled casks, but not diluted prior to being bottled. These single malts, such as Aberlour a’bunadh and current versions of Macallan Cask-Strength, tend to vary slightly in alcohol level from one edition to the next.
Beyond this range, one finds cask-strength Scotches issued in limited runs, often from particular years of distillation. These single malts are normally drawn from much smaller lots of casks and, in certain instances, from a single cask. Independent bottlers have long adopted an important role in making such whiskies available to the public, though the distilleries are doing a good job of playing catch-up. Depending on the individual cask(s) selected as well as on the age of the spirit, the alcohol percentage of a limited edition or vintage single malt may range from a fairly high level (above 60 percent) to one around standard strength (approximately 40 percent). Evaporation can take its toll!
Rest assured, though, that any cask-strength single malt Scotch worthy of its title possesses more than enough mettle to bring warmth to your digestive tract and a smile to your face.
Convalmore's spirit remains as vibrant as ever in this limited edition bottling.
Whisky and water
As cask-strength single malt Scotch varies in alcoholic power, so do the palates of those prepared to take this kind of whisky for a test ride. It’s always wise to have some pure, still water at hand once you’re ready to pour and sample. But there’s no need to call out the Fire Department. The whole idea is to gently coax the best such a whisky has to offer from your glass – not to drown its spirit. Adding water drop by drop allows you to judge when YOU feel an appropriate balance between the liveliness of the malt and the tolerance of your palate has been achieved. Don’t be surprised if this ‘ideal’ point of equilibrium changes from one day to the next, or if you finally decide to risk having a go at sipping the whisky without any water at all. It’s all part of the fun.
Another aspect of this delicate balancing act hinges upon accepting that various whiskies react to the addition of water in differing ways – and not always so well. One mistaken notion revolves around the assumption that any single malt will show at its finest when rendered close to a standard alcoholic strength. Some may. However, personal experience leads me to believe that most cask-strength Scotches perform better at higher proof, and that a few really sing with little or no water added. “Better lithe than limp,” I say. And please do yourself a favor by disregarding any label that extolls the virtues of two parts water to one part whisky. This sort of ratio may be of value to a professional noser or blender. But we’re here to enjoy full flavor intensity, aren’t we?
Barrel to bottle delights
Now it’s time for a little road trip, and a closer peek at some independent and official distillery release cask-strength offerings from Scotland’s single malt whisky sites.
Aberlour a’bunadh represents a good Speyside whisky with which to begin our exploration – an excellent whisky, in fact. A’bunadh is released sequentially in distinct batches, each sporting a number and differing in minute ways from the others. Two common threads running through all of these batches are an alcohol level lying close to the 60 percent mark and total reliance on maturation in Oloroso Sherry wood – now exclusively 2nd fill casks. This enveloping and soothing spirit drinks superbly at between 50 and 55 percent, and tolerates greater dilution for those meeker souls amongst us. But anyone game enough to have a go at it full-throttle will be astounded at how unabrasively the whisky rolls across the palate, despite the considerable warmth. Spanish Brandy and barrel-proof Bourbon lovers in search of a richly rewarding Scottish reply need look no further.
21 batches and counting... Aberlour a’bunadh remains a favourite
for those seeking both richness and balance.
Arran Distillery counts as one of the new kids on the block or, in this instance, on a namesake island lying between the Kintyre Peninsula and the Lowland coast. Though barely more than a decade old, this enterprise has already managed to market high-quality distillates displaying syrupy yet beautifully clean malt notes. A 1996 edition, drawn directly from a single Bourbon cask, adds a controlled pepper after-burn to the proceedings, and lives life to best effect in the high 40s to low 50s alcohol range. This is a radiant whisky that makes friends easily. Note that the Arran range of cask-strength single malts is rapidly expanding to include expressions finished off in Cognac, Sherry and Amarone casks, amongst others. The Amarone Wine Cask Arran is a stunner, sporting a lovely deep reddish amber hue. Its flavor exhibits those telltale Arran signs of lush malt and subtle salt, then adds a very thick overlay of incredibly ripe, grape-derived fruit. The whisky remains dry from mid palate to finish – mouth-puckering bone dry, in fact. However, a drop or two of water precipitates a complete 180º shift in style, with those malt and fruit notes suddenly acquiring a dessert-like sweetness. I’ve experienced such transformations before upon adding water to whisky, but never to such a degree.
When a good island distillate meets a good used Bourbon barrel, the result
can be very, very appealing.
Drink as it pours or add water? You be the judge.
Auchentoshan Distillery, located in the Lowlands, is perhaps best known for its younger, amiably sweet single malts. Lurking in the background, however, are some venerable and rather extraordinary whiskies, such as a Distillery Archive cask-strength edition distilled in 1965 and matured in a Hogshead for 31 years. Here, resin-like oiliness, dense malt and spice overtake candied citrus, resulting in a slower, more somber and intense unfolding of flavor.
Bowmore marked my very first exposure to the wonders of Islay single malts, and still holds a special place in my heart. Think sweet and sour along with just enough smoke and salt, and you’re close to zeroing in on what makes this such a popular whisky. Unfortunately, I feel the Loch Indaal distillery’s regular cask-strength bottling sheds some of the succulent sherried harmony found in the teenage versions for a drier alcoholic snap, crackle and pop. But then, right around the corner, I run smack into something as refined and magical as the 16 year old cask-strength distilled in 1990 and drawn from 39 Oloroso Sherry casks – a true Islay-Jerez marriage exhibiting as seamless a finish as I’ve ever tasted. Little or no water is the order of the day for this sweet dream of a dram.
Loch Indaal and Jerez in perfect harmony
From Islay to the northern reaches of the Scottish Highlands we travel, arriving at the coastal village of Brora. Nearby lie the 19th Century cut-stone buildings of a once-upon-a-time whisky site, Brora, and the industrial-appearing structures of its newer incarnation, Clynelish Distillery. Clynelish produces one of the most enticingly complex, lip-smacking delicious single malts around, these characteristics being especially evident in a 22 year old distillation from 1972 bottled under the Rare Malts Selection banner. Firm, dry and very malt-driven toward the finish, the whisky proves positively explosive when tasted undiluted. One to awaken the senses! Contrast this with a 20-year old Rare Malts Selection 1982 Brora, in which persistent tropical fruit-like sweetness wins out over subtler brine and smoke notes. For truly sophisticated sipping, however, a smooth-as-oil 21 year old Rare Malts Selection Brora distilled in 1977 takes the cake, adding palpable peat, salt and pepper tones atop the sweet barley core. Though all three of these cask-strength single malts register in the mid to upper 50 percent alcohol range, they require the addition of very little water to fully open up.
Clynelish, Brora and Mortlach in all their glory
In the Aberdeenshire region of the eastern Highlands, we encounter the little-known Glengarioch Distillery, which has been in existence since the late 18th Century. Here, on-site malting facilities burned local Pitsligo peat for the longest time. And nowhere is the influence of this peat more apparent than in two venerable Glen Garioch Distillery Archive editions, a 27 year old distilled in 1970 and a 29 year old distilled in 1968. While the first thrusts out intense autumnal flavours, the second is resoundingly rich and powerfully oaky, evoking images of leather, furniture polish and earth. One to eat as much as to drink. Add the still water incrementally.
An old whisky from Old Meldrum that brings tastes of autumn to one’s glass
Further south, we settle in the Stirlingshire countryside at Glengoyne. The distillery’s anything-but-gentle 12 year old cask-strength seems, at first acquaintance, rather un-Glengoyne-like. Nonetheless, the intrinsic characteristics of the make – especially that signature, almost edible barley thrust – are there along with the added panache cask-strength bottling brings. Give this one a drop or two of water, as well as some time in the glass, and you will be rewarded with sensations of nuts and cream spiced with pepper and ginger. Tasty.
Mild mannered? Not a chance!
It’s only a short hop from the lush lands east of Loch Lomond to the Lowlands, home to some of the gentlest, most approachable single malts around. Lamentably, the distillery responsible for producing what many consider the quintessential Lowland Scotch, Rosebank, has been eerily silent for almost fifteen years now. An 8 year old cask-strength Rosebank distilled in 1989 and released by William Cadenhead is perhaps one of the purest expressions of any spirit to be had. Here, wood plays second fiddle to whisky, with the dry eau-de-vie-like vibrancy encased within sweet alcohol. Gentle? Hardly. Memorable? Definitely!
Liquid gold from a lost treasure
“Too long away from Islay,” I say. It’s time to take in those dueling giants of the Kildalton coast, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. The 12 year old cask-strength from Lagavulin initially seems light-years away from the hip-deep peat of the standard 16 year old, so delicate and caressing it is at first sipping. Wait a few seconds... There! A fantastically profound brine and peat duo grabs hold of everything. And that sensation of standing on the wharf simply refuses to subside. If you’re a true whisky lover, then this counts as one of life’s essentials, as does the 10 year old cask-strength from Laphroaig down the road. The glycerin texture, composed and confident medicinal manner, and uncanny balance of the Laphroaig guarantee lingering satisfaction. You can add water if you want, but you needn’t if you dare.
Smoke in abundance from the legendary Lagavulin Distillery
We began in Speyside, and that’s how we’re going to finish. Macallan Cask Strength has to be the most characterful Sherry-cask single malt from this distillery I’ve come across of late. If you’re yearning for essence of grape married to barley malt, then this whisky is your ticket to fruit pie heaven. It does bite back a little. Even so, just a drop or two of water works wonders. Mortlach Distillery may be as inconspicuous as Macallan is famous, but that’s not to dismiss its whisky, which is wonderful. A 22 year old Rare Malts Selection Mortlach, distilled in 1972 and bottled at over 65 percent alcohol, tastes of fruits, nuts and coconut imbued with an underlying smokiness. Cutting the malt’s fiery lushness to around 50 percent allows the full range of flavours to balance and really begin to sing.
Never mind the bite. The fruit is succulent.
There are so many more delectable cask-strength single malt Scotch whiskies out there waiting to be tried. Let’s get to them!
Referenced articles / books / websites
Conner, John M.; Paterson, Alistair & Piggott, John R. “Changes in wood extractives from oak casks through maturation of Scotch malt whisky”, Food Science Laboratories, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Volume 62 Issue 2, pages 169-174, ©1993 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conner, John; Reid, Ken & Jack, Frances. “Maturation and blending”, Whisky: Technology, Production and Marketing, Chapter 7, pages 209-237, Volume Editor: Inge Russell, part of the Handbook of Alcoholic Beverages series, Academic Press, London, UK, ©2003 Elsevier Ltd.
Gordon, Grant E. "Marketing Scotch Whisky", Whisky: Technology, Production and Marketing, Chapter 10, pages 309-349, Volume Editor: Inge Russell, part of the Handbook of Alcoholic Beverages series, Academic Press, London, UK, ©2003 Elsevier Ltd.
Kuebler, Doug. The Tumbler’s Guide to Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Armchair Reference Manual & Field Guide, Topeda Hill Publishing, Inc., Baldwin Mills, Québec, Canada, ©2003 Doug Kuebler & Topeda Hill Publishing, Inc.
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Nicol, Denis Arthur. “Batch distillation”, Whisky: Technology, Production and Marketing, Chapter 5, pages 153-176, Volume Editor: Inge Russell, part of the Handbook of Alcoholic Beverages series, Academic Press, London, UK, ©2003 Elsevier Ltd.
Piggott, John R.; Conner, John M.; Paterson, Alistair & Clyne, Janice. “Effects on Scotch whisky composition and flavour of maturation in oak casks with varying histories”, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK, International Journal of Food Science & Technology, Volume 28 Issue 3, June 1993, pages 303-318
Stockwell, Tim, Ph.D.; Leng, Jiali & Sturge, Jodi. “Alcohol Pricing and Public health in Canada: Issues and Opportunities”, A Discussion Paper prepared for the National Alcohol Strategy Working Group, February 2006, ©2006 Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Van Meersbergen, Michel. “E-pistle 2007/050 – Paxarete, the unloved saviour of sherry casks?”, Malt Maniacs, Issue No.105 – Whisky Writings, August 1, 2007, Editor: Johannes van den Heuvel
Waterhouse, Andrew L. and the students of VEN219, “Composition of Oak”, Natural Products of Wine, Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, California, Spring 2001, ©2001 Andrew L. Waterhouse and UCD Students of Natural Products of Wine, http://waterhouse.ucdavis.edu/ven219/index.htm
“History of the Seagram Plant in Waterloo: Making Fine Products – Barrel Warehouses”, www.city.waterloo.on.ca/SeagramCollection
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