Day 9 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar started out with a bit of mystery -- offering number 19 was filed in the improper place! After dipping my hand behind the cardboard barricade and checking on slot 19, I discovered the true ninth bottle: a batch strength version of Wemyss Malts’ The HIve!
Batch strength, so far as I can tell, is a term interchangeable with cask strength or barrel strength/proof. It indicates simply that, unlike most commercially-released whiskies, it is not watered down to the standard 40% and is allowed to remain at the ABV (alcohol by volume) level that it was inside the barrel. See, water evaporates faster than alcohol, so as whisky sits in the barrel the water leeches off over time, leaving more and more alcohol behind and making for stronger product.
Like anything in whisky, there are wangs who will insist that cask strength whisky is the only whisky there is, that anything less is an unmitigated and adulterated disappointment. Anyone who insists any one thing is the only true version of that thing is an idiot, and probably supports a single political party and insists that either the Beatles or The Rolling Stones are better than the other. That’s nonsense; there are no absolutes in this world, no blacks and whites, only delicious and beguiling greys. I do happen to love cask strength whiskies, if only because you can water them down to 40% yourself for the ‘standard’ experience and get more drinks out of your bottle, increasing the value for dollar.
The Hive is a very good whisky, as I discovered in my first whisky advent calendar experience a few years ago. The 12 year old version of The Hive was pretty splendid, with lots of honey and fruit and a hint of leather. It was not nearly as one-note as the name might suggest, and well worth trying. I think it may have also been one of the first blended malts I had tried, a type that seems to be getting more and more common. As noted earlier this year and in the original Hive post, a blended malt consists of a bunch of single malts smashed together; different from a blended scotch, it does not have any neutral grain spirits mixed in. It makes for a much more complex and rich product!
So here we have a cask strength version of The Hive, which trades an age statement for a smashing 54.5% ABV. The constituent whiskies are from various undisclosed distilleries, and are aged in bourbon and sherry barrels. This is one of the darkest products yet in this advent, but still has no colouring or chill filtration.
On the nose, I was expecting honey, but there's actually a surprising amount of spicy Sherry influence at the bowl. A little further back in the vapours there's an awful lot of honey that does come through, along with a hint of vanilla and graham crackers. When tasting, the first shot is definitely honey from the bear, and lots of it. But the Sherry influence is just as strong, with lots of warming cinnamon and nutmeg and whatnot. Orange pith is apparent, bringing a touch of bitter, and some ginger heat too. There's a touch of smokiness that enhances the warming latter half and makes for a strong, lengthy, delicious finish. Water sands down the edges off every phase of this and makes it even better, enhancing the sweetness.
This was amazing, especially with some water in it. I would definitely recommend this, as I would have the standard ABV 12 year-old.
If I’m being honest though, the balance of the calendar so far has been leaning really far into the sherry bomb territory, and I could use a break on that. Sherry-heavy drams are nice once in a while, but probably wouldn’t be my personal choice one a day (or twice or thrice a day, as was the case this weekend while I was playing catch-up on this calendar). We’ll see what comes next!
