Springbank 19 yr Fresh Port Single Cask
Duncan Taylor “Octave” Glenallachie 2008
Blackadder “Raw Cask” Dailuaine 19 yr Single Cask
Swinging back to Scotland proper for this round. We also went with yet another Duncan Taylor. This round was a good example of diverse flavors of whisky as we ran the gamut from salty and peaty to sweet and light. All three were pretty high proof as well.
Springbank 19 Yr Fresh Port Single Cask
Campbeltown whiskies are harder to come by than other regions, but our second bottle of Springbank proved that there’s whisky worth seeking out from the peninsula. Campbeltown is geographically close to Islay, but not as heavy on the peat as their nearby cousins. This one was salty and peaty, but not too much peat. Nice muskiness in the middle. Opens up wonderfully with a bit of water. This was voted the second-favorite bottle for this round.
Feels like: A damp basement by the seaside. - @sreegs
Duncan Taylor “Octave” Glenallachie 2008
Once again, an excellent choice by Duncan Taylor. They describe the “Octave” method as a way of maturing whisky “faster”. Octaves are smaller barrels, and the theory is the increased wood-to-whisky contact means it imparts the wood’s essence much more effectively. Whether or not this can be proven, this 8-year whisky certainly tasted like something much older. Rich and caramely, buttery. Absolutely amazing pick. Great for anyone with a whisky sweet tooth. The round favorite.
Feels like: Watching a pancake commercial where they cover them in syrup. - @trav
Blackadder “Raw Cask” Dailuaine 19 yr Single Cask
Another independent bottler, this whisky is from the Dailuaine (dall-YEW-an) distillery. Blackadder’s selling point with this bottle is it was taken straight from the cask. No filtration. There’s still bits of charred barrel floating around in there. While easy on the palate once you dilute it with some water, it’s a pretty substandard Speyside. Kinda bourbon-y. Straight out of the bottle it’s too heavy up front. Only a few people considered this their round favorite, but overall it was considered the worst of the three.
Feels like: Virginia jail time. - @cryptographrix