My friend Raj from Purple Valley Imports sent me a very considerate gift of four bottles.
Not just any bottles, but four bottles of the uber-rare Blackadder!
What is the Blackadder you may ask?
The Blackadder is Raw Cask Whisky from Scotland. What makes this Scotch so unique is the provenance of the barrels. Blackadder buys Whisky from top producers and aces (finishes) their Whiskies in their own casks with minimal changes.
They do not add caramel coloring or use chill filtration to steep out the valuable oils and fats inherent to each dram of Whisky.
From their website:
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Blackadder Raw Cask
Blackadder RAW CASK is whisky as it always was. Whisky as it used to be. Every drop is "Whisky from the Old School". We wanted to bottle whisky as it would have been when served direct from the casks behind the bar in Scotland’s pubs one hundred years or so ago. Blackadder does not believe in chill-filtering or in colouring whisky. We believe that the purest is the best. Quite simply, Blackadder RAW CASK is every bit a Blackadder whisky but even more so. We use a special bottling process to make sure that each and every bottle of Blackadder RAW CASK contains its own share of the cask sediments as well as of natural oils and fats that might otherwise be left behind when filling a cask strength whisky straight from cask. This ensures the maximum possible natural flavour is in each and every bottle. The only thing we do when bottling is to use a small filter to ensure that splinters of wood from the cask do not inadvertently pass into the bottle. Raw Cask is a registered Trade Mark of Blackadder International Ltd and is exclusive to Blackadder. |
But what is a Raw Cask?
A Raw Cask is quite simply magic in your glass. As I sit here in the cold Winter sunshine- I'm drawn to the four bottles sitting in front of me. The aromas are of freshly drawn honeycomb, the ever present smoke and a quick dip in the freezing sea. But really they are much more than just a sip. They are a three course meal in every swallow.
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Blackadder Smoking Islay
Single Casks of fine non-filtered, non-coloured single malt whiskies are nowadays becoming rather hard to track down. Indeed, casks of some of the more celebrated and powerfully flavoured are becoming like hen’s teeth to get hold of. But when you do manage to track down one of these rare masterpieces... wow! Then you know what you have been missing. Blackadder has managed to source a supply of just such casks which we are bottling as Blackadder Smoking Islay. But to ensure our supply we have to be a bit secretive about exactly what is contained in each cask. Perhaps that’s part of the fun in enjoying a glass or two of Smoking Islay - trying to guess what is in it! It’s certainly very smoky and peaty and with a surprisingly long, sweet smoky finish. If you love smoky, peaty Islays then this is for you! |
I'm convinced that the Blackadder is the most sumptuous dram of Whisky I have ever enjoyed. Tasting notes to follow:
Mannochmore Distillery - Notes of honeycomb and salt combine with a spirited run through the moors at night finish that goes on and on. Those fishing boats down there are coated with a thick black tar to keep the water out. A sip of this Speyside malt whisky reveals golden sunshine peering from the ever present fog. Sweet but not over the top finish. Herbs, flowers and tropical fruits on the tongue and layered with dark Rum notes. I think this slurp is most impressive. The bottle was filled 21st April 1999. Numbered 68 out of 304. RARE! 121.2 Proof, 12 years old. Those little black flecks are from the cask. They are not filtered out.
Blair Athol Distillery - Notes of tropical fruits predominate with a back-burn of citrus zest. The smokey aroma of peat comes up quickly in the mouth along with white chocolate and then bittersweet chocolate notes. Freshly laid tar in the finish along with a bucketful of honey on the back of the throat makes this Scotch a mysterious dram. I'm a fan! 462 bottles drawn from a single refilled Sherry Butt. This is bottle 66 out of 462. Plenty of little specks of black sediment in this sample. Almost like freshly cracked black peppercorns. YUM!
Lochranza Distillery - Notes of peat are first through the gate. I gave this malt whisky a splash of cool branch water to release the flavors. This is very sophisticated liquor rolling in at 104.8 proof. The clear glass is dotted on the inside with little charred specks from the inside of the cask. Chewy, rich and quite oily, I'm very impressed by the length of the dram. Honey and freshly cut grain is immediately on the nose- the finish is bright, aromatic and very refreshing. The peat finish goes on and on. Marked 548 bottles, this one is # 82. Salty on the finish I imagine this dram to be quite lovely with a bowl of lamb stew on a freezing winter's day.
Blackadder Smoking Islay - Raw Cask. You're a chimney sweep. Your method of cleaning the chimney is quite unorthodox. Instead of using the traditional tools to clean the chimney, you use your lips, tongue and eventually your mouth. It's that smoky! I do not say this in a negative way at all! This is a sumptuous dram of mystical proportion. Marked 118.8 proof- there is no messing around with the smoke or the peat or the finish. It just goes on and on. Bottle is hand numbered (like all the rest of the bottles in this tasting) #9 out of 278. Pristine, bold and outrageously delicious, this dram is taking away my neck-ache with alarming speed. You could say- I'm a fan!
Cheers! wb
http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
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For availability contact Raj at Purple Valley Imports.
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Raj Sabharwal
Importer of World Class Spirits - Amrut, Glenglassaugh, Blackadder, Still Waters....
Pittsburgh
Comments
February 11, 2012
I want to know the fate of Amrut Malt in bulk which was shipped for Blackadder. Has it been bottled & if so what are the comments.