2011 A.D. Rattray Cask Collection Dailuaine 12 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

A first fill bourbon barrel offers accelerated wood impact compared with more widely used refill hogsheads, due to the richer oak, and higher surface-to-liquid ratio. Arguably, however, accelerated maturation is only possible with a robust style like the meaty make of Dailuaine. Its distillate is not easily overpowered and balances the vanilla sweetness with a profound savoury element. This example has keynotes of citrus fruit and sweet nuts. Cask 800471 yielded 241 bottles at a natural strength of 57.3% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

Notes from the bottlers... Colour: Yellow gold. Nose: Bright tangerine, vanilla custard and toasted marshmallow. Palate: Desiccated coconut, ginger snap and brioche loaf. Finish: Thick, oozy honey lifted by tart citrus and gentle cinnamon.

If unusual aromas and flavours are what you seek from a whisky, then single casks are the place to find them. Beyond the fruity esters and the softening sweetness imparted by oak that distillers like to amplify, seasoned drammers relish the road less travelled. Their eyes light up to the smell of sweaty leather or burlap sacks or birthday candles. Master distillers may cringe, yet these weird and wacky side notes are what keeps whisky interesting. Of course, it would be a brave decision for any major distillery to release thousands of cases of anything exhibiting flavours that some might consider to be “off” notes. But for an independent bottler, the tiny quantities involved in a single cask make releasing whiskies that may be deemed out of character much less risky. That's why many of A.D.Rattray's single cask picks cater to the curious, often valuing intrigue over perfection. In stock evaluations they often note casks as “flawless” - a technical assessment of quality, but on its own, not necessarily high praise from Rattray. Everything is there, but where is the hook? Can a whisky be too balanced? In fact, it's not unusual for Rattray to overlook casks that simply aren’t interesting enough, rather than reject them for exhibiting peculiar notes. For drinkers who share their passion, this is the collection for you.