Old Malt Cask - 16 Year Old Aberfeldy.

Cask: Refill Hogshead DL No: 6844.

Bottles from Cask: 350.

Distilled: June 1994.

Bottled: December 2010.

Nose: heather, lavender and polished leather…;

Taste: juicy barley with a beautiful lustre to the thin treacle outlining the vanilla-rich oak; all kinds of spices buzz and fret;

Finish: a succession of firm barley-bourbon notes drying towards the very death;

Balance: a trademark top range Aberfeldy I actually recognised as being from this distillery even before I looked at what sample I was tasting! Adorable. And quite beautifully constructed.

94 Points - Jim Murray's 2012 Whisky Bible.

The Old Malt Cask.

This intriguing range emerged in 1998 with a caveat that the single cask bottlings would only be available in limited numbers. But the initial 50 – to commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary – was gradually passed and today The Old Malt Cask can regularly offer over a hundred superb Malts to the connoisseur or anyone else with good taste for that matter.

In their book, colouring is wicked (in its original meaning) and chill filtration techniques makes them shiver at the thought. Without apology, The OLD MALT CASK offerings are not chill filtered, leaving in each bottle all the oils, fats and enzymes that combine to give the quality of the nose, palate, mouth-feel and finish.

A preferred strength of 50% alc/vol (referred to as the Golden Strength by old die hards) is maintained as they wholeheartedly believe this strength creates a fine, round, full quality for various Malts when taken neat.