Country/Region: Scotland.

ABV: 43%

Unit: 1 x 70cl

The name Oak Cross comes from the use of both American and French oak in the maturation of this whisky.

Whiskymaker John Glaser begins by sourcing whiskies from three single malt distilleries; one for its ethereal fruity character, one for its enchanting perfume and one that lends a complex and substantial structure to the blend.

All are aged in American oak casks before they place a portion into innovative hybrid casks featuring heavily toasted new French oak heads. These give the whisky an added richness and spice-like complexity. By carefully blending back the French oak-aged whisky with its American oak-aged forebear, John is able to create a refined, rich, but well-mannered malt whisky, with fruity aspects that will remind you of baked apple or pears, complemented by a rich, toasty oak character.

Flavour Descriptors: On the palate, notes of clove and vanilla accent a sweet maltiness and subtle fruit character.

Recommendations: Suitable as an aperitif served with a chilled water in the winter months. Full enough to serve as a summertime digestif. Excellent match for many cheeses.

Distillery Sourcing: Made entirely of Highland single malt whiskies from the villages of Brora (fruitiness), Carron (meatiness) and Alness (perfume).

Wood:  All the whiskies are aged for their primary maturation in a mix of American oak cask types. The marrying casks are a mix of first-fill Bourbon barrels and our proprietary “Oak Cross” casks made of American and new French oaks.

Ratings: 92.5 Points / Jim Murray's 2017 Whisky Bible.