Casks Masters is the latest whisky collection by the independent bottlers Brave New Spirits. I know, you must be thinking, not another one!! But bear with me here as these releases are worth the look (and a sip) and, as the name suggests, it is all about celebrating the casks that shape the spirit.
Wood plays a key role in whisky making. During maturation, the spirit will be heavily influenced by the cask it’s been in. The type of wood used, the age, size and the previous liquid in the cask all matter. Around 60–80% of the flavour comes from the cask.
Cask Masters Whisky Collection
Casks Masters won’t simply settle for using classic casks such as bourbon and Oloroso sherry but also ventures into various other fortified wines and a selection of white and red wines from different countries. Some releases have gone through a finish/secondary maturation process, others are fully matured in one cask.
Their whiskies come in three categories: Golden Proof, Distiller’s Cut and Rare & Exclusive. Golden Proof will offer whiskies that are enticing and approachable. They provide the perfect balance of quality and value, being accessible without compromising quality. Golden Proof releases are bottled at around 50% ABV, so some dilution may take place at the time of bottling.
Distiller’s Cut cover provenance and precision. These are a selection of bold, cask-strength bottlings that capture the essence of each cask and the distillery. The idea is to highlight the interaction between the wood and the spirit.
Rare & Exclusive is pretty straightforward. These whiskies are rare and well-aged single-cask whiskies from prestigious and lesser-seen distilleries across Scotland – the ultimate luxury. Like the above, these come at cask strength. Perhaps bottled with collectors in mind.
Brave New Spirits kindly gifted me a selection of four whiskies to sample. I have included my tasting notes and thoughts below.
Cask Masters Review
Benrinnes 13-Year-Old, 51.9% ABV
If you are looking for a sherry bomb, this Benrinnes is a must-try! It has been fully matured in a first-fill Oloroso sherry hogshead. The Speyside single malt goes under the Golden Proof category.
Nose: Medley of dried fruits, coffee icing, dry cake, cinnamon, dried apple, mocha
Palate: Dark chocolate-coated dark berries, nutmeg, black pepper, molasses/dark caramel, chocolate pudding, prunes, sultanas, vanilla sugar
Finish: Coffee, malty
Craigellachie 9-Year-Old, 48.1% ABV
Another Speyside whisky from the Golden Proof category. Unlike the above, this has been through a finishing period in a first-fill Château Larose-Trintaudon barrique (Cabernet-Sauvignon/Merlot blend). Surprisingly, the wine influence was minimal or at least it wasn’t what I was expecting. I enjoyed the oiliness of the spirit but felt the flavours were very typical of your classic Craigellachie and didn’t offer that much new.
Nose: Porridge oats, apricot, malty, nutty
Palate: Honey, warming spice, woody, oily mouthfeel typical of the distillery, coconut oil, dried apricot
Finish: Sweet malt
Tamnavulin 13-Year-Old, 54.9% ABV
Now we are moving to the next category, Distiller’s Cut. Tamnavulin is a Speyside distillery. This whisky release saw a finishing period in a first-fill Hungarian Tokaj wine barrique. Tokaj is a sweet white wine, although not as sickly as a dessert wine. I’m really enjoying this whisky and could keep nosing for days!
Nose: Vanilla custard, whipped cream on fruit salad, tropical fruits, blackberry, white chocolate, orange & lime zest, some oak
Palate: Vanilla, green apple peel, Manuka honey (or other rich, strong honey), sweet liquorice, potpourri, lingonberry jam, pine
Finish: Pear liqueur, mineral white wine
Croftengea 8-Year-Old, 57.9% ABV
This is a first for me as I wasn’t familiar with Croftengea. It is the most heavily peated single malt whisky made at the Loch Lomond Distillery. It’s usually used for their own blends, but some limited-edition releases have been available in the past. This release from Cask Masters goes under the Distiller’s Cut and is fully matured in first-fill French Muscat Blanc wine barriques.
What an amazing combo it is! You can detect the tropical fruity notes typical of the distillery but with added floral elements. The peat goes perfectly with the sweeter notes and only really brings in the ash on the finish.
Nose: Honeysuckle, peachy, sweet peat, creamy porridge with whisky-soaked raisins, fresh crusty white bread, dunnage warehouse
Palate: Grilled peach, elderflower, honeysuckle, dried flowers, vanilla, well grilled pineapple, something a bit vinegary like posh salt & vinegar crisps or brown vinegar on chips (all in a good way!)
Finish: Ashy, orange
Have you tried any Cask Masters releases yet? Are you familiar with Brave New Spirits?
