Single Cask Nation 10 Year Blended Malt
Whisky : Single Cask Nation 10 Year Blended Malt
Country/Region : Scotland/Blend
ABV : 64.8%
Cask : First Fill Oloroso Butt
Age : 10 Year (Distilled July 2009, Bottled Aug. 2019)
Nose : Rich and malty with chocolate, fig, plum wine, and shortbread. Holiday spices arrived with cinnamon and nutmeg infused fudge. Sweet coffee and malt lent it the impression of coffee cake.
Palate : Medium to thick body with a syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate syrup, fudge, caramel, butterscotch, along with loads of sweet rancio and cherries. Subtle notes of cream, vinegar, and leather came through on the mid palate. Sweet coffee with a hint of star anise on the end. The wife also picked up some nice farmy notes and sweet charred corn.
Finish : Lingering molasses and coffee with a slight dryness.
Score : 7
Mental Image : Romance on the Farm
Something Similar : Westland #3204 Peated Oloroso (similar cherry and coffee cake, more earth)
Something Worse : Blackadder Peat Reek Embers #7 (similar coffee cake and chocolate, more char)
Notes : The mental image came via a suggestion by my wife who really enjoyed this bottle. The thick maltiness and complex farmy quality were right up her alley. While I did not get much in the way of farminess, I got tons of sweet coffee and malt which gave the impression of a delicious pastry spread at breakfast. There was a lot to love here and I was really impressed by the quality of this blend, especially the great balance between spirit and cask. I have had a few other Edrington blends, or blends made up of distilleries that are now part of the Edrington portfolio, but none were quite as good as this. I think the youthfulness of the malt was a big reason why some of the bolder malty flavors stood out and balanced against the cask influence.
Overall an excellent blend and one of the best Single Cask Nation bottles I have tried.
