Top 10 Cask Strength Whiskies

Stalla Dhu Cask Strength Truthbetold 22 - Gold Medal winner at the International Spirits Challenge 2020, this limited release 22yo whisky delivers a phenomenal complexity and flavour profile. Some famous distilleries are fiercely protective of their whiskies and adapted a process called tea-spooning; as in adding a teaspoon of another malt. This is so ‘Independent Bottlers’ cannot call it a Single Malt or use the Distillery name. This exceptional cask in its previous incarnations was known as ‘Wardhead’ and clues to its identity lie within the label.

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Cask Strength 2020 - This is a smoky, complex bourbon barrel-aged whisky from Laphroaig, being the 12th edition of the distillery's popular Cask Strength releases. Bottled in February 2020, aromas of sweet biscuits, smoked cedar and Manuka honey mingle with pipe tobacco, old leather, and hints of vanilla on the nose. The palate offers notes of burnt oak, barbecued marshmallow, toffee, sea salt and Belgian caramel waffles, as well as roasted coffee beans, sticky toffee pudding and white pepper, wrapped in waves of peat smoke.

Arran Machrie Moor Cask Strength - Bottled at 56.2% abv without chill filtration or added colouring, this peated Arran Single Malt displays all the freshness of the island house style, with an added puff of smoke and earthiness. Since 2019, all peated production of whisky on the island is being done by Arran´s sister distillery at Lagg. This is a robust dram with the typical orchard fruits of Arran coming to the fore over a layer of toasted brioche and red berries.

Glenfarclas Cask Strength 105 - Glenfarclas Distillery has a reputation for producing high quality, heavily sherried single malt whisky. They have a cracking warehouse, stocked full of excellent casks up at their distillery in Speyside. The idea for the 105 came about in the late 1960's, when the Grant family were looking at bottling a cask of 10 year old, cask strength Glenfarclas for their relatives and friends as a Christmas Gift. It went down so well they decided to start bottling it for the public.

Stalla Dhu Cask Strength Caol Ila 11 Year Old - This beautiful limited-edition bottling from the Islay distillery, Caol Ila, has been bottled at the cask strength of 60.4% abv and aged for 11 years in a Hogshead cask. Distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2020, each bottling comes with a unique number, with only 287 bottles being released. The flavour profile doesn´t disappoint at all, delivering a lightly salted sweetness, white pepper notes, citrus followed by slight notes of toasted almonds towards the finish with warming barbecue embers. One of our favourites!

Aberlour A Bunadh No Age Cask Strength - A’bunadh is a unique cask strength whisky that has achieved cult status among whisky connoisseurs. This particular release is bottled at the cask strength of 61.5%, being batch number 68!  Meaning ‘the original’ in Gaelic, A’bunadh is made in homage to Aberlour’s founder, James Fleming, using only traditional methods without chill filtration or other modern processes. The result is a heavier, creamier single malt than most have ever experienced – memorably flavoursome, with an intense raisin character.

Benromach Cask Strength Batch 4 Vintage 2009 - This is a 2009 vintage single malt from the Benromach Distillery, drawn from a combination of first-fill bourbon and sherry casks in 2020 - 29 of them, to be specific. Not only that, the whisky was bottled up at the cask strength of 57.2% abv. On the palate, we can find redcurrant and raspberry, joined by grilled pineapple and molasses notes. Slightly peppery as it develops, with a hint of caraway. On the finish, we have more raspberry flavours, now paired with dark chocolate.

Stalla Dhu Cask Strength Ardmore - Ardmore is the original, peated Highlander; this expression has been left at Cask Strength, a whopping 60.5%, which makes it rather special as the high alcohol volume carries the whisky extremely well. It coats and cleanses the palate whilst the complexities gently dance together. Caol Ceo on the label can be translated from Gaelic to “Light Smoke” (or a thin mist). This multiple award winning whisky, presents rich spice, warming smoke, slight oaky notes and hints of vanilla sweetness.

Tomatin Cask Strength - This is an ongoing cask-strength addition to Tomatin's core range, bottled at the abv of 57.5% and aged in a combination of bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, allowing the distillery's spirit to shine through, along with notes of golden syrup, ginger, malt and marzipan.