In the early years of Scotland’s ancient and most world-renowned industry, many merchants bought single casks of whisky and bottled them as they were, preserving their unique character and flavour. As a family-owned, independent company bound to no single distiller, Claxton’s proudly continue this ancient tradition by hand-selecting individual casks that reach only the highest benchmark.

The marriage of wood and spirit in a cask creates a unique flavour and aroma. As each release of Claxton’s is bottled straight from a single cask, this individuality is preserved and no two bottlings are ever completely alike. This means each release offers the opportunity to discover rare whiskies with exquisite and truly individual tastes which may never be repeated in quite the same way again.

At Claxton’s, the approach of bottling whiskies in their most original form is born from generations of exploration and appreciation of ‘Uisge Beatha’ (the traditional Gaelic term for whisky, meaning water of life). Not a single precious drop has been chill-filtered or has any added colouring, preserving the original flavour of the whisky. Every release is bottled only once the balance of flavour between wood and spirit is perfect, no matter how long this may take. Claxton’s value quality of taste and aroma above all else, and so do I!

Glentauchers 18yo is the second edition to Claxton’s Single Cask range (which also comprises a Tobermory 20 and a Tomatin 21): a Speyside whisky distilled in 1996 at Glentauchers distillery (founded in 1898) near the River Spey and bottled at 48%. (RRP should be around 90€)

 

Nose: Pleasant fruit-forward aroma with freshly-picked apples, tropical fruits, pears and peaches. The nose also shows some elegant floral hints such as orange blossom and rose. Also some typical sweet vanilla coming from the bourbon maturation. A summery kind of nose that makes you feel like booking a one-way flight to any tropical paradise – one sip at a time, I can perfectly picture myself lying in a hammock between two coconut trees (Ok, maybe I’m going too far… I probably just need some vacations).

Palate: Sweet and fruity.  Somehow acidulous with citrusy and green apple notes. Light and floral. Going back a few months in time now as the palate feels just like a morning Spring walk in the countryside, amongst wildflowers and budding trees… The profile of this Speyside malt actually appears more like a powerful Lowlands malt to me. A surprising expression then, which is exactly what I’m seeking in my dram : something unexpected. This Glentauchers thus fit the bill!

Finish: long and elegant with sweet buttery vanilla and fresh fruits.

Pssst! Find the recipe here!