Pour & Sip October 2024 Box

October's theme – sort of inadvertently! – is oak. Fresh oak and types of oak explored across three quite different single malt whiskies. We also have a 95% rye Tennessee whiskey, and a welcome return of some quality Scotch blended whisky to Pour & Sip.

Cotswolds 5 Year Old 2018 - The Heart Cut #6: The Heart Cut is a new independent bottler from wife and husband duo Georgie Bell and Fabrizio Leoni. Both have spent their whole careers in drinks, with Georgie named Whisky Ambassador of the Year 2020 at the Icons of Whisky. Their early releases are a real statement of intent, including a rare Cotswolds malt aged in a single fresh American oak cask. Big and impressive stuff.

Jimmy Rack Tennessee Straight Rye Cask Strength: By law a rye whiskey must contain at least 51% rye, but this is 95% rye! (5% malted barley for necessary enzymes, but no corn.) As a Tennessee whiskey it must also be filtered through maple charcoal after distillation (the Lincoln County Process), but all Daddy Rack whiskeys are further mellowed by a second maple charcoal filtering after maturation. “A bartender's dream”.

Benromach Contrasts Virgin Oak: The Contrasts range always varies from Benromach's core range, with this new release using fresh oak casks that haven’t previously been used to age anything else, which means they’re very active, imparting plenty of classic American oak vanilla and citrus notes. Benromach is also one of the only mainland distilleries where all their production is peated (albeit a relatively light style).

Maclean’s Nose: It’s been a while since we featured a Scotch blend, and this is a great one. Named after both a geological landmark on the Ardnamurchan peninsular, and in honour of famous whisky expert Charles MacLean MBE, it’s made up of 70% malt (both bourbon and sherry cask ‘West Highland’ single malt – presumably Ardnamurchan – alongside some Campbeltown single malt), and a base of 30% classic, unifying grain.

Isle of Raasay Columbian Oak: Oak is vital for making whisky, but different species have different qualities. For example Quercus alba American white oak used in bourbon barrels (and some sherry casks), and quercus robur European oak for traditional sherry butts. But quercus humboldtii from Columbia? You don’t see that every day! This lightly peated whisky was matured entirely in fresh Colombian oak barriques.