Historic Edinburgh whisky producers John Crabbie & Co have unveiled a new single cask bottling of 22 Years Old Orkney Single Malt Whisky, finished for extraordinary flavour in a rare Palo Cortado sherry cask. But if you want one you best move fast
That’s because just 253 bottles of this special new dram are being released under the signature of renowned master blender Dr Kirstie McCallum, who took charge of the Crabbie’s whisky portfolio earlier this year.
After spending 21 years in ex-bourbon casks, this peated Orkney single malt was transferred to a highly coveted Palo Cortado sherry cask, hand selected by Dr Kirstie, before being left to rest for a final six months at Crabbie’s
warehouse in Edinburgh’s port of Leith area.
This exclusive new bottling continues Crabbie’s legacy of whisky innovation and excellence, with the new
expression being hailed as a rare treat for whisky fans. Dr Kirstie commented: ‘This beautiful, single cask Orkney single malt is a very special whisky, an unusual coming together of the wonderfully smoky flavours of the original bourbon-matured dram with so much depth and richness from one of the world’s rarest and most coveted sherries. And with only a few hundred bottles going on sale, I’m sure it will delight for drinkers looking for something special to enjoy or give as a special gift.
Bottled at 47.5%, the influence of this unusual sherry – described as Amontillado on the nose and Oloroso on the mouth – gives a wonderfully complex and rounded quality to the spicey smokiness of the finished whisky.
A nose of dried fruit, vanilla fudge, forest berries and a hint of peppery smoke lead to flavours of sweet berries and cream, caramel toffee, dried fruit and hints of dark chocolate and coffee, followed by a long, smoky finish.
We got our hands on a miniature sample and enjoyed its bright gold appearance and a nose that spoke unsurprisingly of raisins and dried fruit topped off by hovering hints of smoke.
The barrel ageing also delivered a coffee caramel flavour with undertones of chocolate and coffee
Crabbie 22 Years Old Orkney Single Malt is bottled at 47.5% and is non-chill filtered with natural
colour. It is available from Whisky Exchange and whisky-online with an RRP of £175.
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