Caisteal Chamuis 12 yo Peated Blended Malt - Sherry Cask Finish

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Two successive maturation stages in Oloroso casks give Caisteal Chamuis 12 Year Old its distinctive combination of powerful island smoke, oak spice and gentle sweetness. The selected single malts first mature for twelve years in previously used American oak hogsheads. The blend then moves into 230-litre American oak casks that previously held Oloroso for five full years and travelled directly from a bodega in Jerez de la Frontera to Scotland. A further finishing stage takes place in specially made 500-litre European oak butts. These were also seasoned with Oloroso in Spain and form Mossburn's own solera maturation system.

The long maturation softens the maritime force of the peat without displacing the pronounced smoky character. The Oloroso casks add depth, oak spice and gentle sweetness. The whisky is bottled at 46% alcohol without chill filtration or colouring. The bottle contains 0.7 litres and comes in a cylindrical gift tube.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, smoke combines with fruit and a little acidity. Bitter, slightly burnt caramel meets fresh hazelnuts, white peach and yellow plums.
• Palate: On the palate, the smoke is powerful and rounded, combining with the fruit to recall pale-coloured wine gums. Woody bitterness mingles with sweetness and fruitiness, while chocolate with nut nougat adds another accent. The alcohol feels gentle.
• Finish: Warm oak smoke lingers on the finish. A slightly clinging wine-gum note also remains, with restrained sweetness.

Distillery/Bottler:

Mossburn Distillers & Blenders is the company behind Caisteal Chamuis. It combines the selection of single malts with carefully designed second maturation stages. For its various blends, Mossburn commissions casks assembled to its own specifications, with the cask bodies and heads able to contribute different influences. Mossburn also releases limited bottlings of selected single malts from distilleries outside the company through its Vintage Casks range. Caisteal Chamuis focuses on marrying peated malts from the Scottish islands.

The name refers to the ruined castle of Caisteal Chamuis on Skye's Sleat peninsula, also known as Knock Castle or Castle Camus. The castle once helped Clan Macleod secure its influence on the peninsula. Its earliest medieval buildings date from the 13th century and were erected on the site of the Iron Age fort Dun Thorabhaig. The ruin stands near Torabhaig distillery and connects the brand with the island's history.

Facts: