Cask Islay 10 y.o. Single Malt - Sherry Cask Strength - A.D. Rattray

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 57.3% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Cask Islay 10 Year Old Sherry Edition is a smoky Islay Single Malt bottled by A.D. Rattray as a small batch with a ten-year age statement and a cask strength of 57.3%. The whisky retains its natural colour and is non-chill-filtered.

The maturation combines two groups of casks. Whisky from five butts initially spent nine and a half years in rejuvenated refill sherry butts, followed by a further 18 months in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts. The batch also includes 13 first-fill Oloroso sherry barriques in which the whisky underwent its entire maturation.

A.D. Rattray personally selected the barriques in Jerez in 2010. These former wine casks from Bodegas Hidalgo-La Gitana were seasoned with Oloroso Faraon for around two years at the historic El Cuadrado vineyard. Coastal smoke, orange and raisin praline combine with the maritime Islay character and pronounced sherry influence to define the bottling.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, blood orange and blackberry mingle with dense coastal smoke.
• Palate: Dark cherry, bitter marmalade and caramelised nut praline come together on the palate.
• Finish: The long, warming finish layers spiced blackberry preserve over gentle ash.

Distillery/Bottler:

Andrew Dewar Rattray founded A.D. Rattray in Glasgow in 1868. The company initially traded imported wines, spirits and olive oil while also specialising in blending and storing malt and grain whiskies. Today, the independent whisky bottler remains under the stewardship of the Morrison family; since 2011, its headquarters and whisky business have occupied the former village school in Kirkoswald, Ayrshire.

For this Cask Islay edition, A.D. Rattray selected the Oloroso casks with their different maturation histories and brought them together as a small batch. The specific Islay distillery is not disclosed.

Facts: