5 drinks 'all the way down'
A recent event with our friends at Certified Originals saw us pull the cork on a bottle of Signatory Bunnahabhain. This is a major cork (have you seen the size?) and a major ABV (67.7%) but it got us thinking about Larkfire and cask strength whiskies. So many of us now have access to high quality cask strength whiskies and it makes sense to enjoy them with the highest quality water.
You see, we love cask strength whiskies because you get five drinks all the way down.
Drink 1 - We love that initial tingle, tight impenetrable nose and roof of the mouth fizz
Drink 2 – A drop or two of water and the nose becomes easier to comprehend
Drink 3 – Another splash and the dried fruits on the palate can often soften, freshen
Drink 4 – Maturation notes come to the fore and an ability to distinguish between notes
Drink 5 – you get the idea…
So ‘all the way down’ does mean a drop in ABV, surely that’s bad right?
Well not according to Björn Karlsson and Ran Friedman, two slightly eccentric Swedish scientists that worked out adding water to whisky actually adds flavour. In fact, they worked on a model of 27% as the optimum. It’s all about the guaiacols (you still with us?) that are created with the charred oak interaction.
Distllers drop new make to just above 20% so they can classify the entire flavour profile. New make at 20% is not a great drink of a Friday evening but you get the point.
Distllers drop new make to just above 20% so they can classify the entire flavour profile. New make at 20% is not a great drink of a Friday evening but you get the point.
Distllers drop new make to just above 20% so they can classify the entire flavour profile. New make at 20% is not a great drink of a Friday evening but you get the point.
Many may think us Larkfire bods want the world to be full of low ABV whisky but this is far from the truth. We want people to enjoy more of the taste of their own whisky ‘all the way down’. That might mean one drop or it might mean a big splash. You might even fancy a Mizuwari serve, but that’s another blog.
Let’s take this theory into practice on the Signatory Bunnahabhain and another cask strength whisky we have recently been enjoying:
Signatory Bunnahabhain 11 – 1st Fill Sherry Butt 2009 – 67.7% ABV Cask 900083
At first the nose is very tight, which is common with cask strength whiskies. A marmite, soy note overpowers a chocolate so dark it listens to Metallica on sunny days.
As we add water the nose opens, allowing the chocolate to live a little. It doesn’t listen to Bill Withers yet but it is definitely lighter. A blackcurrant jam peeks through and the sherry arrives.
The same process happens with the palate. Liquorice, raw funky brown sugar dominates but the mouthfeel at 67.7% ABV is quite something. Like your dentist slipped with the novocaine and you emptied a pack of sherbet dib dab in your mouth. Quite fun but not exactly, moreish…
With wild, soft water added the sherry is allowed in the side entrance and chocolate cookie dough starts to make an arrival. Noticeably the spice is increased with Larkfire, a process we have noticed with many whiskies. I’m sure the Swedish scientists know why…
Next up:
Infrequent Flyers Allt-A-Bhainne 14 – Refill Puncheon – 59.9% ABV
The less active refill puncheon reduces the sherry softening influence and the wood spice is more prominent. So what is the ‘all the way down’ journey?
Again, an initial tight nose gives us clues of sweet popcorn but with water this opens up to pecan pie and other sweet nuts. The floral and fruit (from the bottler’s notes) only arrive, in our opinion, with some water.
On the palate, the ABV is almost more noticeable than the Bunnahabhain. It’s nearly 9% lower but the less active cask has not softened the spirit nearly as much. It’s a lovely mouthfeel, but man cannot live on spice alone. Your mouth is producing saliva, the experience is great but even roller coasters slow down to let you catch your breath.
Time to add a few drops of Larkfire.
Everything slows down a little and the caramelised cereals arrive. An eccentric French baker is let loose with the sherry. Dough on the edge of undercooking (he’s eccentric, we warned you) and peppered cream. The medium finish brings more spice and sherry trifle.
Each of these whiskies are niche products with quite high price tags so it makes sense to enjoy every aspect of them that you can. ‘All the way down’ should be a way to lift the experience. It’s never dilution, it’s always adding.