Part of the inaugural release of Murray McDavid’s Cask Craft series in late 2022, one of six whiskies finished in different wine and spirits casks. This bottling was finished in Madeira barriques from Justino’s Madeira S.A. The Murray McDavid’s Cask Craft range showcases how the flavour of different spirits interact with different cask types.
Appearance: Summer honey/apple juice. A decent thick swirl mark and lots of long medium trails form immediately. A really viscous appearance around the inside of the glass.
Nose: A good ethanol ‘wave’, especially given the lower ABV.
Honey, molasses, caramel, dark fruits and heaps of Christmas spices.
A light mellow chocolate orange note hums along in the background, balancing nicely with the more sugary sweet notes. Some barrel char and wood notes appear after the other aromas, another layer to explore.
A light wispy of sweet smoke compliments the sweetness and chocolate, rounding off the nose.
Palate: Blood orange, sweet spices and milk chocolate start off proceedings on the palate. The ABV is less evident on the palate, but a light chest warming is still welcome.
Ashy embers, some light tropical notes and a little drying appear next. The dried fruits do make an appearance, along with a touch of cherry.
Some corner shop sweets (Fruit Salads and strawberry Chewits) and more chocolate-heavy elements appear after some time.
Finish: Light sweet spice, blood orange and some confectionary sugar last a short while, before fading away. Corner shop sweets linger a little longer.
Overall: Overall this is a very friendly, pleasant and interesting dram. When you consider that it’s £32, it becomes awesome, in terms of value. If you want a cheap but, very good whisky then this should be on your list.
