June 01--Scotch whisky terminology can be perplexing, from "double-matured" to "single grain" to "non-chill-filtered," but a term to watch for is "cask strength." This denotes whisky that is the same strength in the bottle as it was in the barrel, no added water, full octane. This also means that you should tread carefully, as you are about to go into the deep end.
Cask strength whisky, a mainstay of independent bottlers, is offered by an increasing number of major Scottish distilleries, from Macallan to Glenlivet to Balvenie, and has seen an upswing in the bourbon, rye and Irish markets, as well.
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Laphroaig, the Islay distillery known for extremely peaty and powerful Scotch, offers its 10-year whisky in both a standard, 43 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and a 56.3 percent original cask strength expression.
"ABV depends on the age of the whisky and the location of the rackhouse where the whisky is aged," said John Campbell, Laphroaig's distillery manager. His Cask Strength Laphroaig comprises a vatting of more than 100 different barrels from all over his rackhouse, blended (or married) to consistency.
But how does a person drink cask strength whisky?
"Slowly!" Campbell advises. And with water on hand.
Adding a few drops to a standard whisky opens the nose and reveals additional characteristics. A cask strength whisky, though, can handle multiple rounds of water -- again, a few drops at a time -- without losing its complexity from overdilution, evidenced by comparing the two Laphroaig whiskys.
The Cask Strength Laphroaig has a sweeter nose, with a fresh, muskmelon aspect to its peaty layers. By contrast, the standard 43 percent alcohol Laphroaig has an antique, dry nose, a solid blast of phenolic peat opening, with water, to bits of orange peel. The Cask Strength nose isn't over, though. It encourages bonus nosings with additional water, just drops at a time, revealing pear skin, campfires and mild bacon, a multicourse feast for the nose.
"Adding water changes the balance of the liquid, and can also bring out new flavors and show greater depth," Campbell said.
In the mouth, the Cask Strength palate, spicy and tangy, also adjusts with a teaspoon of water, resolving to notes of grapefruit, asparagus and malty peat through a long finish.
Aberlour A'Bunadh (pronounced "ah-boon-ar"), aged completely in Spanish oloroso sherry casks, offers a sweet alternative to Laphroaig's peat bomb. At 60.5 percent alcohol, A'Bunadh surprisingly requires only about 1.5 teaspoons of water in total, revealing a massive sherry-infused nose of gingerbread and cherry compote, and butterscotch elements released with later drops. The finish is a warm, sustained sherry, glowing embers in a midnight fire pit.
The cask strength experience is rooted in multiple nosings and complex finishes, and demands protracted, deliberate tasting. Careful, gradual water management is your control mechanism to push this sipping whisky to the next level.
The peat-intense Laphroaig 10-year Original Cask Strength retails for $59.99, while the Aberlour A'Bunadh goes for $79.99. And remember: Keep it slow.
Jim Brucker is a freelance writer.
