Atom Brands has released a new limited edition collection of five single cask Scotch whiskies sourced exclusively from distilleries that still use traditional worm tub condensers. The Wormtub Single Cask series features expressions from Knockdhu, Glen Elgin, Mortlach, Craigellachie, and Balmenach, aged between 10 and 24 years, all matured in sherry casks and bottled at natural cask strength.
Fewer than 20 distilleries in Scotland still use the worm tub method of condensing spirit vapor. The technique involves passing vapor from the still through a long, coiled copper pipe submerged in a cold water tub, resulting in reduced copper contact that is widely credited with producing a heavier, meatier spirit character.
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The five expressions range from 49.8% to 61.6% ABV. Outturns are strictly limited, from just 93 bottles of the Craigellachie 13 Year Old to 386 of the Glen Elgin 11 Year Old.
All five casks are sherry-matured, predominantly in PX hogsheads. The Craigellachie was aged in a PX Octave, while the Balmenach spent 24 years in an Oloroso Butt.
“In a world increasingly shaped by efficiency and automation, there is something quietly radical about a distillery still doing it the hard way — and something deeply satisfying about the liquid it produces,” said Sam Simmons, head of whisky at Atom Brands, who curated the collection.
“For this release I have selected some damn tasty examples of the heavy, meatier and dried fruit style the worm tub condensed spirit is celebrated for,” Simmons added. “Single casks are the primary pigment of whisky creation, each one unique, unadulterated and unrepeatable.”
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Prices range from £79.95 for the Knockdhu 10 Year Old and Glen Elgin 11 Year Old to £199.95 for the Balmenach 24 Year Old, described in the official tasting notes from the brand as “the crown jewel of the series,” with “cocoa, spices, dried tropical fruits, vanilla and pancakes on the nose” and “rich, fruity, classic old-fashioned sherried Speyside warehouse maturity on the palate.”
The Mortlach 12 Year Old and Craigellachie 13 Year Old are each priced at £89.95.
The Wormtub Single Cask series is available to the on and off-trade via Maverick Drinks and Master of Malt Trade, and to consumers through Master of Malt.
