Bacardi has announced the US launch of the Exceptional Cask Series, a single- and double-barrel range from two scotch distilleries—Aberfeldy and Craigellachie—which will release five expressions annually. Each bottling will be an “exceedingly rare” release; all five this year are at least 18 years old, and four of the five this year are single-barrel expressions.
Each bottling is hand-selected by master blender Stephanie Macleod, who said in a prepared statement, “The Exceptional Cask Series is an opportunity for our malt appreciators to experience new, exciting facets of the typical distillery character. Each expression in this series elevates a particular aspect of the liquid’s flavor profiling, adding character that one may not immediately recognize. You can’t tell the quality of a cask just by looking at it. You have to open it up and sample it, and what a joy it is to discover an expression that goes on to be exceptional.”
This year’s releases include a 24-year-old expression from Aberfeldy, the distillery’s oldest whisky to date.
Details, suggested retail prices, and tasting notes from the distilleries for each of the 2019 releases are below:
Aberfeldy 18 Years Old Double Cask (53.8% ABV, $199.99)
Finished in Sherry casks, this single malt is sweet and spicy, with notes of salted caramel and dark chocolate that are heightened with marmalade, almonds and honey.
Aberfeldy 19 Years Old Double Cask (56.6% ABV, $199.99)
Matured in first fill Sherry Butt casks, this single malt delivers intense notes of concentrated fruits and mixed spice, luscious in texture with a long, satisfying finish.
Aberfeldy 24 Years Old Single Cask (53.9% ABV, $299.99)
Matured in first fill Sherry Butt casks, this single malt brings savoury and subtle herbal and spice notes, which develops to be slightly smoky.
Craigellachie 19 Years Old Single Cask (55.2% ABV, $199.99)
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Smooth with subtle spice, liquorice and ripening pineapple, this single malt was matured in second fill Sherry Butt casks and is cloaked in creamy vanilla and malty sweetness.
Craigellachie 23 Years Old Single Cask (57.5% ABV, $299.99)
Matured in first fill Oloroso Sherry casks, this single malts is a supple, luscious dram that delivers pineapple studded notes with cloves, dusted with cinnamon and baked on the barbeque.
Look for these whiskies on US shelves in November in “key markets,” including California, Chicago, Florida, New York, and Texas.
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