A.D. Rattray Is Back Next Week
Hooray! The new batches of A.D. Rattray Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malts are coming in next week. I got to taste the new samples right away and fell head over heels for a new 20 Year Old Auchroisk that we'll be bringing in for a bargain $79.99! We bought every bottle they had (95 to be exact), so while we didn't get the whole cask, we got everything that was imported into the U.S. save for a few bottles. Anyway, here are the notes for the new samples. Bottles will be in stock as of next Thursday.
Auchroisk 20 Year Old A.D. Rattray Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky $79.99 - We recently purchased a cask of 22 year old Auchroisk from Scotland. It was so good and such a value (when you compare it to the 20 year old from the offical distillery release that sells for $180) that it sold out very quickly. Merely days later, we stumbled upon another batch of Auchroisk that may be an even better value! We loved it so much that we immediately called the distributor and purchased every single bottle they had available. At $79.99 it's literally $100 less than the distillery version and just as complex. The nose is fat and oily, ripe with stewed fruits and bursting with aromas. The palate almost seems peated as it drips of earthy smoke and rustic wood. The finish is all roasted nuts and sweet grains. This is a 20 year old, cask strength release of a great Speyside distillery. A no brainer purchase. You'd be crazy not to buy this one.
Glen Ord 12 Year Old A.D. Rattray Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whiskey $65.99 - Glen Ord is quite an interesting distillery. We don't see it too often in the United States and the ones we do get can be wildly different from one another. This is a grimy one from A.D. Rattray and I mean that in a good way! Lots of thick, earthy, smoky oils run through this malt and the hints of vanilla and lemon zest that accent the finish make every sip that much more pleasant. A fun and interesting whisky that speaks well of the Glen Ord distillery style.
Craigellachie 8 Year Old A.D. Rattray Single Sherry Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whiskey $65.99 - There's no doubt that this precoscious little youngster comes from a sherry barrel - the nose is bursting with rich honey and dried apricots mixed with rum raisins. Oily, supple, and very Springbank like on the palate, this is not one to be missed. A fantastic whisky and, at cask strength, a big one as well!
Cooley 11 Year Old A.D. Rattray Single Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Irish Single Malt Whiskey $89.99 - While the 1999 barrel we had from Cooley was quite successful, this new cask is even better. More vanilla, more citrus, more nuance, and all at cask strength - something very rare for an Irish. This tastes like a huskier version of the Slieve Foy 8 Year Old, another delicious independent bottling of Cooley. Good stuff!
MacDuff 10 Year Old A.D. Rattray Single Sherry Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whiskey $65.99 - There's nothing like good, old-fashioned single malt whisky and this MacDuff is a throwback, similar to some of the older Glen Grants I have tasted. The nose is a subtle and balanced whiff of vanilla with sweet barley, the palate a dance of soft fruits and delicate flavors. This is lovely stuff.
-David Driscoll