To introduce my Cuban friends to the delights of single grain malt whiskies, I took along three different malts to the Oxford and Cambridge Club (and had to pay corkage). It was worth it. The Highland malt I chose was 12 year-old Old Pulteney from Wick, the Northernmost mainland distillery. The notes tell us that it is matured wholly in air-dried, hand-selected ex-bourbon casks, and rejects more modern production methods in favour of traditional; ones. It is light, in the Highland style, dry, with a taste of sherry and a tang of salt.
For a Strathspey (Speyside) malt I chose The Balvenie 12 year-old Doublewood, so called because after its first two years in bourbon casks, it is transferred to sherry casks for a further 10 years of maturation. It has a slightly sweet, smoky taste to it, with a hint of peatiness.
I left the Islay malt until last (and Lowland malts will have to come later). I chose 12 year-old Bruichladdich (with no ‘k’ sounds in the pronunciation). It’s matured in bourbon casks, and made from Islay spring water, and distilled in characteristic tall-necked stills. It comes at 46 percent, so can stand some dilution to bring the tastes out. The distiller’s taster notes tell of passion fruit, pear, gooseberry, apple, apricot, butterscotch, sweet malted barley, vanilla and thyme! I couldn’t pick up all that, but of course there was the characteristic smoky, peaty tang of an Islay malt. One of the Cubans described it as a “full mouth taste.” Indeed it was. They all left as firm fans of malt whisky.
Which whisky won? All work for different circumstances. Relaxing after work – Old Pulteney; meeting friends – The Balvenie; that special occasion – Bruichladdich, for sure.