New Scottish Cats Special, Part One


October 17, 2023

New Scottish Cats Special, Part One

Lagg

Lagg's still house (Lagg Distillery)

It is true that some recently built Scottish distilleries are now well-established, with quite a few official or indie releases already. We will try to incorporate them into our general index soon; it would only be fair to do so. Others still remain somewhat anecdotal... For now! Today we'll visit lovely places such as Arran, Harris, Achleanan near Mull and Glenrothes.

Lagg 'Kilmory Edition' (46%, OB, ex-bourbon, 2023)

This is the first permanent expression of Lagg – and our first Lagg (which works out well). The distillery belongs to Arran Distillers and is said to produce some much peated malt whisky. I remember, at the time when the first Arran whiskies were released, many wondered, since there was an Ardbegmania, why Arran hadn't opted for full peat from the beginning. But it was another time... Colour: pale white wine. Nose: apparently, someone's deep-smoked apples using wood, made some cider, and then distilled the end result. Pipe ashes may have been added eventually. BTW this was made out of Concerto barley peated to 50ppm. Mouth: once again, a feeling of smoked apple cider, barbecued eggplant, many ashes, pinewood, beech, even seaweed (beach bonfire)… You'd almost believe, at times, that you've actually had some ashes in your mouth. Or licked an ashtray very early in the morning, in Ibiza (what??) Finish: more ashes, more cider apples, plus some lemon zests this time and a few bitter herbs and oak. Comments: not my business but I would have called it Kilnmorey instead. Indeed I know Kilmory is the name of the county. Bags of ashes in this young malt that should age very well from now.
SGP:468 - 83 points.

Let's check what would happen with a little sherry…

Lagg 'Corriecravie Edition' (55%, OB, 2023)

Six months in oloroso sherry from Bodega Jose & Miguel Martin's. Corriecravie's got nothing to do with the Corrywreckan. Colour: deep gold. Nose: on the nose, those bitter apples combine extremely well with the sherry's usual walnuts and with the distillate's heavy smoke. Roasted pecans and walnuts all over the place, that's absolutely lovely, and unexpectedly balanced. With water: a sweet earthiness is rising… Mouth (neat): great fun here, nothing being normal or 'usual' or whatever. We're between tequila and genever, with a heavy, ashy smokiness once more, touches of aquavit (a lot of caraway) and a lot of myrtle and eucalyptus. Very fat body too, very extractive drop. With water: no need to add much water, the wood would tend to come fight the smoke a wee bit. Finish: very long, this time with some notes of earth tea, old pu-her style. Bitter oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: a lot of action in this one, and a style that I had never encountered before. Peated genever ;-). Lovely!
SGP:477 - 86 points.

Isle of Harris 'The Hearach' (46%, OB, 2023)

Already a star on social media, apparently, thanks to a very carefully chosen bottle that'll be very successful on the shelves of the most exclusive department stores in London, Paris, or New York. Okay, and in Tokyo, Berlin, Milan, Madrid, Montreal… … and John o' Groats. Perhaps not John o'Groats. Right, and they are 'social', and they make gin. The whisky is lightly peated (15ppm) and aged in bourbon, oloroso and fino. Colour: pale white wine. Young distilleries no longer seem to use any caramel. Nose: classic bready start, some porridge, sourdough, rennet, garden peat, then green olives, which I just always love. It's almost as if they had let some olives swim in the casks, or macerate in the wash. Mouth: it's peatier on the palate and it's got a very distinct style. You'd say 30ppm rather than just 15, really. This one too is pretty ashy, in fact, but there's a fermentary depth (see what I mean) that's adding, well, some depth. Notes of pickled lemons, more olives, small gherkins… Finish: rather long, with lemons chiming in, which always works. Oh and a little gin, haha. Comments: singular style. It must be increasingly challenging to find one's own style with all these new distilleries around. Thumb up; and the bottle's reaaaaally lovely.
SGP:555 - 86 points.

Nc'Nean 'Huntress 2023 Woodland Candy' (48.5%, OB, 2023)

Zero emissions, organic, an STR red wine cask finish, NAS, stories, and a bottle that can be reused to hold... bath salts, for example. Nothing against bath salts. Oh, and 100 to 130€ a bottle. Colour: white wine. Nose: much gentler than the previous ones, on cakes, brioches and a little wet earth, pancakes, barley sirup, overripe apples, vanilla… Not the epitome of originality, but this nose is pretty and serene, especially after the restless Laggs and Harris. Mouth: more action, some Timut pepper, agave syrup, very fresh pumpernickel, then rather sweeter beers and a few jelly babies. Cranberry drops. Finish: some fruity wine, perhaps Beaujolais? Some grittier oak in the aftertaste. Comments: more than fine now. Apparently, they've used wine yeast. In short, not much Scotchness – so much for terroir - but I think it is a pretty fine drop.
SGP:551 - 80 points.

We need something by some indies…

Finglassie (Inchdairnie) 6 yo 2017/2023 (57.2%, James Eadie, UK exclusive, wood refill barrel, cask #156, 252 bottles)

First time I'm hearing of some 'wood refill barrel'. Is this chestnut? (I'm joking). We've already tried some Inchdairnie by The Whisky barrel and by Rest & Be Thankful, both very good. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: proper young Scottish malt whisky, with very moderate cask impact, only a little coffee and roasted nuts. Breads, cakes, scones, oatcakes, granny smith, barley… With water: gets chalkier. Always good news. Hessian, old wool jacket… Mouth (neat): it's excellent, with a few gummy bears here and there plus drops of fruit liqueurs, then cakes, cassata, lemon marmalade, tea, sponge-cake… With water: and there, dazzling apples and oranges, plus moist cakes, tarte tatin, raisin rolls, pears poached in white wine… Finish: medium, perfect, malty and fruity, with pastries coating it. Orange cake in the aftertaste. Comments: always loved it that the indies would display the young ages when the distillers just wouldn't.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

It's probably the main dilemma for new distilleries. Try to produce great, more traditional classics, or attempt to find their own voice even if it means creating somewhat quirky and gimmicky whiskies flavoured with wine and other unusual casks? It must be challenging, especially since, coincidentally, they all have the same 'innovations' at the same time. Tough decisions, tough job, love them all. In any case, we don't come across too many new whiskies that are weak, almost transparent, and dominated by sawdust and vanillin. Or red wine. Hooray!

Check the index of all new distilleries we've tasted so far