Loch Fyne Whiskies - The Living Cask

Since my first reading of Saintsbury I have considered his friend's recommendation of a peaty Brora with a delicate, complex Glenlivet to be a somewhat sound notion and this bottling fulfils a long held ambition. I am delighted with the result.

In October 2002, during the time that I was interviewing Andrew Symington of Signatory for SWR17, we discussed the options for my ultimate Living Cask. Andrew produced samples of Brora and Glenlivet and as the back label shows a half cask of each was married in December into an ex-refill cask that had previously held Rosebank. A small sample of the original Living Cask from the shop was added to ensure ongoing continuity.

Bottling took place in September this year - not because of we figured they had reached their peak but for the more practical reason that I needed two bottles for a tutored tasting, with the Single Malt Academy of Dalecarlia in Sweden, and UK Customs & Excise rules demand that the bottling operation be planned and finite, so the whole cask was bottled with a total yield of 300 75cl bottles and a surplus that filled a few dozen traditional Living Cask sample bottles of 20cl.

Special thanks to Andrew Symington and Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky.

From the original Living Cask in the shop I have learned the benefits of marrying whiskies, and indeed the vulnerability of Scotch to shock, it's not just marketing bollocks, malts are very vulnerable and that is why (for example) our Decadence! was returned to wood after reduction by water, to let it recover before going on to bottling.

It’s the same with my Living Cask, when we add new accessions the results are usually a bit of a disappointment (in the way a politician describes a personal disaster). However after three of four weeks it recovers and excels, no more time is required but I can confirm that good whisky is very susceptible to shock - aren’t we all?

The ten months in wood that our Anniversary Living Cask has had to get acquainted has produced excellent results. Like our 20cl Living Cask samples, the whisky is totally beguiling, you can spend an evening nosing it alone and then discard the liquid, exhausted. But that would be a bit of a waste, wouldn’t it? Best to have a swig too.

This Anniversary Offering of the Living Cask has a very bold nose but no prickle, there are some sherry notes with associated strong ester elements, and there is a deep complexity with large elements of intrigue, a whiff of peat, no more. It’s thick, even in the aroma – there's plenty of entertainment just sniffing it.

In the mouth she goes; she’s hot, there’s salt, sweetness and also a little bitter – it’s mercury on the tongue, motile blobs of flavour (he-he-he!) all over the place and some fruit at the start of the finish. Then! There’s a blipvert of peat at the swallow, a momentary promise of pleasures to come, and half way through the finish Brora’s peat erupts, forcible yet languidly, like an undersea larva fissure. Brilliant whisky.

How’s that for a tasting note? If McEwan can do it, why can’t I have a go? The normal LFW guarantee applies, if you’re not happy with it, send it back and Andy will finish it off for you.


		OUR UNIQUE RECREATION OF THE STORAGE AND SERVING OF MALT WHISKY Not a single malt, but a living vatting of suitable malts, The Living Cask takes its inspiration from Notes on a Cellar Book by renowned connoisseur Professor George Saintsbury, published 1920, in which he writes: “...The more excellent way—formerly practised by all persons of some sense and some means north of the Tweed—is to establish a cask,...fill it up with good and drinkable whisky,...stand it up on end, tap it half way down or even a little higher, and, when you get to or near the tap, fill it up again with whisky fit to drink, but not too old. You thus establish what is called in the case of sherry a ‘solera’, in which the constantly changing character of the old constituents doctors the new accessions, and in which these in turn freshen and strengthen the old.” And that is what we do. When half drawn down a new malt is introduced and the character changes. Each top up is described as a Volume and this is marked on the ‘spine’ of our book-style label which has Saintsbury’s instructions on the back. Each ‘Volume’ is bottled as a 20cl sample, dated at the time of drawing from the cask with the prevailing strength noted. As this is the natural strength it is in the region of 60% alc. Living cask enthusiast Jack Mangus writes, “The folks at Loch Fyne Whiskies have cleverly produced a continually marketable and intriguing vatted whisky. I can’t wait for the next volume! Thanks to Professor George Saintsbury for his inspiration and LFW for The Living Cask!” LIVING CASK™— 20cl @ cask strength £22.50 A subscription service for the automatic despatch of each successive volume is also available. If you are familiar with our terms of sale (here) you can View present tasting notes and Order 'The Living Cask' here


		ANNIVERSARY OFFERING Here's something we're very chuffed about. For five years we have been keeping our acclaimed Living Cask in the shop, there's more information on that here at the bottom of this page. For our second special bottling for our tenth anniversary we offer the sublimely packaged Living Cask Anniversary Offering: Professor George Saintsbury's best recommendation. SUBLIME PACKAGE? Each protective tube is numbered with the (available) number of your choice - be sure to let us know your preferred number, with alternatives, otherwise we will select one at random. Here's the outer label that sets the scene: In order to protect Tipsy - the Living Cask boy - during transit, the protective tube has a fiendishly ingenious inner sleeve... Having negotiated the extraordinary lid you are presented with a spare cork in case you are not happy with the integrity of Tipsy's stopper once you have broken the original seal, we like to give you options. Wedged into the protective bottle-cloth is a small tag from our friends at Inveraray Tweed Company: However, in order to maintain a sense of mystery we will not describe the pattern of the weave except to advise that is secured with a red deerskin lacing for which it has been necessary for a new knot to be developed - a Fyne Hitch (technically, for you knot enthusiasts, it's both a 'lash' and a 'sling'). The back label describes what we have done and why. After the dates, I am handwriting One of 300 bottles and initialling it. I'm also writing the strength of 59% to the front label that adorns the most elegant bottle you will have the chance to behold. These label images are shown on white because we can't do justice to the quality of 25% cotton paper that is employed. Each tube is identified with the available number of your choice, be sure to let us know your preferred number - up to 300, with alternatives, otherwise we will select one at random. Finally, before we get to the quality of the whisky, here's the reaction of one of our first purchasers: "We visited your fantastic shop on friday, what a great place! My husband finally convinced me that he had to have a bottle of your Anniversary Living Cask, complete with its weed* wrap, although I do not share his passion for whisky it has been a pleasure and somewhat of a bewilderment to listen to his constant chatter and showing off all for a bottle of something he his never going to drink, but I did get a more pleasant drive the 350 miles home, so thankyou I'll enjoy the peace untill he feels the need for another visit to your fantastic shop". Carol & Jeff Astley. Typo!; that should be 'Tweed*'!


THE WHISKY Since my first reading of Saintsbury I have considered his friend's recommendation of a peaty Brora with a delicate, complex Glenlivet to be a somewhat sound notion and this bottling fulfils a long held ambition. I am delighted with the result. In October 2002, during the time that I was interviewing Andrew Symington of Signatory for SWR17, we discussed the options for my ultimate Living Cask. Andrew produced samples of Brora and Glenlivet and as the back label shows a half cask of each was married in December into an ex-refill cask that had previously held Rosebank. A small sample of the original Living Cask from the shop was added to ensure ongoing continuity. Bottling took place in September this year - not because of we figured they had reached their peak but for the more practical reason that I needed two bottles for a tutored tasting, with the Single Malt Academy of Dalecarlia in Sweden, and UK Customs & Excise rules demand that the bottling operation be planned and finite, so the whole cask was bottled with a total yield of 300 75cl bottles and a surplus that filled a few dozen traditional Living Cask sample bottles of 20cl. Special thanks to Andrew Symington and Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky. From the original Living Cask in the shop I have learned the benefits of marrying whiskies, and indeed the vulnerability of Scotch to shock, it's not just marketing bollocks, malts are very vulnerable and that is why (for example) our Decadence! was returned to wood after reduction by water, to let it recover before going on to bottling. It’s the same with my Living Cask, when we add new accessions the results are usually a bit of a disappointment (in the way a politician describes a personal disaster). However after three of four weeks it recovers and excels, no more time is required but I can confirm that good whisky is very susceptible to shock - aren’t we all? The ten months in wood that our Anniversary Living Cask has had to get acquainted has produced excellent results. Like our 20cl Living Cask samples, the whisky is totally beguiling, you can spend an evening nosing it alone and then discard the liquid, exhausted. But that would be a bit of a waste, wouldn’t it? Best to have a swig too. This Anniversary Offering of the Living Cask has a very bold nose but no prickle, there are some sherry notes with associated strong ester elements, and there is a deep complexity with large elements of intrigue, a whiff of peat, no more. It’s thick, even in the aroma – there's plenty of entertainment just sniffing it. In the mouth she goes; she’s hot, there’s salt, sweetness and also a little bitter – it’s mercury on the tongue, motile blobs of flavour (he-he-he!) all over the place and some fruit at the start of the finish. Then! There’s a blipvert of peat at the swallow, a momentary promise of pleasures to come, and half way through the finish Brora’s peat erupts, forcible yet languidly, like an undersea larva fissure. Brilliant whisky. How’s that for a tasting note? If McEwan can do it, why can’t I have a go? The normal LFW guarantee applies, if you’re not happy with it, send it back and Andy will finish it off for you.
	The Anniversary bottling of The Living Cask £139 per bottle if you wish to collect and taste, there is a paring of a full bottle with 20cl sampler for £159 Order The Living Cask

Loch Fyne Whiskies > Home > The Living Cask A unique recreation of the storage and serving of malt whisky

ANNIVERSARY OFFERING

THE WHISKY