Strathearn Private Cask Club 3 Years Old 2015

A Strathearn distillery release, a Private Cask Club bottling matured to 3 year old distilled in 2015, from cask 135 and bottled at 56.7%. Strathearn is a micro distillery in deepest Perthshire, founded in 2013 and now owned by Douglas Laing. The spirit is matured in small fifty litre casks, far smaller than the usual barrel.

The spirit was made in alembic copper stills more often used for brandy, for a rich, characterful young spirit. A small French oak cask lent a dry, spiced edge. Young and vibrant, the oily spirit sits forward over a generous oak. Hand crafted on a barrel a day, the spirit is close to its makers at every step. Strathearn was a forerunner of the wave of craft distilleries now opening across Scotland. The tiny, active casks give a young spirit real depth in just a few years. Everything is hand worked in a single room of the old Perthshire steading. The distillery makes gin and rum alongside its experimental whisky.

At a hearty 56.7% it carries real punch. The French oak lends clove and a dry spice over the oily spirit. A creamy oat and a warm spice give it real lift. Fruit and warm spice see out a long finish. This is Douglas Laing's craft Highland single malt.