blackadder independent bottlers

  • kroman
    Topic creator
    Member     Joined: 16.04.2016Posts: 261Collectionkromans CollectionRatings: 21

    Has anyone tried anything from Blackadder?  They are an independent bottler that uses single casks, bottled at cask strength, and does not color or filter their scotch.  From what I understand, they take pride in any deposits that come out of their bottles :cool:.


    There is a bottle at a store I go to that I'm thinking about getting.  It doesn't say what distillery they used, but it's heavily peated and matured in a Sauternes wine cask. I don't think I've ever heard of aging peated spirit in Sauturnes casks!!!   I remember loving the Arran Sauturnes finish, so I'm definitely intrigued.  I forget how old it is, but it's between 7 and 12 years. 


    Anyways, please let me know if any of you have tried Blackadder and what your thoughts were.  It's $120 and a little on the high end of my budget.

  • bedlamborn Member bedlamborn Joined: 18.09.2016Posts: 611Collectionbedlamborns CollectionRatings: 21
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    @kroman 

    Never tried Blackadder, I am in a Swedish whisky group on Facebook and people there seems to like Blackadder from what I have seen.


    Heavily peated aged in Sauternes? The distillery that comes to my mind is Edradour brand Ballechin that has several releases in Sauternes casks. I also know that there have been Port Charlotte aged in Sauternes casks and I would love to try a peated whisky from one of these two distilleries,

  • kroman
    Topic creator
    Member     Joined: 16.04.2016Posts: 261Collectionkromans CollectionRatings: 21
    , edited November 11 2017 at 7:56PM
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    So I bit the bullet and bought the bottle.  To my surprise, this bottle isn't scotch, but English whisky from the English Whisky Company. 

    image



    At over 63% abv and only seven years old, it's a BEAST!!!  There is a large deposit of sediment at the bottom of the glass, but after reading the back, I wonder if they deliberately put it there for show; interesting, but the fact that it's forced makes it a little gimmicky.


    imageimage 



    After my first glass...


    APPEARANCE:  Dark amber.  Surprisingly dark for a seven year old aged in Sauternes casks.  I'm guessing that this is first fill from an older wine cask.


    NOSE:  Pungent, earthy, sultanas and honey...very sweet.  More dirt than peat smoke.  medicinal.  It smells like I took a handful of raw honey straight from a bee hive, let it drip on wet leaves, stepped on it with an old dirty shoe, then sniffed it :razz:  


    PALATE:  Intense.  Starts off sweet and smokey, then a burst of lemons (the smoke is quickly fading), followed by more sweetness.  Very mouthwatering.  Apple skins at the end.  Not too much spice.  Of course, there is a fair amount of alcohol burn, but not as bad as I would have expected.  


    WITH WATER:  Smoke quickly fades away.  Personally, I didn't notice anything new, but the water obviously goes a long way to temper all the intensity.  Three teaspoons seemed to work best for me.


    All in all, this is an incredibly intense, flavorful, but disconnected whisky.  I think it would be better if it was finished in Sauternes instead of matured.  


    I would LOVE to see @horst_s review a whisky from this independent bottler!!!


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