When Compass Box began a maturation trial in 2016, they hadn’t expected the whiskies to develop such deliciousness in so short a period of time. One-year-old malt spirit, made at a Speyside distillery famous for the robust character of its whiskies, was re-racked into first fill Oloroso-seasoned butts. Sampling them three years later, one particular cask - #2 – proved so compelling that they began to experiment.
A parcel of first fill Bourbon barrels containing whisky from the now closed Imperial Distillery had sat in the sample library for some years. Though delicious in its own right, the ideal match had never been found. The much younger malt whisky from the Oloroso-seasoned cask proved the ideal means to deepen the fruity and creamy profile of this rare parcel.
Magic Cask is perfect for those who appreciate lush fruitiness and fullness of body in their malt whiskies. Pour Magic Cask after dinner and savour its medley of autumn fruits and dark chocolate.
The ten Oloroso butts from which the “magic cask” emerged were sourced from Bodega José y Miguel Martín (J&MM). Compass Box requested a grade of American oak that would deliver moderate tannin and – for this parcel – a gentle seasoning process with Oloroso wine. Masters of their art, J&MM could dial up just the right levels of sweetness, tartness and spiciness, ensuring that cask #2 in particular delivered everything you'd ever want from a Sherry cask. Bottled at 46% abv.
