THE VAULTS COLLECTION REVIEW
Our star-studded festive favourites
On the hunt for something extra special this festive season? Look no further than our Vaults Collection bottlings. They offer a journey back into whisky history, giving the opportunity to experience styles or distilleries that no longer exist, or the chance to try a hidden gem. Mads Schmoll finds a variety of personalities in our Vaults Collection – read on to find a festive favourite from the VC yearbook
LIFE OF THE PARTY Cask No. 70.48: ESPRESSO ROMANO
Age: 33 years old
Date distilled: 28 November 1989
Region: Highland
Strength: 62.3% abv
Cask: Refill ex-bourbon barrel
Flavour profile: Spicy & Sweet
Whisky served three ways! Mads and Francesco put the Tasting Notes to the test with a real espresso romano paired with a Rob Roy-inspired cocktail. Vaults Collection for aperitivo? Why not!
The story: https://unfiltered.smws.com/unfiltered-06-2023/espresso-romano
The bottle: https://smws.com/espresso-romano/
MOST POPULAR Cask No. 52.45: SEA BREEZE THROUGH QUINCE TREES
Age: 30 years old
Date distilled: 25 October 1993
Region: Highland
Strength: 51.7% abv
Cask: Second fill ex-bourbon barrel
Flavour profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
We asked our Whisky Team for their recommendations and this one came back as the favourite.
“Over the years spent in its second fill bourbon barrel, this expression has achieved notes of loose tea and old cigar boxes, drawing it towards Old & Dignified whiskies, only to be merrily ushered back into the Sweet, Fruity & Mellow profile by a second wind of tropical fruitiness.”
The bottle: https://smws.com/Sea-breeze-through-quince-trees
MOST LIKELY TO WIN BIG
Cask No. 115.29: VISIONS OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Age: 32 years old
Date distilled: 20 February 1991
Region: Speyside
Strength: 47.4% abv Cask: Second fill bourbon barrel Flavour profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Recommended by our whisky & supply chain director, Kai Ivalo, Cask No. 115.29: Visions of the Basque country recently won a Silver in the Spirits Business Luxury Masters. Kai says: “This delightful whisky is a great example of how time — in this case 32 years — can create elegance with a second fill cask. You’ll want to take your time to let it develop in the glass and enjoy it.”
The bottle: https://smws.com/Visions-of-the-Basque-Country
MOST LIKELY TO BECOME FAMOUS Cask No. 24.171: TAKE ME TO CHANTILLY
Age: 32 years old
Date distilled: 16 April 1991
Region: Speyside
Strength: 46.2% abv
Cask: Ex-bourbon hogshead then first fill oloroso hogshead
Flavour profile: Old & Dignified
Remember the time we served Viennoiserie breakfast pastries with a Vaults Collection bottling? It’s decadent but so is this whisky and we’re all about trying something different. This whisky has had two full lives of maturation – first in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 24 years, then into a first fill oloroso cask for a further eight years. “This is my favourite type of maturation,” says head of whisky creation Euan Campbell. “With a mix of bourbon and sherry maturation, you get the best of both of these worlds to create multiple layers of flavour and an elegant and decadent style of whisky.”
Video: https://youtu.be/UnZfAMRRaUA
The bottle (EU): https://smws.eu/take-me-to-chantilly/
MOST UNIQUE Cask No. 93.207: HARBOURSIDE HOOPLA
Age: 32 years old
Date distilled: 1 October 1991
Region: Campbeltown
Strength: 52.0% abv
Cask: Second fill ex-bourbon barrel
Flavour profile: Oily & Coastal
If you’re looking for an older whisky with a coastal expression – this is the one. Trawlers gently bobbing and tugging at their kelp-covered moorings, oily rags and sheep wool are generally considered a safe bet in younger 93s. But what happens to these flavours with age? No, time doesn’t kill off the weird and wonderful aromas we expect and love from this make, particularly with a cask that is not too active. If anything, things get fruitier but also more rugged.
The bottle: https://smws.com/harbourside-hoopla/
BEST TO BE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH Cask No. 12.80: HEAVEN IN A LEATHER HAMMOCK
Age: 34 years old Date distilled: 12 April 1989 Region: Speyside Strength: 59.2% abv Cask: American oak oloroso butt then first fill Spanish oak Pedro Ximénez butt Flavour profile: Spicy & Dry
This whisky shows off the wonders of a dram aged over multiple decades, on a unique journey through different cask types. This has the benefit of two oak types, American and Spanish oak, and two sherry types, oloroso and Pedro Ximénez. What makes this so special is its limited volume, with one batch of spirit going on a journey in its entirety from one cask to another through these two different types of wood.
The bottle: https://smws.eu/heaven-in-a-leather-hammock/
BEST ALL AROUND Cask No. 105.44: HONEY JAM
Age: 35 years old
Date distilled: 27 December 1988
Region: Speyside
Strength: 48.1% abv
Cask: Refill ex-bourbon hogshead
Flavour profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
The Panel called this one “BEAUTIFUL!” – written just like that in all caps. This is one of those relics of another era that should not be ignored. While it lands in the Society’s Sweet, Fruity & Mellow flavour profile, it displays the hallmarks of age and great maturity.
MORE DELIGHTS FROM THE VAULTS…
Cask No. 5.130: Chocolate mice nibbling rhubarb
https://smws.com/chocolate-mice-nibbling-rhubarb/
Cask No. 38.40: Powder puffs
https://smws.com/powder-puffs/
Cask No. 94.44: Cocoa-scented library dust
https://smws.eu/cocoa-scented-library-dust/
Cask No. 12.82: Sponge cake on the wine lake
https://smws.eu/sponge-cake-on-the-wine-lake
Cask No. 35.387: Molecular gastronomy
https://smws.com/molecular-gastronomy/
Cask No. 76.150: Glory be to the patisserie