Whisky 1901 reveals first single cask bottling

Cask investment company Whisky 1901 has launched the first expression in its new independent bottling range, called The Collection.

Whisky 1901 has introduced its inaugural single cask expression from Glenburgie distillery in Speyside to showcase the quality of the casks in its portfolio.

Titled ‘Edition One’, the single malt was distilled in October 1988 and aged for 35 years in a single ex-Bourbon cask, No.14483.

The rare whisky is offered at 45.1% ABV and limited to only 263 individually numbered bottles, priced at £1,325 (US$1,687) each.

According to Matt Chambers, keeper of the quaich, the whisky displays ‘aromas of vanilla, butterscotch, juicy tropical fruit such as peach and pineapple, and hazelnut praline’ on the nose, followed on the palate by ‘soft and oily texture’.

The Glenburgie 1988 will be officially introduced to the Scottish market on 22 June at The Renaissance, Edinburgh, and will be available for purchase at The Game Fair, Blenheim Palace, London, from 26-28 July, where Whisky 1901 will be an official partner.

Ahead of the launch, Edition One has already been awarded three medals from leading whisky industry experts, including a Gold medal from The Scotch Whisky Masters, run by The Spirits Business magazine and The Global Spirits Masters Competitions.

Whisky 1901 said its latest venture addressed the growing global demand among Scotch enthusiasts for limited bottlings or rare single cask expressions.

“With single cask bottlings, no two casks are ever the same. Each is a snapshot in time of the distillery, its surroundings and production processes, plus the type of cask and wood type that the spirit has matured in, creating an exclusive one-of-a-kind masterpiece,” said Aaron Damiano Sparkes, founder and CEO of Whisky 1901.

“After two in planning and development, we are very excited to launch our first bottled Scotch, a Glenburgie 1988 single cask expression. This bottle launch sees us bring several years of experience in the cask investment sector  to the independent bottling market.”

Whisky 1901 was founded in 2019 by Sparkes in Knightsbridge, London. He is also a member of the Forbes Finance Council, and is certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), and Edinburgh Whisky Academy in Scotch whisky.

The company has more than 250 clients and a portfolio of 1,000 casks from multiple Scottish single malt distilleries.