An authentic whisky experience: our cask strength collection

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of trying a cask strength whisky, then this scene from The Great Escape probably feels more than a little familiar:

Cask strength whisky does not mess around.

It comes straight from the cask to the bottle with no dilution whatsoever, so you’re hit with a huge whack of oaky goodness. (And a fair amount of alcohol burn, too. Most cask strengths are between 55-65% ABV.)

Initially, it’s a little intimidating.

It’s abrupt, rough and raw.

There’s no slow build up and no opportunity to get used to the hit. It’s just a colossal whack of oaky warmth.

But, by god, it’s good.

It’s really, really good.

Sure, sometimes you need to add a little water to the whisky to bring out all the complexities or improve the character, but that’s all part of the experience.

Cask strength whiskies are a journey of discovery. You get to know a whisky intimately, every sip or drop of water revealing something new.

(Pro tip: don’t use tap water when diluting your cask strength whisky. Use mineral water – different minerals in the water can bring out different characteristics of the whisky.)

And so, here at Whisky Foundation, we’ve put together a collection of our favourite cask strength whiskies.

They’re bold, big and brash.

They’re exciting, raw and in-your-face.

But they’re also varied; each one with different characters and profiles.

You can check out the whole cask strength collection in our store, but we’ve pulled out three of the standout bottles.

Cask strength whiskies: the stand out bottlings

Bowmore 18 Year (Kingsbury, 1997)

We’ll kick it off with a Whisky Foundation Exclusive! This punchy number was distilled in 1997 at Bowmore Distillery on Islay and then matured in a rum cask. After 18 years of soaking up the character of the rum cask, Kingsbury finally bottled it at a cask strength of 58.6% ABV in 2016 (with no chill-filtering or added colouring, of course).

There were only 188 bottles produced, so this really is a rare treat.

Fettercairn 27 Year (Signatory, 1988)

This is a cask strength whisky to write home about. Not only does it celebrate the natural character of a Fettercairn (quite dark and heavily peated) but it also brings new notes – almonds, popcorn, butterscotch, aniseed and mocha – into play, for a huge whack of warm, rich joy.

It’s a stunner, quite simply.

Glenrothes 18 Year Sherry Finish (Wilson & Morgan, 1997)

Glenrothes and sherry are a match made in heaven, and this whisky is no exception. Finished for the last four years in a fresh Oloroso cask, it’s got a winey, powerful nose followed by fruity and nutty aromas. Once you take a sip, you’re hit with a big whack (it was bottled at 58.20% ABV), of sweetness that slowly becomes peppery and citrusy, which is an interesting twist on sherry whiskies (which are usually tannic or dark chocolate-y).

Like the other two whiskies on this list, this is really quite something.

Got a cask strength favourite you think everybody should try? Or are you new to cask strength club and looking for somewhere to start?

Let us know in the comments or on social media.