Whisky 1901 has promised to be the new big name in independent bottling after introducing its debut range of Scotch whiskies.
The initial offering includes single-cask expressions from some of Scotland’s underappreciated distilleries, including Miltonduff, Ardmore, and Invergordon. All are bottled at cask strength and in highly limited numbers.
Although a separate legal entity, there is a direct link to The 1901 Group (formerly Whisky 1901), an investment company specializing in long-term investments in Scotch whisky casks. It is not the first investment firm to launch a bottling arm, with both VCL Vintners and Cask Trade treading the same path.
Whisky 1901 claims to have 1,500 casks under management in its Scottish facilities, and as demand for long-term cask investments declines amid a general industry downturn, that whisky has to go somewhere. That somewhere is glass.
They enlisted the help of Matt Chambers, a well-known figure in the whisky world and one of the original whisky bloggers, as their master of whisky. He was given a wide selection of casks from which to choose for the first Ledger Series and chose six.
He said: “The Ledger Series gives us the opportunity to focus entirely on the cask and the liquid’s personality. With the range, we’ve handpicked every whisky not just for its age, but for how it expresses its own distillery character. From the richness and depth of the Miltonduff Aged 18 Years to the vibrancy and structure found in the Ardmore Aged 12 Years, each cask tells its own story.”
I was able to try all six at Whisky 1901’s London launch, and there were some very good whiskies among the six. The Glen Garioch Aged 11 Years offered rich, biscuity textures that just kept evolving on the palate. That whisky is limited to 137 bottles and is priced at £125 ($164). That can be considered good value for the quality, but it is significantly more than the also-excellent official 12-year-old bottling (£40 / $55).
Whisky 1901 would say this is a unique single cask bottled at cask strength (56.8% ABV) and is highly limited. All of which is true. Does that justify the additional cost? The market will decide.
The Invergordon Aged 21 Years doesn’t face the same issue. There are no official bottlings available from this underrated grain distillery, let alone a 21-year-old. And this has been plucked at the perfect age – just when grain whiskies start to show their best form. This is bursting with tropical fruits: mango, green papaya, and coconut on the nose. It’s luscious on the palate with lots of butterscotch and a hint of oak spice.
At £145 ($190), it’s similar to the going market rate and, like many aged grain whiskies, offers significant value over its malted cousins.
Others in the range include a Tamnavulin Aged 13 Years, full of orchard fruit and toffee, a nicely peated 12-year-old Ardmore, and a 12-year-old Dailuaine that tastes remarkably similar to a tarte tatin. The Miltonduff Aged 18 Years is Matt’s favorite, as it is a rarely seen distillery in a rarer-still style: sherry-matured.
All have the required quality and fair price to guard against disappointment. If you have a bit more cash to spend, Whisky 1901 also has a range called ‘The Collection’, which offers a 35-year-old Glenburgie (£1,325 / $1,743) and a 25-year-old Jura (£500 / $657). These were too rare to try on the launch day, so I can’t comment on the quality.
