WHISKY FOR SUMMER SIPPING
INTRODUCING THE BERRY BROS. & RUDD 2023 SUMMER RELEASE
From the creation of Cutty Sark whisky at the start of the 20th century to the launch of their limited-edition seasonal releases in more recent years, Berry Bros. & Rudd remains at the forefront of spirit innovation. This is encapsulated in the 2023 Summer Release which features six Single Malt Whiskies and an Exceptional Cask Blended Malt, displaying innovative spirits and flavour profiles from around the world.
To celebrate the 325th anniversary of Britain’s oldest spirits merchant, each of the seasonal releases in 2023 feature a whisky from the flourishing English whisky scene. Following the success of its first English whisky bottling earlier this year – which sold out within five minutes – the collection includes Masthouse 2017, from Copper Rivet Distillery in Kent, which is one of the most fruit-forward liquids the Berry Bros. & Rudd experts have tried, despite its young age.
Jonny McMillan, Reserve Whisky Manager at Berry Bros. & Rudd, commented:
“In our very special anniversary year we wanted to feature some of the English distillers who are increasingly making waves in the industry, proffering an unparalleled sense of passion and expertise. The second of four English whiskies to be released this year, Masthouse 2017 is a triumph representing the promise of Copper Rivet distillery and their production of one of the best distillates in the UK, perhaps the world.”
Stephen Russell, Founder at Copper Rivet Distillery, added:
“This single cask bottling series is very special indeed. It marks a coming of age for both English Whisky and for Masthouse Whisky. Knowing the expertise, diligence and passion for quality with which Berry Bros. & Rudd selects the whisky it bottles, we are very proud to see Masthouse Single Malt Whisky in this collaborative bottling – and the cask the team has chosen is spectacular. Our approach brings together the magic and artistry of whisky-making, with the hard science of distilling. It is an intersection of tradition and innovation; it seems fitting that, as a first-generation family distillery, our first independent bottling collaboration would be with another family endeavour, with many generations of rich tradition.”
The remainder of the release includes a wonderfully old-style Exceptional Blended Malt 1979 which demonstrates Berry Bros. & Rudd’s long-standing expertise in blended whiskies, along with five Single Malt Scotch Whiskies; covering a whole spectrum of flavour.
The 2023 Summer Release, comprising of the Masthouse 2017 Cask #16 (£125.00), Exceptional Blended Malt 1979 Cask #5 (£450.00), Small Batch Benrinnes 2010 (£70.00), Glen Moray 2008 Cask #5710 (£90.00), Dufftown 2008 Pineau Finish Cask #96 (£100.00), Caol Ila 2010 Oloroso Finish Cask #311751 (£108.00) and Orkney 2006 Oloroso Finish Cask #5051 (£120.00), will be available from 15th June 2023 at bbrspirits.com.
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TASTING NOTES
Masthouse 2017 Cask #16
The nose displays a harmonious balance of fresh tropical fruits and American oak, with the two integrating seamlessly. Aromas of fresh melon, tinned pineapple and buttered popcorn build in intensity. This balanced theme continues on the palate, producing more tropicality and oak-driven coconut with a luxurious mouthfeel. There are further fresh fruits on the palate before some light spices appear. Considering this whisky’s youthful age, it isn’t far short of a masterpiece – one of the best distillates being produced in the UK and even the world.
RRP: £125.00
Exceptional Blended Malt 1979 Cask #5
This sublime blend dances out of the glass: aromas of coconut and warm gorse flowers interweave with melting butter and honeyed toast – truly mouth-watering. The palate is at once vibrant and vast, with notes of mango, delicate hemp, wood polish, beeswax and spiced fruit, all rolling around the mouth. The finish offers more fruit, orange and lychee. An exceptionally complex and ever-evolving glass of whisky; if Tolstoy made whisky, it would taste like this.
RRP: £450.00
Small Batch Benrinnes 2010
The aromas of this Speyside heavyweight somehow convey the texture of the liquid itself; honey, fresh hay and warm floral notes all build with citrus and fresh Granny Smiths, emerging with time in the glass. The palate is wonderfully quaffable, showing rounded notes of fruit and golden syrup with the meaty character that Benrinnes is known for. This bottle will disappear quickly when placed at the centre of the card table with a group of good friends.
RRP £70.00
Glen Moray 2008 Cask #5710
The nose immediately offers notes of banana milkshake, praline ice cream, and marzipan with cherry and apricot emerging with time. Dried banana and sweet wheat both show on the palate with waves of vanilla pods, sweet oak and cereals. The finish is long giving cocoa, rice pudding and fruit salad.
RRP: £90.00
Dufftown 2008 Cask #96 Pineau Finish
Enticing aromas of stewed apricot, orange marmalade and lemon curd lure one in. The addition of a little water brings out for gentle baking spice and vibrant green fruity distillate notes. The palate is wonderfully fat and chewy, throwing off more apricot, plums and tobacco leaf. There’s a whiff of wood smoke on the finish, along with a touch of wood spice and a mouthwatering, lingering note of fruit jams.
RRP: £100.00
Caol Ila 2010 Cask #311751 Oloroso Finish
The interplay of peat and Sherry commences immediately with aromas of tarry peat smoke, rich Oloroso Sherry, iodine and prunes, with a suggestion of fireworks and beef jerky. The palate is equally robust and complex with Caol Ila’s sooty peat smoke wrapped in layers of dried fruit and citrus, with notes of vanilla pods, spice markets and salty coastal breeze building with time. Waves of full, oily Sherry wood roll across the finish, with lasting peat smoke. A robust and vigorous dram, best enjoyed with robust friends over vigorous conversation.
RRP: £75.00
Orkney 2006 Cask #5051 Oloroso Finish
This hefty Orcadian gives a huge puff of turfy peat smoke initially, much more so than one expects from this distillery. Soon, further aromas of heather bells, leather and charcoal emerge. The palate brings the Sherry wood influence, with rich dried fruits and soft spices balancing thick smoke, heather, honey and grilled lime. This dram has huge texture, which seems to integrate with its turfy character. More sooty peat comes through on the finish, with waves of fruit and honey. A wonderful, chewy masterclass in Orcadian turf.
RRP: £120.00
Berry Bros. & Rudd
Tracing its history back to 1698, when an enterprising woman called the Widow Bourne started an “Italian grocers” at No. 3 St James’s Street in London, selling tea, snuff, spices and the most fashionable drink of the day, coffee. In due course, the focus shifted to something a little bit stronger. As wine became important to the business, so too did spirits, and Berry Bros. & Rudd started bottling casks under its label in the early 19th century, making it Britain’s oldest independent spirits bottler.
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