Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition

I love whisk(e)y. To clarify, lest an intervention comes a-knocking: I love the idea of whisk(e)y. I love the idea of such aromas coming out of a humble communion of water, grains and yeast, oakwood and (sometimes) peat. I love the idea of diverse flavours that high artisanal skills can produce. I love the stories and myth behind whisk(e)y brands and I love being surprised by them, be it in terms of taste, of price, or design. Berry Bros. & Rudd’s original Cutty Sark blend was created at the Glenrothes Distillery in 1923. It was pale, light, flavourful and a great success. Especially in prohibition US, where a lot of it was bootlegged by sea captains/entrepreneurs such as Captain Bill McCoy and his very fast schooner, Tomoka, of whom this whisky pays homage to. The close relationship with the US consumer continued well after the end of prohibition, until in 1961 Cutty Sark became the first Scotch whisky to sell over one million cases in the US. This whisky shares some of the original Cutty Sark profile, but is bolder, tasteful, more pungent. Inside that old fashioned bottle of black glass, Cutty Sark Prohibition packs a lot of surprise, and at 50% ABV, a punch that harkens back to an older type of whisky, one that is light but full-bodied and 'dirty', buttery smooth but full of fire and flavour. On the nose, an ephemeral first note of balsa wood and carpenter’s glue, straight from a model airplane hobbyist's workbench. Brine on old varnished wood follows, reminiscent of an old wooden boat's hold, together with a faint smoky undertow. As the whisky starts to breathe, the nose begins to mellow out, first with heather and honey, then rosewater, cut grass and coffee creamer. Toffee, malted barley and ripe bananas underline it all. Water brings out a perfumed note of wild-flowers-in the-spring, together with orchard notes of orange and mandarin peels, and woody vanilla. The back label states non-chill filtered. The mouthfeel is greasy, buttery on the tongue, with flavour quickly overflowing the palate: sweet vanilla, buttered walnut bread with honey, dusty and dry spices, nutmeg and coriander seeds. Crushed black and red pepper rules the day, black pepper in the development, red pepper for the medium-long finish. Water brings out a malty savoury sweetness, honey and demerara sugar, vanilla cream. Bring the ABV down to about 30% and the grain part of the blend introduces itself, light and sweet, reminiscent of diluted acacia honey. Cutty Sark Prohibition validates all the reasons for loving whisk(e)y - it is an exceptional value-for-money sipping blend. Having said that, this is not a beginner's dram; the high ABV, the crushed peppers and the feinty sulphur note can hide its true nature to the uninitiated. But, if you know your way around blends and have the patience to sit with it and sip, you'll appreciate the full-bodied depth of flavours as they change over time. Side note: Edrington purchased Cutty Sark from Berry Bros. & Rudd in 2010 and released Prohibition in 2013 as a small batch blend. The blend recipe is not disclosed but it is thought that the base is grain whisky from North British and Invergordon, blended with around 40 different single malts, including Highland Park, Glenrothes, Macallan and Bunnahabhain.

Rating: 10/23 The back of this bottle suggests that this whisky (well, its 1920s American Prohibition era equivalent) is the origin of the phrase "the real McCoy". An exciting story to be sure. Sadly, a quick web search reveals that the phrase goes back to the 1800s and Cutty Sark doesn't even make it onto the Wikipedia article. So, in a sense, this is most definitely not "the real McCoy". Still, I've heard quite positive things about this one and it took me a while to track it down, so I'm excited to try it. N: Lemon zest, a touch of oil, a faint black pepper presence, something sweet and a bit grainy. Not a very full or complex nose. A bit of sulphur as I dig down into it. I have to imagine that there's a lot of grain whiskey in this and it's quite young. P: Lemon and pepper with a slightly oily sulphur backing. There's a definite graininess here that fits in with the burn. Unfortunately, when I add water it becomes apparent that the burn is not just caused by the high (for a scotch) ABV: this is actually a kind of harsh whisky. There's some sweetness that's kind of like wheat bread with some really light caramel. That basic profile makes me think of Three Scottish Brothers, but this is less full and far harsher and also has less wood. There's a little happening here, but it isn't really pleasant. That sulphur never goes away. F: burns for sure. Hints of lime and black pepper. A bit of malty sweetness. Still some sulphur. - Conclusion - I do notice the higher proof here, but I don't really care about it. It's lemony and light compared with Dewar's 15 The Monarch (13). The Dewar's is more balanced with a fuller, more mature profile as well - and far less sulphur. Coming back to the sulphur, Highland Park 12 (12/23) has way too much sulphur. This doesn't have as much sulphur, but it's in the same cluster of whiskies that have an unpleasant amount unless you dull your palate first. The Highland Park also has more complexity and fullness of flavor with more interesting things happening. I'd take it over this. OK, so this is definitely less than a 12. For a while, I was thinking that this was an 11, but I'm now thinking that might be a bit too generous. I think a 9 or 10 is most likely. This does strike me as better than Ardbeg Wee Beastie (8/23), but it's harsh with sulphur. Not great. I'm thinking it's a 10.

Nose: Pear, honeyed cereal, muted grain alcohol, butter, puppy, raisin Palate: pepper, malty, sweet, a bit sharp maybe, sherry Finish: a dry, paracetamol grapefruit (but not bitter), sherry, oak _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Last 16, Match 5: Cutty Sark Prohibition versus Tobermory 10yo Okay, I swear I got a puppy smell or maybe I just need a shower. In any case, at least I got something from the nose compared to a very non-descript Tobermory. A bright-young-thing start to the palate then wood and pepper kicks in. Its youth maybe holds it back mid-game but a stronger finish than the islander sees it carry the victory. Impressive for a reasonably low-cost blend, but unfortunately its hard to find near me. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Qtr Final, Match 3: Cutty Sark Prohibition versus BenRiach Curiositas 10yo Found some stewed blackberry this time out in the contest with BenRiach Curiositas. But overall it is not a match for the Speysider. If I’m being generous to the Cutty Sark I could rank it even on taste, but it is bested on nose and finish and so it is cast adrift and it is the Curiositas that sails into the next round. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- The intolerable torment of a whiskyphile. I have too large a backlog of samples and miniatures to go through and making a decision on what to drink next is hard. Like choosing the right footwear in the morning I flip flop. So, I have picked sixteen scotch whiskies that are 12yrs or younger or NAS to battle it out in a Scotch Deathmatch. It’s my incentive to lighten the logjam. Follow along if you care (and really why should you?). Oh the drama! https://challonge.com/ScotchMadness

A rock and roller August/September! Vacation, family tragedies, back to school, traveling, hurricanes, work and more work, engagements. All this has kept me away from tasting (definitely not drinking). Been trolling but haven’t been much of a contributor. Tonight I will contribute my Cutty Sark experience. A lower cost, blended scotch that is hard(er) to find. Had this opened for sometime and this seemed the perfect pour for me tonight. Salty, briny, maritime opening transports you right to a South Carolina salt marsh during a late afternoon. Blended with the brine is a subtle sweetness of candy corn, apples, pears and butterscotch. Ginger snaps, lemon zest lightly provide a spicy citrus note and compliments the brine and sweet. On arrival, a curiously odd mixture of cream soda and black pepper swirl about. Keep swirling and chewing as it brings forward peanut brittle, orange bitters and wood spice. A slightly weighted and creamy body delivers the sweet and spice. What remains on the palate is wood, spice and sugar (whipped honey butter). A warmed soul ultimately remains. This is a solid whisky that has a good balance of sweet, savory and spice. Easy to drink with simplex complexity with solid pricing. Perfect for those pours you want where you can just enjoy in any occasion; all packed at 50%. [85/100][Tasted: 9/20/19][$39]

N: Huge with both ripe and sour fruit right out of the bottle - peach, pear, and even mango. Some brine and ocean behind that. Definitely some bread and nut notes behind that. And there's a funk in it too that's really hard to place. And enough ethanol to let you know you really are slummin' it tonight. P: Now I realize the funk is peat. Sweet peat with some toffee. Coffee roast. Hot and malty in the middle with a distinctive black pepper bite laid on top of caramel honey bread. Finish brings more heat with baking spices, cayenne, and then eventually just numbness. The more time you spend thinking about this dram, the less you're probably going to enjoy it. At face value, it's unique and interesting with the black pepper, honey, fruit, and funky peat. Leave it at that, don't try to go deeper. And I'd also highly recommend using it as a chaser for an IPA - the spice cuts right through the hop bitterness, which in turn supercharges the sweetness in this in an absolutely delightful way. _______ Please come join a lively new spirits related discussion happening in real time amongst a bunch of regular Distiller reviewers: https://discord.gg/crpksjtkMu.

Nose - mushroom, bell pepper, apple, light peat, cereal grain, sulphur, lemon oil, honey, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - honey, fungal notes, sulphur, apple, pear, cereal grain, oily peat, lemon pith, white pepper, caramel, candy corn, vanilla, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing short with cereal grain, honey, and fungal flavors. I’ve never tried a Cutty Sark product before, but I understand that this release contains a different blend of grains and malts, along with being bottled at a higher 50% ABV. The nose is pretty rough. The standout aromas are grain, oil, and mushroom. The sulphur dominates the other more subtle notes like honey, apple, and pear. The palate is particularly oily, with more fungal sulphur alongside grain, orchard fruit, and stale candy corn flavors. This is not good, but it’s not horrific either. I thought I was smelling a tequila like Corralejo at first. There are some pleasant blended malt qualities, but those oily, mushroomy, sulphuric notes overwhelm the senses. Safe to say, I won’t be picking up one of these anytime soon. Many thanks to @ContemplativeFox for providing the generous sample!