No need to introduce Mark Watt and his wife Kate, who have 40 years of experience in the whisky industry (Duncan Taylor and Cadenhead among others). This year they started The Campbeltown Whisky Company and the label Watt Whisky, thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Among their first bottlings this Blended Malt 2001 caught my eye, clearly from a sherry cask (we know Mark doesn’t do caramel nor chill-filtering). Despite the moderate ABV, this is also cask strength by the way.
Blended Malt 19 yo 2001 (44,9%, Watt Whisky 2020, sherry butt, 630 btl.)
Nose: a very sweet, rich nose, full of sultanas and dates. Butterscotch, milk chocolate and oranges as well. Walnut wine, leafy notes and a heady top note, like aromatic berry fruit tea and leather polish. Reminds me of a middle-aged Tamdhu or Macallan, could this be one of these very solid Edrington malt bases again?
Mouth: really good again. Same dried fruits, black raisins, figs, now with some more leafy notes, marmalade and a touch of ginger. Tobacco leaves. Then more towards chocolate with hints of liquorice and coffee, as well as oak spice (nutmeg). Nice balance of sweetness and umami sherry character.
Finish: long, even more on cocoa and tobacco, with orange zest and ginger.
Well, you know, I’m sure a bottle of this at the centre of the table with friends wouldn’t last long. Very drinkable, with a classic sweet and leafy sherry influence. Available from The Whisky Exchange, in Belgium from The Nectar and other countries like Denmark, Japan and Taiwan.