On our trip 2016 to “Campbeltown and Lowland” during our stay in Campbeltown KWA went on a warehouse tasting arranged by the independent bottler Cadenhead’s.
Cadenhead’s is Scotland’s oldest independent bottler. They were established in 1842 and are still releasing fantastic whisky every year from their whisky stock and they are never ever use or uses chill-filtering or coloring.
The KWA members stood filled with expectations outside of Springbanks warehouse no. 007 (whisky to kill for!) and waiting for the man who will lead the tasting to show up. And the guy who showed up was no one less than Mark Watt, who is the Director of Sales for Cadenhead’s, responsible for cask management and selection. So, who could have guided us better among Cadenhead’s fantastic barrels than Mark?
Mark proved not only to be a good whiskey connoisseur but also a very entertaining storyteller. Mark navigated us in a professional way around the whisky barrels and provided us with one whiskey more amazing than the other while he told us anecdotes from his exciting career in the whisky industry.
How about this menu that Mark had appointed us:
- Fettercairn 1993-06-30 52.7%
- Aultmore 1989 48.5%
- Glenlivet 1996-09-19 filled at Glendronach 52.7%
- Inchmurrin 1974-02-12 45.3%
- Auchentoshan 1999-03-08 53.9%
- Higland Park 1986-06-27 49,0 %
- Higland Park 1988-03-31 51%
- Caol Ila 1988-05-03
No wonder the KWA members were in “007th Heaven” after this test.
Whisky is not only about whisky it is also about people…..!