The Single Cask Ltd. is a whisky shop, bar, and independent bottling company led by Ben Curtis, with operations in London and Singapore. Specialising in single cask whiskies – both single malt and single grain – bottled at natural cask strength. The independent bottling part was founded in 2010 and the Singapore bar opened in 2015. We review two single casks from… The Single Cask Ltd. , a Benrinnes 2012 and an Aultmore 2010.
Short Disclaimer
At the end of last year, I manned a table for The Single Cask Ltd. at the Nantes Spirits Festival as a subcontractor, with no direct contact with the company. Before the event, I sampled their whiskies for the first time to discuss them knowledgeably with visitors. Since then, I have had no further contact with The Single Cask Ltd.
I have reviewed some of their whiskies (two are included below, with a few more to come) as honestly as possible, maintaining my usual standards. However, I want to be transparent about potential biases, as I did before (being transparent, not biased!) I’ll let you judge for yourself after reading the reviews.
Benrinnes 2012 The Single Cask Ltd. (2022) Review
This Benrinnes whisky was distilled on August 21, 2012, and initially aged in a bourbon cask before being finished in a first-fill oloroso sherry quarter cask (125L, cask 313794A). Other Benrinnes whiskies share the same cask number but feature different finishes, indicated by varying final letters or no letter at all. These finishes include first-fill ruby port, first-fill tawny port, first-fill Madeira barrel, and an oloroso sherry octave.
Today, we’re sampling the 313794A, which was bottled on June 9, 2022, at 9 years old. It yielded 164 bottles at cask strength (58.7% ABV), without chill filtration or added colouring. This particular bottling appears to be sold out globally except in Japan, where it is available for around ¥15,000 (€93/£78).
Colour:
Chestnut.
Nose:
Neat: The nose initially presents notes of toffee and butterscotch, accompanied by dates, oranges, and cake with candied fruits. The aroma is somewhat reserved and may benefit from a splash of water to fully open up.
With water: Reduction reveals orange peel, toasted wood, walnuts, and almonds, along with roasted hazelnuts and subtle hints of strawberry jam.
Palate:
Neat: The palate begins with spicy caramel and lemons, offering a warm, velvety mouthfeel. Flavours of gingerbread, forest honey, pepper, and chilli are prominent, with touches of cinnamon and dried herbs. Dark chocolate notes round out the profile.
With water: Plum pie, with the spiciness taking a few seconds to re-emerge. As it subsides, lemon and orange curd flavours come to the forefront.
Finish:
The spicy heat persists, complemented by notes of jaffa cakes and toasted wood.
Comments:
This is a nice young Benrinnes, but its spiciness is quite pronounced and can catch you off guard. The intense spiciness, unfortunately, prevents this Benrinnes 2012 from The Single Cask from achieving a higher rating. You may need to experiment with adding water to tame that spiciness.
Rating: 6/10
Aultmore 2010 The Single Cask Ltd. Review
Here’s a rewritten version of the text:
Next, we have an Aultmore distilled on July 26, 2010, and bottled on August 30, 2022, after fully maturing for 12 years in barrel #800775. This barrel produced 222 bottles at cask strength (55% ABV), without chill filtration or added colouring. It is available in Japan for ¥21,299 and in Malaysia, but appears to be sold out in the UK and Europe.
Colour:
Old gold.
Nose:
Neat: The nose starts with notes of white grape, dried banana slices, and subtle hints of cinnamon and orange peel, with a whisper of malt. The aroma is somewhat reserved and may benefit from aeration or a splash of water to fully reveal itself.
With water: After reduction, the nose presents lemon and custard notes. With more water, faint malty notes emerge, but the profile remains relatively subdued. Use water sparingly as it might muffle the nose.
Palate:
Neat: The palate is more expressive than the nose, featuring apricots and a strong presence of pepper and chilli, accompanied by bitter grapefruit and over-infused tea flavours.
With water: The bitterness and spiciness are slightly tempered, revealing notes of lemons, grapefruits, bitter oak, and tea.
Finish:
Lingering flavours of walnuts, pepper, and bitter citrus tea persist for an extended period.
Comments:
Initially, the nose was pleasant, albeit somewhat reserved, and opened up slightly with a few careful drops of water. However, the palate is challenging due to its pronounced spiciness and bitterness. Even with dilution, it’s difficult to find a moment where it becomes truly enjoyable to drink. My first impression back in October 2024 was different. The palate requires more water than the nose, so you’ll need to compromise one to appreciate the other.