We take a nostalgic look in the rear-view mirror as we explore four gems from Diageo’s exclusive Managers’ Choice collection – a limited one-cask-per-distillery series launched in 2009. In our glasses tonight: a Cragganmore, Knockando, Lagavulin and Talisker, all handpicked by their respective distillery managers and bottled that same year at cask strength, offering a rare snapshot of Diageo’s portfolio at the time.
Diageo’s The Managers’ Choice Series
Diageo released the Managers’ Choice series in 2009, a one-off project where managers from each of its 27 single malt distilleries were said to have picked a single cask from their stocks. These went to bottles at cask strength, usually 55–60% ABV, with no chill filtration – each representing one unrepeated snapshot of that distillery’s character.
The lineup came out in four batches from late 2009 through mid-2010, covering everything from Caol Ila to Clynelish. Early examples included Cardhu 1997 (bourbon cask), Mortlach 1997 (sherry) and Oban 2000 (sherry), with outturns between 200 and 640 bottles per cask. Some stretched to 17 years old, like Glenkinchie 1992, while others showed odd cask effects that diverged from house norms.
Managers selected casks after tasting panels narrowed down hundreds of options, focusing on distinctive profiles rather than perfection. Limited to a few European markets, the series now trades at collector prices, offering raw single-cask views into Diageo’s working distilleries that official ranges rarely match.
However, there is more than the distillery managers and their panel that were part of the selection, as you can learn by reading this interview with Craig Wallace on Scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk.
We review four out of these 27 single malt single casks, with Cragganmore, Knockando, Lagavulin and Talisker.
Cragganmore 1997 ‘The Managers’ Choice’ (2009) Review
We start with Cragganmore. The distillery manager, Shane Healy at the time, selected a single European Oak Bodega Sherry cask with his panel, numbered #2398 (the cask, obviously, not the panel!) The distillation happened on the 2nd of May 1997, and the cask was emptied on the 14th of May 2009. The cask yielded 246 bottles at cask strength (59.7% ABV). A bottle cost a hefty €280 at release, which is, even by today’s standards, a huge sum for just a 12-year-old single cask, but now a bottle would cost you north of €600 (but probably less at auction, should a bottle appear). At least it was not chill filtered and with natural colour, which is not the case for Cragganmore’s core range even now.
Colour:
Deep copper.
Nose:
Neat: White fruits and citrus lead, with apples, pears and orange peel over a floral, summery core. Vanilla, biscuits and honey follow, alongside faint waxy notes, sunflower oil, mint and a little smoke. A touch of tobacco and wood adds another layer, without overwhelming the fruits.
With water: Water makes it a little more floral and fruity, with the white fruit and citrus notes opening up further. The wax, mint and smoke become more apparent while the alcohol heat settles down.
Palate:
Neat: Strong, oily and full-bodied, with honey, vanilla and spices front and centre. Ginger, pepper, mint and oranges give the whisky a lively edge, while a fruitcake-like sweetness keeps it rounded. Tobacco, wood dark chocolate and a light smoky thread bring structure and a slightly drier feel.
With water: The texture softens slightly, letting the honeyed fruit and vanilla show more clearly, while ginger and pepper become more integrated. Smoke appears more on the aftertaste than on the attack.
Finish:
Long and warming, with ginger, honey and vanilla lingering first, then a gentle smoky, woody fade. The finish stays spicy and clean.
Comments:
Superb Cragganmore. Probably the best I’ve ever tried, but I must admit I haven’t tasted many. It’s refreshing to see one at cask strength, without reduction, colouring nor chill filtration, allowed to express itself fully.
Rating: 7.5/10
Knockando 1996 The Managers’ Choice (2009) Review
Next, we have a Knockando 1996. I’m not sure who was the distillery manager in 2009, but it might have been Duncan Tait, who was the distillery’s manager in 2012. Anyway, a Spanish Sherry European Oak cask, number 800,790, was selected. It was filled on the 11th of July 1996, and bottled on the 18th of March 2009, at 12 years of age. The cask yielded 612 bottles filled at 58.5% ABV, without chill filtration nor added colour. I don’t know what the release price was, but a bottle will now cost you at least €1,000 at some retailers.
Colour:
Rusty brown with a reddish glow.
Nose:
Neat: Dried berries, creamy toasted aromas, dark orange juice, sweet tobacco and dark sherry settle in. Dried fruits, leather, root vegetables, cinnamon, toffee, burnt sugar, cocoa and cherries show heavy sherry influence, with fragrance and fruit growing smokier and drier. Raisins, plums, chocolate, almonds and coffee beans.
With water: Water softens the nose to reveal more creamy leathery and opulent sherry aromas, with dried berries and grapes giving a sweet component.
Palate:
Neat: Creamy and oily, dried fruits mix with slightly harsh wood tones and creamy chocolate, espresso, old walnuts and wood elements. A leathery flavour, sun-dried raisins and grapes in sugar-sweet rum, candied fruits, caramelised sugar, milk chocolate and toffee melt together. Punchy and fairly dry, roasted chestnuts, herbal notes, and cold coffee with cherries and raisins are coming back, with a surprising saltiness arriving at the end.
With water: There is more honeyed fruit, the palate becoming spicier and more citrusy, and a little more bitter and saltier.
Finish:
Long with sherry and citrus, vanilla and nutty notes, drying sherry oak, chocolate, orange peel bitterness and sweet malted barley. Light woody sharpness, espresso, dark chocolate and ginger.
Comments:
The sherry cask imparted lots of flavours on this whisky, and it’s hard to detect the spirit under the cask, but the final result still is a very good whisky. It’s packed full of flavour, there is a lot to unfold, and room to play with the pipette.
Rating: 7/10
Talisker 1994 The Managers’ Choice (2009) Review
Today’s third dram is a Talisker 1994. The tasting panel selected Bodega Sherry European Oak cask #7147, which yielded 582 bottles filled at 58.7% ABV. The cask was filled on the 7th of December 1994 and emptied on the 2nd of March 2009. A bottle might set you north of €700 these days.
Colour:
Chestnut.
Nose:
Neat: Rich, meaty sherry leaps out first: pipe tobacco, beef bouillon, dark chocolate, figs, dates and black cherries. Behind that sit coastal Talisker notes of salt, damp earth, bandages and bonfire smoke, with salty liquorice, coal dust, a hint of petrol and leathery rancio. Orange peel, beeswax, dark honey and a faint herbal/vegetal touch (oregano, dried mushrooms) add complexity. The sherry gets a little dirty as well, with gunpowder and light hints of sulfur (but the right kind).
With water: Water unfurls more of the maritime side: sea spray, ash, tarry rope, seaweed and bandages, while the sherry turns slightly brighter and fruitier. Preserved lime, orange peel, a hint of apricot jam and softer creamy notes appear as the leathery depth relaxes.
Palate:
Neat: Full‑bodied, oily and very powerful, with rich sherry, tobacco, leather, dark honey and dried fruits (figs, dates, raisins, plums) mixed into a single, explosive arrival. Classic Talisker heat follows: black pepper, chilli, sea salt and coastal smoke, with rubbery sherry, salmiak powder, espresso and cocoa. Underneath, nutty tones (almonds, walnuts), citrus peel and a little gunpowder and wormwood keep things firmly savoury.
With water: The palate becomes more classically Talisker: lemon, pepper, salt and coastal stones over a still‑dense core of sherry sweetness and peat. Texture stays rich but less punishing, with more balance between dark fruit, chocolate, nuts and earthy smoke.
Finish:
Long, warming and assertive, with pepper, oak spice, salt and chilli tingle leading before easing into sweet liquorice, dark chocolate and tobacco. Leather, wood and a touch of bitter walnut/pecan and coastal smoke linger to the very end.
Comments:
A strong and bold Talisker, with here as well a stronger sherry influence that I’m used to with Talisker. The meaty and slightly dirty sherry integrates quite well with the coastal profile of Talisker, and here you can still detect the distillery’s character behind the heavy sherry influence.
Rating: 8/10
Lagavulin 1993 The Manager’s Choice (2009) Review
Last but not least, we have a 1993 Lagavulin. This one was distilled on the 25th of October 1993 and bottled on the 19th of February 2009, after 15 years of maturation in a Bodega Sherry European Oak butt numbered 4477. The cask yielded 612 bottles filled at 54.7% ABV, without chill filtration nor added colour. A look at Whiskybase shows that a few websites list it for more than €2,000, but you might have better luck at auction.
Colour:
Burnished.
Nose:
Neat: Clean and bright for a sherried Lagavulin, with iodine, seaweed, sea breeze and light wood smoke first up. Mixed fruit follows: redcurrants, citrus peel, honey and a touch of toffee, alongside a little medicinal freshness. There’s also a soft malty core, plus hints of oak, salt and a faintly ashy, coastal character.
With water: Water opens the citrus and fruit more clearly, softening the smoke and letting the honeyed, sea-salt character show. The medicinal and maritime notes become more obvious, while the oak feels less tight.
Palate:
Neat: Medium-to-full and lightly oily, opening on sweet malt, honey and sherry-inflected fruit before the peat builds. Pepper, salt and smoke arrive in a steady wave, with some lemon, light citrus and a dry, bitter wood edge underneath. It feels elegant rather than massive, with the sherry sitting neatly around the distillery’s medicinal, maritime style.
With water: The texture relaxes slightly, with more obvious sweet malt, lemon and honey up front and gentler pepper later on. Smoke is still there, but it feels smoother and more integrated. The European oak is more noticeable, however, almost tilting towards virgin European oak at times.
Finish:
Long, with peppery peat smoke and a mouth-cooling saline note lingering after the sweeter fruit fades. A little bitter wood, citrus zest and ash remain on the close.
Comments:
Superb Lagavulin, with a brilliant balance between the distillery character and the cask. Both sherry and European oak are kept in check by the characterful make from Lagavulin, with the peat and sherry marvellously intertwined.
Rating: 8.5/10
Lead image courtesy of Scotch Whisky Auction, with some editing.