WHISKY REVIEWS, NEWS, HISTORY & FOLKLORE
Vintage Malts and the Cooper’s Choice
Neill Murphy of A Scot on Scotch reviews a limited edition Cooper’s Choice single cask bottling from the Vintage Malt Whisky Co that contains whisky distilled at Bunnahabhain on the Isle of Islay.
Brian Crook established the Vintage Malt Whisky Co. in 1992 but his career in whisky began in 1978 when he responded to an ad by Eadie Cairns & Company Ltd. Successful in the application, Crook became Export Sales Manager, working extensively with the Auchentoshan Whisky Company.
From there Crook joined Stanley P Morrison Ltd (later Morrison Bowmore) where his new employer’s takeover of the lowland distillery, would have him working once again with Auchentoshan.
After 10 years with Morrison, however, Crook decided it was time to strike out on his own and in 1992, the Vintage Malt Whisky Company was launched. Speaking in Whisky Magazine in 2000, Crook spoke of the importance of quality for a new business…
“For a new company, it is absolutely essential that you deal with quality because if you take shortcuts then you are doomed to failure. From day one we have been quality-driven. If it became more difficult to sell at that price, then so be it – we were prepared to deal in very small quantities. We are confident that the product in our bottle is something which our customers can be proud of and to which their customers will return for more.”
Among those products was the Finlaggan Islay single malt brand, named after the historic seat of the Lords of the Isles. The brand continues to thrive today, alongside its sibling The Ileach.
The Vintage Malt Whisky Company was encouraged into the single cask market by an Italian distributor while the name, Cooper’s Choice, was suggested by Jim McEwan of Bowmore and later Bruichladdich Distillery. McEwan began his career as a cooper and understood better than most the importance of good quality oak in whisky.
More recently, the Vintage Malt Whisky Co., now run by Andrew Crook, has been behind the Islay Rum distillery in Port Ellen while its various brands and single cask bottlings continue to offer whisky lovers plenty of variety.
The whisky featured in this review was bottled exclusively for the Islay Whisky Shop in Bowmore. This wee hidden gem is, in my opinion, a must-visit when on the island. It is one of the only places to find independently bottled Islay malts as well as having a good selection of the local distilleries’ finest wares.
The Whisky
The whisky is a peated malt, distilled at Bunnahabhain. There were 300 bottles available and the spirit began life in an American oak cask before being transferred to a Moscatel cask for an undisclosed finishing period. It’s bottled at 53.5% abv.
Tasting notes: The nose has peat smoke with a slightly floral tinge. There’s mango chutney and candied fruits. Loukoumi (Cypriot fruity sweets – a bit like Turkish Delight). Honey. Agave Syrup. The smoke is subtle, like the dying embers of a coal fire rather than a roaring blaze. There’s also some biscuity malt. On the palate: Honeyed smoke is a great description. Smooth, honeyed arrival with some malty character and toffee biscuits. Then comes sea salt and black pepper, followed by a spray of brine and dry, ashy smoke.
Thoughts: A pleasingly different splash of Bunnahabhain. It veers off from the distillery’s sherry-led house style and balances the softer side of the island’s peat with the sweetness of the Moscatel. The lack of an age statement might suggest youth in the spirit but it doesn’t present that way and the richness of the appearance (natural colour, of course) points to an active cask with plenty of flavour to give. An unusual and tasty wee curiosity from my favourite island.
Price: £70. The combination of the words “limited”, “edition” and “Islay” doesn’t usually lead to an attractive price point but to be fair to the Vintage Malt Whisky Co, I’ve had some bargains from them over the years. Not sure this one is quite in full-on bargain territory but it’s still good quality at a reasonable price.
For more about the Vintage Malt Whisky Co. visit here
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