Aberdeenshire based whisky company Duncan Taylor have launched their Journey to the Octave range - an innovative series of sets exploring the effects of maturing whisky in small octave casks.
As the name suggests, octave casks are an eight of the size of a regular barrel, with a volume of 40-65 litres. The renowned independent bottler has been experimenting using octave cask finishes since 2003 and the brand has seen an increased interest in this range in recent years.
These sets will offer drinkers greater insight into the massive impact these tiny casks have on the flavour of whisky. As well as a full 70cl bottle of the finished liquid, each set will include three 3cl samples of the whisky at different stages of the maturation process - straight from the original cask, mid-maturation in the octave cask, then a sample of the final spirit.
Additionally, the packs will include a 3cl sample of the sherry used to season the cask, a 3cl water sample, and three 1cl aroma samples that highlight the flavours found in the casks.
Each set will also include a video presentation from Duncan Taylor’s senior whisky manager Ian Logan. The video will guide consumers through each stage of the whisky’s journey.
The original idea to utilise these unusual casks came from former chairman Euan Shand. During his time as a cooper in the 1970s octave casks were used for training to build larger butts. However, these casks were seldom, if ever, used for maturation.
Shand was surprised by their lack of wider use, noting how smaller casks “enhances the process of giving whisky more depth of flavour because the ratio of surface area of wood to volume of liquid is higher”.
Indeed, quarter casks are sometimes employed for this reason. Some brands such as Laphroaig have also included a quarter cask expression into their core range. While it wouldn’t be true to say octave casks are never used, they are certainly incredibly rare throughout the industry.
One likely reason is their impracticality. Many distilleries will strive to mature their spirit as consistently and in as large volumes as possible. The diminutive casks makes this difficult. Not only are they smaller, it would be hard to achieve a consistent character in the final whisky. Any whisky maker can tell you how no two casks are the same and how seemingly identical barrels can have radically different effects on a whisky.
Therefore, octave cask maturation lends itself to small-batch, artisan products. Duncan Taylor have carved themselves a niche with their The Octave range and the company believe there is an appetite to delve deeper into octave maturation. After all, their portfolio of octave cask whiskies have been popular among consumers for over two decades.
To launch the Journey to the Octave range, Duncan Taylor have released three single malts from three different regions of Scotland: a 2013 Glenrothes; a 2013 Tullibardine; and a 2014 peated Bunnahabhain.
These whiskies are available now exclusively through The Spirits Embassy.
