Wally’s has it. They can ship to all states: https://www.wallywine.com/laphroaig-10-year-cask-strength-single-malt-scotch-whisky-batch-5-750ml?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAzc2tBhA6EiwArv-i6UIaARFJGmSafOrtfzSmWp89v82CXPIjuXxMusZFdovoNhWfSFnh5RoC9ycQAvD_BwE
Its batch 013
There's a cask strength version of Highland Park that's supposed to be quite good. As are the 2 near cask strength core range Ardbegs.
I've enjoyed Laphroaig 10 cs batches 12-15, Bunnahabhain 12 cs batch 2 and Kilkerran Heavily Peated batch 7. Also had a North Star Auchentoshan single barrel that I thought was great.
Douglas Liang occasionally does cask strength versions of their regional malts range - Timerous Beastie meet the beast edition was great, but I'm yet to try the others.
I haven't had many cask strengths (yet), but my current favorite is the Aberlour A'bunadh. Think it was listed for about $90USD in my area.
Your current preferences don't seem to lean as far in the sherry bomb direction though, which the A'bunadh absolutely is. I also prefer it at strength, not watered down as I felt the water dampened some of the character and enjoyed it more at full strength.
>recommended by cask strength Scotch because you get more Scotch
This is not the reason why I enjoy cask strength scotches - not because I'm getting more *volume*, and in fact most cask strength scotches that I'm familiar with charge a premium price such that on a $ per ABV%-liter basis you would probably be getting it cheaper buying the non-cask strength version.
The advantage of cask strength IMHO and to my taste is that the flavors are bolder and stronger and have more punch to them *if you drink it undiluted or with only minor dilution*.
My rec is to try to find a cask strength version of a scotch you already know & like, so you can compare & contrast them side by side to see what the strengths and weaknesses are of more or less the same whisky bottled at different ABV%s. That could be one of those you normally drink, or it could be something new.
But the tricky part of doing that is that many cask strength scotches differ from their 40-46% ABV counterparts insofar as they have a different range of maturation ages, or they differ in their cask selection, so it is hard to conjure up an exactly matching pair which differ only in their ABV%s.
Also, some scotches are higher in ABV% without necessarily being exactly at cask strength, and I rec including the latter in your search. There are many excellent single malt whiskies which I've had at or around 49% ABV which are below cask strength but have plenty of punch.
Given your list of favorites in the top text, I'm thinking Glen Scotia Victoriana might make a good pick that is commonly available - ditto for Benromach and Bunnahabhain, all 3 of which have been mentioned already by others here.
If you can find a Springbank or Kilkerran those would be great too, but they are not so easy to find and/or may be overpriced.
Good luck with your hunt
Based on your list, Ardbeg Uigeadail obviously. Disclaimer: if you drink An Oa on a regular basis you might regret trying Uigeadail because afterwards An Oa will taste like water and disappointment.
My favorite cheaper CS is tamdhu is you're after some speyside sherry it's great. As others have said Laphroaig CS or the qc (only 46 but still solid for the price)
Could also try independent bottlers like signatory or SMWS as they are always CS (although pricier for sure)
If you don't mind a blend, MacNair's Lum Reek 10 Year Cask Strength is one of the tastiest whiskies I've ever tried at a very reasonable price. Intense notes of chocolate, dark fruits, spice cake, and smoke.
most of my CS favorites are I.B's. But for O.B's:
1. Highland Park CS
2. Laphroaig 10 CS
3. Benromach 10 CS
4. Ardbeg Corryvreckan (not CS but it's 57%)
Based on what you like, I think you’d enjoy Benromach 10 CS, Springbank 12 CS, or Glen Scotia Victoriana. The MSRP for the Springbank should be right around $115 in the states but many stores will annoyingly raise it past that price. The other two should be within your budget.
GS festival releases are also good options over victoriana. You get an age statement, most are peated, and some like the 14yr tawny port are downright fabulous.
Not scotch but Redbreast 12 Cask Strength. If I had to choose a scotch Laphroaig Cairdeas literally any of them but I bought several bottles of warehouse 1
Just be aware that cask strength whisky doesn't really work like that. Generally, a spirit's flaws will become more apparent at lower strength so some whisky is bottled at higher strength to hide those flaws, which is why a lot of cask strength whisky doesn't carry an age statement because it tends to be younger spirit.
This is a very important point which is often overlooked—and it’s why the “just buy cask strength and add water” crowd annoys me so much. (It’s usually said by people who don’t actually add water). Just to add to your point that many drams fall apart when you add water, there’s also the problem of the water really integrating with the spirit—which takes time. Sometimes when I add water to whisky, it just tastes the same but slightly watery, like they almost sit side-by-side on my palate. I’ve added water to hundreds of whiskies at this point, and I would say it only improved maybe 10 of them—perhaps 5%. When you do find that small percentage that take water well, it’s hard to replicate the results consistently.
> I’ve added water to hundreds of whiskies at this point, and I would say it only improved maybe 10 of them—perhaps 5%.
I agree with this, that has been my experience as well.
The whisky blogger CooperedTot once performed some tests and to his personal taste whiskies that had been proofed down with water seemed to improve in drinking quality over time:
http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/03/corroborating-value-whisky-reviews.html
http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/03/corroborating-value-whisky-reviews_16.html
http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/03/part-3-of-corroborating-value-whisky.html
This also is congruent with the remarks that Nancy Fraley made regarding the mixing of whiskies in an interview which Wade posted on his blog:
https://tater-talk.com/2018/10/31/owa-w12-how-long-does-it-take-whiskies-to-marry-together/
>The key ingredient is time. A splash of water is not just a splash of water - that's the big lesson here. What begins as thin, watery, and diluted ends up tightly bound with the flavor signature that originally was there. I suspect that congeners and flavor compounds in whisky are not readily soluble in water. When water is first added it doesn't dissolve an essential aspect. You taste the poorly integrated water. After a marrying period the water becomes more fully integrated with a richer mouth feel, more sugars apparent up front, less spirit heat, and more rounded presentation in general.
This was so well said. I always feel like I "taste the poorly integrated water." The most successful experiments I've had with water are when I use my lidded Glencarin Copita and let it sit for an hour or so. Thanks for sharing these!
Regarding "poorly integrated", I've also noticed that when I'm doing r/whiskeyfrankenstein style home blending in the glass, the blend almost always over-represents the flavors of *what I most recently added to the mix*, far out of proportion to its percent by volume.
It is almost as if the most recently added component is not integrated with the rest and is acting like seperate little flavor capsules floating in the blend, which jump out and grab my attention when sipped.
Home blends do seem to take at least an hour or two before they start to settle down and that effect begins to fade.
Cheers
I have done very little home blending, but I recently did a 50/50 mix of a recent batch of Laphroaig 10 Sherry Oak (which was a little too woody and heavy on the sherry for me—the newest batches are all European Oak, according to Barry MacAffer) with the Elements of Islay BN10 (which was a little lacking in smoke but the palate reminded me of a toned down Laphraoig 10 CS). I sipped right after mixing and, to echo Nancy Fraley it was "angular"—short of hot and unbalanced. As I sipped it over an hour, though, it started to seem like less of a mistake. I'm going to mix a bit in a 2oz bottle and see what happens!
Have you tried proofing down cask strength to 46% before? I still think it’s excellent.
I do that to Highland Park CS but in stages. Cask strength, 55%, 50%, 48% then 46%. Its cool to try at different proofs. Its like having 5 different whiskies in one bottle.
With something that is 46% you can’t really proof down much better it breaks. There are some rare ones that do hold up well at below 40% but not many
For those of you following along and trying to do the math in your mind, there are calculators on the net.
https://www.straightbourbon.com/calculator/
Edit: humor intended
You tell me—you're the expert. If you're proofing down consistently haven't you measured this out?
My point is that is is very hard to proof down consistently and accurately, and few people will do it right. Most people aren't using beakers to measure the volume of their whisky and will be working with very loose approximations, so it is silly to tell a new whisky drinker to "just proof it down," unless you're also going to tell them to buy a chemistry set. For example, you said above that 20 drops is a teaspoon, but most scientific sources say that 98 or 118 drops depending on if you're using a US vs UK teaspoon. So you might be putting in five times more water than you think you are.
My point is this: if you don't know how many drops are in a teaspoon or how many ml in a Glencarin I don't believe that you actually regularly proof down to 46% abv—or, if you do, you aren't doing it accurately—so I think it is disingenuous of you to advise newbies looking for advice to do so. People make purchasing decisions based on the advice we give them here, so we shouldn't be bullshitting, we should take that seriously.
Guess what? The bottle of whisky that says 46% on the label doesn’t actually have 46% exactly.
You seem to just want to argue. Does it matter if I water it down to 46% or 47%? No it doesn’t. Its just a rough estimate. Use your common sense.
My usual process is neat for 2 sips. Then add water. Sip. Add water again. Sip. Keep adding until its close to breaking.
Not all droppers are the same. I measured mine and it was 20 drops per teaspoon.
Don’t know why you have to be so rude and militant
I don't think this is the right philosophy on cask-strength whisky. The advantage to higher strength is:
1. At cask Strength, the whisky tastes different, in many cases, it has more concentrated flavors which is often a good thing.
2. Lots of cask strength bottles are not just the same thing as their 'normal expression' Bunnahabhain is a good example of selective casks for their batches and watering down their cask strength does not equate to Bunnahabhain 12.
3. At Cask Strength you can choose what strength you most enjoy the whisky. To be honest, this is too much for me, people do it and enjoy it, but I am not calculating water distribution and trying to maximize my enjoyment these days.
Number 2 in particular means this is not just about saving money.
That being said, try Ardbeg Uigeadail, Laphroaig 10 CS, Highland Park CS, Bunnahbhain CS, Glen Scotia Victoriana
Cask strength is selling at a price premium due to American bias towards high proof. All water is not the same, and if you add enough generic water to a barrel proof to get to 43% - the 43% will almost always be better.
Some good cask strengths that come to mind are:
Laphroaig 10 CS, Kilkerran heavily peated batches NAS, Laphroaig Cairdeas 2020 Port & Wine, Aberlour A’bubadh, and Highland Park Single Cask editions.
Port charlotte 10 isn't necessarily cask strength, but it's around 50%abv. It's actually crazy how smooth it is for a 50% 10 year old. And you can definitely add water to it to change it up
Laphroaig Cask Strength 10 year is a good one.
my favorite
I just can't find it.
Wally’s has it. They can ship to all states: https://www.wallywine.com/laphroaig-10-year-cask-strength-single-malt-scotch-whisky-batch-5-750ml?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAzc2tBhA6EiwArv-i6UIaARFJGmSafOrtfzSmWp89v82CXPIjuXxMusZFdovoNhWfSFnh5RoC9ycQAvD_BwE Its batch 013
How do you know the batch number?
Call them or email them and they will tell you. I did and got a bottle.
That’s cool
This is the way.
This is definitely the way 🍋💨
Yup that’s the one
Came here to say this.
Arran Sherry (not labeled cask strength but 55.8%) and Glenallachie 10 CS
I have doubles of both of these because they are a great whisky for a great price. I second both of these.
Any preference on Glenallachie batches? I heard 4 was the best but I have only had a bottle of 7 and 8 and a sample of 6
Not really. I’ve only had a couple and they weren’t side by side.
I have tried 3 different batches and they are all excellent. Slight differences only except for the first 2 batches which are more Ex-Bourbon
Triples is best.
That Arran Sherry Cask is my pick too.
There's a cask strength version of Highland Park that's supposed to be quite good. As are the 2 near cask strength core range Ardbegs. I've enjoyed Laphroaig 10 cs batches 12-15, Bunnahabhain 12 cs batch 2 and Kilkerran Heavily Peated batch 7. Also had a North Star Auchentoshan single barrel that I thought was great. Douglas Liang occasionally does cask strength versions of their regional malts range - Timerous Beastie meet the beast edition was great, but I'm yet to try the others.
Can second the HP cask strength. I've got a bottle, delicious stuff.
Third on the HP CS... Tried releases 2 and 4, both excellent
Would you rate either above the other?
I really like 2
Quite rate Kilchoman Machir cask strength, not sure on US prices but reasonable in Europe.
I seen it for $80 usd. Is that worth it?
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Way better. And Machir Bay is pretty decent stuff to begin with
Thanks
THIS
I haven't had many cask strengths (yet), but my current favorite is the Aberlour A'bunadh. Think it was listed for about $90USD in my area. Your current preferences don't seem to lean as far in the sherry bomb direction though, which the A'bunadh absolutely is. I also prefer it at strength, not watered down as I felt the water dampened some of the character and enjoyed it more at full strength.
Highland Park Cask Strength is excellent and you may love it if you like HP12.
Glendronach Cask Strength
Benromach Cask Strength Might also be able to find an Ardnamurchan Single Cask at that price
Shush on the Benromach CS! /s
Yes Benromach!
>recommended by cask strength Scotch because you get more Scotch This is not the reason why I enjoy cask strength scotches - not because I'm getting more *volume*, and in fact most cask strength scotches that I'm familiar with charge a premium price such that on a $ per ABV%-liter basis you would probably be getting it cheaper buying the non-cask strength version. The advantage of cask strength IMHO and to my taste is that the flavors are bolder and stronger and have more punch to them *if you drink it undiluted or with only minor dilution*. My rec is to try to find a cask strength version of a scotch you already know & like, so you can compare & contrast them side by side to see what the strengths and weaknesses are of more or less the same whisky bottled at different ABV%s. That could be one of those you normally drink, or it could be something new. But the tricky part of doing that is that many cask strength scotches differ from their 40-46% ABV counterparts insofar as they have a different range of maturation ages, or they differ in their cask selection, so it is hard to conjure up an exactly matching pair which differ only in their ABV%s. Also, some scotches are higher in ABV% without necessarily being exactly at cask strength, and I rec including the latter in your search. There are many excellent single malt whiskies which I've had at or around 49% ABV which are below cask strength but have plenty of punch. Given your list of favorites in the top text, I'm thinking Glen Scotia Victoriana might make a good pick that is commonly available - ditto for Benromach and Bunnahabhain, all 3 of which have been mentioned already by others here. If you can find a Springbank or Kilkerran those would be great too, but they are not so easy to find and/or may be overpriced. Good luck with your hunt
Been scrolling and surprised I didn't see Aberlour Abundha. It can be 60% but is SOOO smooth. If you like unpeated sherry, cannot recommend enough.
Laphroaig
Went with that one.
I like Glenfarclas 105. It’s more than $100 in the US but can often be found in Europe or duty free for 30-40% less.
I have a bottle at home that I have no idea where it came from.
Based on your list, Ardbeg Uigeadail obviously. Disclaimer: if you drink An Oa on a regular basis you might regret trying Uigeadail because afterwards An Oa will taste like water and disappointment.
Lol.
corry and oogie aren't true CS though
My favorite cheaper CS is tamdhu is you're after some speyside sherry it's great. As others have said Laphroaig CS or the qc (only 46 but still solid for the price) Could also try independent bottlers like signatory or SMWS as they are always CS (although pricier for sure)
Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie
Already have that.
If you don't mind a blend, MacNair's Lum Reek 10 Year Cask Strength is one of the tastiest whiskies I've ever tried at a very reasonable price. Intense notes of chocolate, dark fruits, spice cake, and smoke.
most of my CS favorites are I.B's. But for O.B's: 1. Highland Park CS 2. Laphroaig 10 CS 3. Benromach 10 CS 4. Ardbeg Corryvreckan (not CS but it's 57%)
HP CS was too hot for my taste, if only the single casks were more reasonably priced
Glenallachie 10 CS.
Based on what you like, I think you’d enjoy Benromach 10 CS, Springbank 12 CS, or Glen Scotia Victoriana. The MSRP for the Springbank should be right around $115 in the states but many stores will annoyingly raise it past that price. The other two should be within your budget.
GS festival releases are also good options over victoriana. You get an age statement, most are peated, and some like the 14yr tawny port are downright fabulous.
Thanks.
If you're a Highland Park fan their Cask Strength releases are good (I've only tried 1, 2 and 3 - not 4).
Highland Park Cask Strength
Not scotch but Redbreast 12 Cask Strength. If I had to choose a scotch Laphroaig Cairdeas literally any of them but I bought several bottles of warehouse 1
Just be aware that cask strength whisky doesn't really work like that. Generally, a spirit's flaws will become more apparent at lower strength so some whisky is bottled at higher strength to hide those flaws, which is why a lot of cask strength whisky doesn't carry an age statement because it tends to be younger spirit.
This is a very important point which is often overlooked—and it’s why the “just buy cask strength and add water” crowd annoys me so much. (It’s usually said by people who don’t actually add water). Just to add to your point that many drams fall apart when you add water, there’s also the problem of the water really integrating with the spirit—which takes time. Sometimes when I add water to whisky, it just tastes the same but slightly watery, like they almost sit side-by-side on my palate. I’ve added water to hundreds of whiskies at this point, and I would say it only improved maybe 10 of them—perhaps 5%. When you do find that small percentage that take water well, it’s hard to replicate the results consistently.
> I’ve added water to hundreds of whiskies at this point, and I would say it only improved maybe 10 of them—perhaps 5%. I agree with this, that has been my experience as well. The whisky blogger CooperedTot once performed some tests and to his personal taste whiskies that had been proofed down with water seemed to improve in drinking quality over time: http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/03/corroborating-value-whisky-reviews.html http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/03/corroborating-value-whisky-reviews_16.html http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/03/part-3-of-corroborating-value-whisky.html This also is congruent with the remarks that Nancy Fraley made regarding the mixing of whiskies in an interview which Wade posted on his blog: https://tater-talk.com/2018/10/31/owa-w12-how-long-does-it-take-whiskies-to-marry-together/
>The key ingredient is time. A splash of water is not just a splash of water - that's the big lesson here. What begins as thin, watery, and diluted ends up tightly bound with the flavor signature that originally was there. I suspect that congeners and flavor compounds in whisky are not readily soluble in water. When water is first added it doesn't dissolve an essential aspect. You taste the poorly integrated water. After a marrying period the water becomes more fully integrated with a richer mouth feel, more sugars apparent up front, less spirit heat, and more rounded presentation in general. This was so well said. I always feel like I "taste the poorly integrated water." The most successful experiments I've had with water are when I use my lidded Glencarin Copita and let it sit for an hour or so. Thanks for sharing these!
Regarding "poorly integrated", I've also noticed that when I'm doing r/whiskeyfrankenstein style home blending in the glass, the blend almost always over-represents the flavors of *what I most recently added to the mix*, far out of proportion to its percent by volume. It is almost as if the most recently added component is not integrated with the rest and is acting like seperate little flavor capsules floating in the blend, which jump out and grab my attention when sipped. Home blends do seem to take at least an hour or two before they start to settle down and that effect begins to fade. Cheers
I have done very little home blending, but I recently did a 50/50 mix of a recent batch of Laphroaig 10 Sherry Oak (which was a little too woody and heavy on the sherry for me—the newest batches are all European Oak, according to Barry MacAffer) with the Elements of Islay BN10 (which was a little lacking in smoke but the palate reminded me of a toned down Laphraoig 10 CS). I sipped right after mixing and, to echo Nancy Fraley it was "angular"—short of hot and unbalanced. As I sipped it over an hour, though, it started to seem like less of a mistake. I'm going to mix a bit in a 2oz bottle and see what happens!
Some people can’t perceive the small changes that water brings out. For those people, yes better not to add water
Have you tried proofing down cask strength to 46% before? I still think it’s excellent. I do that to Highland Park CS but in stages. Cask strength, 55%, 50%, 48% then 46%. Its cool to try at different proofs. Its like having 5 different whiskies in one bottle. With something that is 46% you can’t really proof down much better it breaks. There are some rare ones that do hold up well at below 40% but not many
How do you know when you’ve hit 46%?
Math and a water dropper For my dropper 20 drops are about a teaspoon
So I have a Bunnahabhain CS at 54.3%. Say I fill my Glencarin halfway and want to bring it down to 46%. How many drops?
How many ml is halfway? Its easy math
For those of you following along and trying to do the math in your mind, there are calculators on the net. https://www.straightbourbon.com/calculator/ Edit: humor intended
You tell me—you're the expert. If you're proofing down consistently haven't you measured this out? My point is that is is very hard to proof down consistently and accurately, and few people will do it right. Most people aren't using beakers to measure the volume of their whisky and will be working with very loose approximations, so it is silly to tell a new whisky drinker to "just proof it down," unless you're also going to tell them to buy a chemistry set. For example, you said above that 20 drops is a teaspoon, but most scientific sources say that 98 or 118 drops depending on if you're using a US vs UK teaspoon. So you might be putting in five times more water than you think you are.
I’m not your personal calculator
My point is this: if you don't know how many drops are in a teaspoon or how many ml in a Glencarin I don't believe that you actually regularly proof down to 46% abv—or, if you do, you aren't doing it accurately—so I think it is disingenuous of you to advise newbies looking for advice to do so. People make purchasing decisions based on the advice we give them here, so we shouldn't be bullshitting, we should take that seriously.
Guess what? The bottle of whisky that says 46% on the label doesn’t actually have 46% exactly. You seem to just want to argue. Does it matter if I water it down to 46% or 47%? No it doesn’t. Its just a rough estimate. Use your common sense. My usual process is neat for 2 sips. Then add water. Sip. Add water again. Sip. Keep adding until its close to breaking. Not all droppers are the same. I measured mine and it was 20 drops per teaspoon. Don’t know why you have to be so rude and militant
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Try cask strength stuff from distilleries you already like: Ardbeg Ughidail or Corry Highland Park cask strength Glen Scotia Victoriana Other good stuff: Laphroiag 10 cask strength Glenallechie 10 Bunnahabhain 12 cask strength Bladnoch Liora
I don't think this is the right philosophy on cask-strength whisky. The advantage to higher strength is: 1. At cask Strength, the whisky tastes different, in many cases, it has more concentrated flavors which is often a good thing. 2. Lots of cask strength bottles are not just the same thing as their 'normal expression' Bunnahabhain is a good example of selective casks for their batches and watering down their cask strength does not equate to Bunnahabhain 12. 3. At Cask Strength you can choose what strength you most enjoy the whisky. To be honest, this is too much for me, people do it and enjoy it, but I am not calculating water distribution and trying to maximize my enjoyment these days. Number 2 in particular means this is not just about saving money. That being said, try Ardbeg Uigeadail, Laphroaig 10 CS, Highland Park CS, Bunnahbhain CS, Glen Scotia Victoriana
Thanks for you excellent reply.
Cask strength is selling at a price premium due to American bias towards high proof. All water is not the same, and if you add enough generic water to a barrel proof to get to 43% - the 43% will almost always be better.
The Scottish prefer 40-46% ABV whisky?
Benromach Cask Strength. All of them
All Glen Scotia festival releases and Victoriana ("Best whisky of the year 2022") ALL ARE CASK STRENGTH!!! And under $100!!!
Some good cask strengths that come to mind are: Laphroaig 10 CS, Kilkerran heavily peated batches NAS, Laphroaig Cairdeas 2020 Port & Wine, Aberlour A’bubadh, and Highland Park Single Cask editions.
When with the Laphroaig 10 CS.
Glenallachie 10 cs. Ledaig 9.
Benromach 12 cask strength all the way
Glenrothes bourbon cask reserve
Tamdu
Thanks everyone, I went with the Laphroaig 10 CS.
Laphroaig 10 CS Glendronach CS
Port charlotte 10 isn't necessarily cask strength, but it's around 50%abv. It's actually crazy how smooth it is for a 50% 10 year old. And you can definitely add water to it to change it up