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Kensington Wine Market's 2023 Whisky Calendar UBER EDITION Day 2 - Brave New Spirits Old Rhosdhu 28-Year-Old

Posted on December 4, 2023

by Evan

Day Number Two is here, so let's see what the 2023 KWM Whisky Calendar UBER Edition has in store! Today’s UBER drample is the Brave New Spirits Old Rhosdhu 28-Year-Old!

Brave New Spirits. Ever heard of this Independent Bottler? I must admit, they are brand new to me. They are a recent addition to both our shelves and the Alberta market. So what are they all about?

This indie label is headquartered in Glasgow. It is young, having been established in 2020. Like we have seen from other independent bottlers over the past few decades, Brave New Spirits also has aspirations beyond being an independent bottler. They are currently in the planning stages for a distillery. Where, you ask? Why, in the hub and hotbed of Scotland’s whisky industry@ Well, it would be the hub if we were having this conversation 120 years ago. The Witchburn Distillery is in planning to be built at the former RAF Machrihanish Airbase in Campbeltown.

There are a handful of distilleries currently in planning for the Campbeltown region, which in the late 1800s/early 1900s (read: before World War I and the USA prohibition) was indeed overflowing with distilleries. Currently, there are three distilleries in operation in the region, but who knows what we will be looking at one or two decades from now? Perhaps Campbeltown is in revival mode.

Back to the whisky for today: This Rhosdhu was bottled as part of Brave New Spirit’s Cask Noir Editions series, where each bottle is given a name inspired by the pulp novels and film noir of yesteryear. Here is what Brave New Spirits says about the lineup:

“Starting life in some of Scotland’s finest studios (aka “distilleries”) each release takes inspiration from classic movies and novels from a bygone era.  From thrilling and adventurous to dark, romantic and mysterious, these whiskies embark on a journey of discovery, into an exceptional world of exotic flavours and interesting & unusual casks.

Each production boasts a cast of characters carefully chosen, and perfect in their role. Each and every release is selected by an experienced panel, and the producer’s philosophy is quite simple: Taste is the key to the enhusiast's heart. Our aim is to become renowned for high quality, delicious and interesting releases. We care about provenance & age, but the selection for each release is driven foremost by flavour.”

The whisky we are tasting today is the most wacky and varied distillery in Scotland: Loch Lomond Distillery. Loch Lomond distills a plethora of different styles of whisky and has bottled them under well over a dozen different names since it started production back in 1965. One of the names it has used for its whisky is Old Rhosdhu. This whisky’s style is about as quirky as the distillery it comes from. Whisky classified under the Rhoshdu name is actually a single-grain whisky, but made by taking 100% malted barley in a continuous still. It is called a single-grain whisky and not a single-malt whisky because a continuous still is used instead of a pot still.

Clear as mud, right? Just take my word for it – Rhoshdu is a very cool whisky made by the very cool Loch Lomond Distillery

This particular Old Rhosdhu from Brave New Spirits is 28 Years Old. It was distilled in February 1994 and bottled in July 2022 at a strength of 48.6%. It spent its intervening years maturing away in an ex-Bourbon Hogshead.

My head is spinning from all of this information. I need a drink!

Brave New Spirits Old Rhosdhu 28 Year – 48.6%

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Waxy, fruity, and pickled? Wonderful combination of sour fruit, creamy mango yogurt, and salty peanuts still in shells. Old, wet slightly tired oak staves like you are sticking your nose in the freshly cracked barrel, cantaloupe melon cut into wedges, and camomile tea.

Palate: Waxy and creamy right up front before it slowly settles in on the tongue. Soft mango and pineapple notes along with more cantaloupe, white chocolate, buttercream icing, apple slices dipped in peanut butter, a hint of cranberry juice, and a dash of salt and pepper.

Finish: The slight salt and pepper note sticks around along with shortbread cookie notes.

Comment: A fun dram. I have had a had a few bottlings of Rhosdhu from the mid to early 90s and I love the sour fruit and creamy combination they always seem to display.

Could we possibly go older than 28 years old? Stay tuned!

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Facebook & Instagram: @sagelikefool

You can find all blog posts for the UBER EDITION of Kensington Wine Market’s 2023 Whisky Calendar Here

This entry was posted in Whisky, Whisky Calendars, Independent Bottler, KWM Whisky Calendar 2023 UBER EDITION

 

 

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