Specification: Macallan Rare Cask Black was made from a marriage of less than 100 casks, resulting in an expression that shows off a fascinating combination of rich peat smoke and Macallan's characteristic Sherried power. Peaty whisky is very much a rarity from Macallan, so this is very much an exciting bottling!
Specification: On the nose, there are aromas of violets, roses and mint combined with cherries and spices such as cinnamon and cloves. Well-structured, fresh and full-bodied. Bonacosta comes from Masi vineyards in the hills of the historic Valpolicella Classico zone. The soil is red calcareous sediments on basalt. Following a light 15% green harvest, the grapes were harvested separately, first the Molinara and Rondinella, then the Corvina a week or two later. The must underwent fermentation at 25-28C, using selected yeasts. Contact with the skins lasted sixteen days for the Corvina and ten days for the other grapes. The fermentation lasted a total of twenty days and was followed by complete malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged for six months, 86% in large Slavonian oak barrels and 14% (Corvina only) in small new Allier and Slavonian oak casks. Though run by the Boscaini family for six generations, it is really in the last fifty years that Masi has established itself as one of the Venetos most innovative wine producers. In the late 1950s, they identified certain historic vineyard plots which are vinified as Amarone and bottled separately to this day. In 1964, they launched the now-legendary Campofiorin, which revived the technique of a second fermentation with semi-dried grapes. Masi have also rescued the ancient Oseleta variety from extinction, and continue to use it in two of their celebrated "Supervenetian" wines.
Specification: Using the two Coffey stills at the Miyagikyo distillery, which were imported from Scotland to Japan in 1963, Nikka have produced a number of single cask single grain whiskies from time to time over the years. This, however, is their larger release of wonderfully exotic single grain whisky. Now in a 70cl bottle! Hooray!
