Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Rolls Out New Journey of the Octave
Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky has released three single malt sets as part of its new Journey of the Octave range. The company has been experimenting with octave casks since 2003. The new collection range features three whiskies from three regions of Scotland.
There are 3 cask strength whiskies selected for this collection, including Glenrothes 2013 (54.9% ABV) from Speyside, Tullibardine 2013 (53.6% ABV) from the Highlands, and Bunnahabhain 2014 (53.6% ABV) from Islay.
As a part of each tasting set, you receive a 700ml bottle of the final liquid, three 30ml whisky samples, one 30ml Sherry sample, one 30ml water sample, and three 10ml aroma samples.
Pre-octave samples come straight from the original cask, mid-octivation samples, and final octivation samples, along with 30ml samples of the Sherry that was used for seasoning.
Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Rolls Out New Journey of the Octave
A video presentation by Ian Logan, Duncan Taylor’s senior manager of whisky, breaks down each stage of the whisky’s journey. Former chairman Euan Shand created the technique in the 1970s as a cooper
In the past, octave casks were used as ways to teach distillers how to make bigger butts. They were not used for maturing whisky. Shand uses them to create whisky, discovering that a second maturation enhances the taste.
Shand said: “It was a rite of passage back in the day, of perfecting your skill to make whisky barrels. It enhances the process of giving whisky more depth of flavor because the ratio of the surface area of wood to the volume of liquid is higher. It is now very successful and, as a result, we’ve now ‘octivated’ every distillery’s whisky in Scotland that is in our warehouse. We are seeing a major interest in the portfolio across the globe.”
Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky opened its Club Room in Huntly, Scotland, at the end of 2023, due to its ‘accelerated increase in demand’ since 2003 when it launched its first octave line.
