The moment I learned about Blackadder’s Raw Cask series, this unqiue selection of whiskies had me completely under its spell. Bottled straight from the cask without any industrial aid, each expression of the Raw Cask line is as pure a whisky as it gets. In fact, the individual Raw Cask bottlings are so untampered-with that you even find little wood fragments from the barrels floating through the liquid! In regard to its price, the Red Snake I have poured myself for this review is located at the entry threshold of the range. Still, at over 70 bucks it ain’t exactly a steal. But quality and singularity rightfully have their price. While the label does neither mention the distillery nor the age of the whisky, rumor has it that this is a juvenile Glentauchers. If, like me, you enjoy head-strong youngsters just as much as you enjoy level-headed oldtimers, you will certainly have one helluva time with this viperish sip!

by Tobi

Eye: Sandstone.
Nose: A whiff of biting alcohol reveals the whisky’s youthfulness. Once it has deflagrated, yellow fruits such as quinces and mirabelles appear. Moreover, there are the sweet scents of fluffy lemon cake, orange-flavored butter fudge and English wine gum.
Palate: An exotic fruitiness clashes with a distinct spiciness – as if someone had mixed a habanero in a fruit salad. Among others, I discovered peaches, apricots and grapes in this tempestuous raw cask bottling. The first-fill ex-Bourbon cask, in which the spirit was matured, also added a pleasant vanilla note.
Finish: As is little surprising for a young whisky bottled with an ABV of almost 58 per cent, the Red Snake’s finish is quick-tempered and in-your-face. It produces a pleasant burn and leaves you craving for more.

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Region: Scotland
Age: No Age Statement
Alc. volume: 57.9%
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
Price range: ~72.00 Euro
More info: http://www.blackadder.nu/ (Whisky) ; http://www.mcwhisky.com/ (Importer)