3x Single Cask Whisky Bottling by Flickenschild: Auchroisk & 2x Caol Ila (Review Flight)

The new three-piece range of single cask bottlings by Flickenschild has a simply yet evocative name: “Slainte”. Graced with stylish illustrations by North-German artist Mats Matthée, each member of the trio cuts a mighty fine figure – both on the outside and on the inside. In particular, the “Slainte” series consists of the following expressions: A mouth-watering 11 Years Old from a wine barrique by Auchroisk Distillery in Speyside. An elaborate 11 Years Old from an ex-Bourbon cask (sourced from Chicago-based craft distillery Koval) by Caol Ila on Islay. And a fruity and fumy 11 Years Old from a wine barrique by – once again – Caol Ila on Islay. In the following, I will happily share with you my impressions of each of Flickenschild’s three “Slainte” whiskies …

by Tobi

Auchroisk 2010 Wine Barrique “Slainte” by Flickenschild
(Single Malt Scotch Whisky • Speyside • 60.7% • 316 bottles)

This alluring Speysider starts off with the yummy smells of brittle, popcorn, caramel creme, and vanilla sauce. These heavy scents form a strong and sturdy foundation upon which the wine barrique, in which the whisky was matured, unfolds all kinds of juicy red fruits: pureed strawberries, squashed raspberries, jellied redcurrants, and dripping blood oranges. In the mouth, these rich sensations continue: I taste red fruits with lotsa clotted cream on top; thick zests with sweeter juice drippled all over; citrus bonbons dipped in hazelnut yoghurt. The aftertaste is long, creamy, and filled with the fingerlicking good echo of the afore-mentioned caramel, hazelnut, zest, and blood orange.

Caol Ila 2011 Koval Cask “Slainte” by Flickenschild
(Single Malt Scotch Whisky • Islay • 58% • 129 bottles)

The nose of this highly sophisticated Islay malt is most fascinating! It offers birch tree, sunfower kernel, lime squeeze, peach chunk, and grilled pineapple encapsulated in most delicate, vanilla-laden smoke. The mouthfeel is dry and woody at first, but then becomes sweeter and milkier. Now I get banana milkshake, marzipan cookie, coconut bite, khaki fruit, and cigarette puff. Here and there, Caol Ila’s close proximity to the ocean also shimmers through … The highly satisfying, medium-length aftertaste is sweet, smoky, peppery, and mineral all together.

Caol Ila 2011 Wine Barrique “Slainte” by Flickenschild
(Single Malt Scotch Whisky • Islay • 59.4% • 275 bottles)

What a mix! Bonfire wood, roast beef, pepper crust, redcurrant jam, and cold ash all mingle to form a great interplay of smells. The first sip is creamy and fruity – like strawberry pudding with white choc sprinkles. Then additional flavors join in and broaden the spectrum: beef jerky, honey cake, blackcurrant jam, red berry mix, coconut macaroon, and Islay smoke (the latter being not quite as strong on the palate as it was in the nose). When gulped down, this 11-year-old Scotch becomes a bit peatier and grittier again, amplifying on fumes n’ fudge n’ fruit n’ berry.

Auchroisk 2010/2022 Wine (Single M. / Spey. / 11yo / Wine Cask / 60.7% / ~75 Euro)
Caol Ila 2011/2022 Koval (Single Malt / Islay / 11 yo / Bourbon Cask / 58% / ~90 Euro)
Caol Ila 2011/2022 Wine (Single Malt / Islay / 11 yo / Wine Cask/ 59.4% / ~80 Euro)