Launceston Tawny Cask

I am a sucker for a Tawny/Port cask whisky. Invariably they speak to me, I. The same way that rum cask finishes don’t. Just as was the case for the bourbon cask, the tawny standard offering is the little brother to the cask strength version that I have had previously. N: Sweet depths of dark chocolate, toffee, and raisins. Tempered well by a hint of dark wood, furniture wax, and leather. Some of the notes I have for the cask strength of caramel, tobacco, and mustiness are absent here. P: Rich and sticky. Christmas cake in a glass: dried fruits, cinnamon, cloves. A little oak tannin, some caramel, and a leathery late texture. The textures are much less developed and depth of flavours from the wood are not nearly as apparent as they were in the cask strength. The buttery mouth feel, wood spices, and crunchy brown sugars are just not apparent. F: medium-long. Bitter sweet chocolate and a little Christmas spice. This has perhaps sounded negative, not at all. This is lovely juice, it’s just not what I want. I want the full experience of the cask strength single cask. Funnily enough, there is the fourth version of the “Angus Cask” available in the distillery now. Angus is the 16 year old Scotty dog that belongs to the owners. Four times now a special limited run has been made in honour of Angus. Currently, cask four is a 50l Tawny bottled at 50.4% and samples are only given to a rarified few. I was fortunate enough to try one. I’m not putting a review here for it, it didn’t seem right to me to do so. What I will say though, it’s great, really lovely; it’s this tawny turned up a notch. I would have bought one, but; it’s still not the cask strength… and another release (between you and I) is on the horizon… Cost is for 500 ml. Distiller whisky taste #254 [Pictured here, not with a rock, but just some of the distillery] Launceston running scores Bourbon cask: 3.5/5 Bourbon cask, cask strength single cask: 4/5 Apera cask: 3.75/5 Tawny cask: 3.75/5 Tawny cask, cask strength single cask: 4.25/5 Rum cask finish: 3.25/5 American & French oak reserve: 4.25/5

Nice sweet caramel and maybe cardamon aroma. Taste wise not a lot flavour but similarities the nose of it just less characterful

Like a delicious Christmas pudding