I love whisk(e)y. To clarify, lest an intervention comes a-knocking: I love the idea of whisk(e)y. I love the idea of such aromas coming out of a humble communion of water, grains and yeast, oakwood and (sometimes) peat. I love the idea of diverse flavours that high artisanal skills can produce. I love the stories and myth behind whisk(e)y brands and I love being surprised by them, be it in terms of taste, of price, or design. Berry Bros. & Rudd’s original Cutty Sark blend was created at the Glenrothes Distillery in 1923. It was pale, light, flavourful and a great success. Especially in prohibition US, where a lot of it was bootlegged by sea captains/entrepreneurs such as Captain Bill McCoy and his very fast schooner, Tomoka, of whom this whisky pays homage to. The close relationship with the US consumer continued well after the end of prohibition, until in 1961 Cutty Sark became the first Scotch whisky to sell over one million cases in the US. This whisky shares some of the original Cutty Sark profile, but is bolder, tasteful, more pungent. Inside that old fashioned bottle of black glass, Cutty Sark Prohibition packs a lot of surprise, and at 50% ABV, a punch that harkens back to an older type of whisky, one that is light but full-bodied and 'dirty', buttery smooth but full of fire and flavour. On the nose, an ephemeral first note of balsa wood and carpenter’s glue, straight from a model airplane hobbyist's workbench. Brine on old varnished wood follows, reminiscent of an old wooden boat's hold, together with a faint smoky undertow. As the whisky starts to breathe, the nose begins to mellow out, first with heather and honey, then rosewater, cut grass and coffee creamer. Toffee, malted barley and ripe bananas underline it all. Water brings out a perfumed note of wild-flowers-in the-spring, together with orchard notes of orange and mandarin peels, and woody vanilla. The back label states non-chill filtered. The mouthfeel is greasy, buttery on the tongue, with flavour quickly overflowing the palate: sweet vanilla, buttered walnut bread with honey, dusty and dry spices, nutmeg and coriander seeds. Crushed black and red pepper rules the day, black pepper in the development, red pepper for the medium-long finish. Water brings out a malty savoury sweetness, honey and demerara sugar, vanilla cream. Bring the ABV down to about 30% and the grain part of the blend introduces itself, light and sweet, reminiscent of diluted acacia honey. Cutty Sark Prohibition validates all the reasons for loving whisk(e)y - it is an exceptional value-for-money sipping blend. Having said that, this is not a beginner's dram; the high ABV, the crushed peppers and the feinty sulphur note can hide its true nature to the uninitiated. But, if you know your way around blends and have the patience to sit with it and sip, you'll appreciate the full-bodied depth of flavours as they change over time. Side note: Edrington purchased Cutty Sark from Berry Bros. & Rudd in 2010 and released Prohibition in 2013 as a small batch blend. The blend recipe is not disclosed but it is thought that the base is grain whisky from North British and Invergordon, blended with around 40 different single malts, including Highland Park, Glenrothes, Macallan and Bunnahabhain.