10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky World Cup Edition – 46 vol. 35cl

The opening dram. A 10-year-old single malt Scotch whisky for Scotland's first World Cup match in twenty-eight years. The 10-year-old is the opening match of the set. We have given it warm cream and gold because openings are an inherently optimistic act, and we did not want to dress the first dram of the summer in anything that looked as if it knew the score in advance. It is matured in second-fill Oloroso sherry hogsheads and ex-bourbon casks. The result is a whisky with the depth of character of something that has been here a while, and the temperament of one that does not feel the need to introduce itself loudly. The label carries the date, the venue, the opponent, and a small Saltire raised against a darker flag. The lions are rampant on both sides. The pour is for Sunday 14 June, at nine o'clock in the evening BST, when Scotland walks out at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and plays a World Cup match for the first time since 1998. Pour it before the players come out. Sit it on the table. Let it breathe. Whichever way the result goes, the bottle has been here longer than the result. Released individually, or as part of the Drams for the Tartan Army set of three. Mibbes aye, mibbes naw. Drams for the Tartan Army. Three matches. Three Wolfburn whiskies. One summer Scotland will not forget. Read the blog post now. ON THE NOSE Soft sherry sweetness melds with figs and raisins. There’s a lovely hint of vanilla and oak present too. ON THE PALATE The depth of flavour is tremendous. Bold chocolate and dark fruit flavours abound, with overtones of caramel and vanilla, all accompanied by gentle hints of nutmeg and oak smoke. FINISH Silky tannins make for a beautifully textured finish; there’s a residual sweetness with dried fruit and caramel flavours lingering to the very end. Non chill-filtered / Natural Colour 46% ABV. 35cl