The week’s top story was the sale of the independent bottler Single Cask Nation to the Artisanal Spirits Company, which also owns the Scotch Malt… Read More
The week’s top story was the sale of the independent bottler Single Cask Nation to the Artisanal Spirits Company, which also owns the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The two bottlers will co-exist under one corporate umbrella, with SCN founders Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin remaining in charge. We’ll talk with them on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, there’s new life planned for a long-closed Speyside distillery and the winners of the 2023 John Barleycorn Awards have been announced.
The Artisanal Spirits Company, owners of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, have acquired the US-based independent bottler Single Cask Nation from its founders, Joshua Hatton… Read More
The Artisanal Spirits Company, owners of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, have acquired the US-based independent bottler Single Cask Nation from its founders, Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin. The founders will remain with the company and lead its business from their base in Connecticut, according to a statement released by ASC today.
“In a way, by joining ASC we’re coming full-circle in our whisky journey,” Johnstone-Yellin said in the statement. “It was actually The Scotch Malt Whisky Society that first inspired us to start an independent bottling business in the first place. We’ve admired them (and their whiskies) for years, so to be a sister brand to them now is really exciting.”
The partners founded Single Cask Nation in 2011 as an offshoot of their Jewish Whisky Company, and now sells its single cask whiskies in eight countries. Artisanal Spirits Company CEO Andrew Dane praised their work in the statement. “Along the way, they have cultivated a passionate global following and stellar reputation as thought leaders in the world of whisky. Single Cask Nation is a perfect fit for ASC and our mission to deliver the world’s most exceptional limited-edition whiskies and experiences. They’re going to be a tremendous asset to our team and we’re excited for everything we can accomplish together in the years ahead,” he said.
Former Westland Distillery executive Steve Hawley has also joined the ASC team to build its presence in the United States, the world’s biggest market for Scotch Whisky by value. Hawley will focus on SCN’s business side, allowing Hatton and Johnstone-Yellin to focus on SCN’s whiskies and the “Nation,” a following of more than 10,000 whisky enthusiasts who purchase SCN whiskies through its web site.
WhiskyCast has requested interviews with Hatton and Johnstone-Yellin. This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Friends … They bring out the best in this hobby. I’ve been fortunate to have more than my fair share of friends in whiskey enthusiasm, and two of those friends are Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin of Single Cask Nation. But for all those years …
Friends … They bring out the best in this hobby. I’ve been fortunate to have more than my fair share of friends in whiskey enthusiasm, and two of those friends are Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin of Single Cask Nation. But for all those years exchanging emails, bantering on social media, and recording podcasts, I’d […]
Love it or hate it, it’s time for the inevitable year-end “top whiskey” lists to flood social media. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing. Sure, some are pure clickbait – even worse, paid promotionals. But given an honest perspective and a prope…
Love it or hate it, it’s time for the inevitable year-end “top whiskey” lists to flood social media. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing. Sure, some are pure clickbait – even worse, paid promotionals. But given an honest perspective and a proper dose of substance, lists of annual favorites can be informative and fun. […]
This 2004 Single Cask Nation Ledaig 15 was part of the Malt Nuts: Ledaig Part 5 tasting. It was, obviously, my contribution to the tasting and now that the full recap is up I wanted to take a beat and give it a deeper dive. Malt Nuts events are great, we get a solid overview […]
This 2004 Single Cask Nation Ledaig 15 was part of the Malt Nuts: Ledaig Part 5 tasting. It was, obviously, my contribution to the tasting and now that the full recap is up I wanted to take a beat and give it a deeper dive. Malt Nuts events are great, we get a solid overview of what we’re looking into, but we don’t get to spend a ton of time exploring each whisky we pour.
If we did, the events would be 6+ hours long because we usually have 12-14 bottles in each tasting. The time aspect is one reason why I like to sit down with my bottle to do a formal review, the other reason is that I enjoy seeing the difference in perception when a whisky is tasted on its own vs alongside a bunch of others. Especially when that whisky is in the last half of the tasting.
This SCN Ledaig was in the middle, but it followed a rather wide variety of peated, and unpeated, whisky so isolating it and spending more time with it could yield new and interesting notes. So, let’s get to drinkin’ and see if that truly is the case.
2004 Single Cask Nation Ledaig 15 – Details and Tasting Notes
Whiskey Details
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Style: Single Malt (Scotch) Region: Islands, Scotland Distiller: Tobermory
“Of course it’s peaty and smoky and briny and coastal. But there’s also an unmistakable fresh rain note that you don’t find every day.” – Single Cask Nation
2004 Single Cask Nation Ledaig 15 Tasting Notes
EYE
Pale straw
NOSE
Dirty smoke, grainy malt, vanilla frosting, honey, Sunkist gems, banana taffy, green fruit and a pop of earthiness.
Yup, this is Ledaig. It’s dirty, it’s coastal, it’s not for everyone and I hope they never change.
PALATE
Dirty smoke, honey nut cheerios, lemon peels, malty sweetness and a bit of orchard fruit, minerality, vanilla and Canada mints.
It has this fresh coastal character, like if you could drink the air on a cold beach and add a touch of butter.
FINISH
Long -> Dirty smoke, fruity candy, malt, lemon peels and a touch metallic.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Well balanced, med-full body, velvety feel.
2004 Single Cask Nation Ledaig 15 – Overall Thoughts and Score
Tasting this on its own, in a warm environment, it became a LOT more expressive. This is a whisky that needs a bit of time, air, and even a couple drops of water, to open up. But when it does… wow.
This hits with a coastal punch but leaves on a riptide of sweetness. It’s a chaotic but lovely dram and I’m going to miss it when it’s gone. Josh and Jason, you picked a good one with this 2004 Single Cask Nation Ledaig 15.
