“Watts in a Name”
Whisky Review # 987
Country: Scotland 🏴
Region: Undisclosed
Brand: The Electric Coo Series
Produced, Matured and Bottled By/For: Campbeltown Whisky Company Ltd. (CWCL)
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 27 Years - Distilled: 1993 - Bottled: 2020
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 42.1%
Maturation: Re-Fill Ex-Sherry Butt
Maturation: Re-Fill Ex-Sherry Butt
Chill Filtration: No
Price: Around US$ 85 (April 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Good
Buying Advice: 😐 More interesting than your average Blend. A bit Thin though.
Colour: Golden Amber (Natural Colour)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Good
Buying Advice: 😐 More interesting than your average Blend. A bit Thin though.
Colour: Golden Amber (Natural Colour)
Nose:
The Nose is pleasant albeit a little thin considering its age. It's well-matured though and the Alcohol is nicely integrated. Both the Grain(Glue) and the Re-Fill Sherry Cask (Dried Fruits and Nuts) make themselves known. No Off-Notes to be found and no Sulphur as well. The Nose is mainly Sweet with a few Sour, Mineral and slightly Bitter notes for balance.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Grain, Malted Barley, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Apricots, Figs and Prunes, Fruitcake, Mixed Nuts, Red Berries and Cherries, Milk Chocolate, Citrus Peel (Orange and Lemon), Glue, Coconut, Dusty Casks, Cinnamon, Tobacco & Leather.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Buttered Toast, Syrup, Sugar, Toffee, Vanilla, Wet Rocks, Grass, Cafe Latte, Sweet White Wine, Apple Vinegar, Toasted Pineapple, Pepper, Nutmeg and Licorice.
Sweet Grain, Malted Barley, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Apricots, Figs and Prunes, Fruitcake, Mixed Nuts, Red Berries and Cherries, Milk Chocolate, Citrus Peel (Orange and Lemon), Glue, Coconut, Dusty Casks, Cinnamon, Tobacco & Leather.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Buttered Toast, Syrup, Sugar, Toffee, Vanilla, Wet Rocks, Grass, Cafe Latte, Sweet White Wine, Apple Vinegar, Toasted Pineapple, Pepper, Nutmeg and Licorice.
Campbeltown
Mostly Sweet with a few Sour and Mineral notes and a light Bitterness for balance. It's a bit on the Thin side and a slightly higher ABV would have helped here. It's not bad but a bit Rough and Sharp when compared to the Nose.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Grain Alcohol, Malted Barley, Caramel, Honey, Red Berries, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Figs, Prunes and Apricots, Mixed Nuts, Grapefruit, Citrus Peel (Orange and Lemon), Dusty Charred Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Tobacco and Leather.
Sweet Grain Alcohol, Malted Barley, Caramel, Honey, Red Berries, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Figs, Prunes and Apricots, Mixed Nuts, Grapefruit, Citrus Peel (Orange and Lemon), Dusty Charred Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Tobacco and Leather.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Toffee, Vanilla, Grass, Wax, Buttered Toast, Dark Cherries, Glue, Nail Polish, Caffe Latte, Coconut, Milk Chocolate, Fruitcake, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves and Licorice.
Toffee, Vanilla, Grass, Wax, Buttered Toast, Dark Cherries, Glue, Nail Polish, Caffe Latte, Coconut, Milk Chocolate, Fruitcake, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves and Licorice.
Short/Middle Long and a little Thin. A mix of Sweet and Sour notes with only a very mild Bitterness towards the Medium Dry end. Quite a bit of Spice now from the cask. I also find Sweet Grain, Malted Barley, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Grass, Yeast, Dried Fruit like Prunes, Figs Sultanas and Apricots, Red Berry-Flavored Yogurt, Glue, Nail Polish, Mixed Nuts, Caffee Latte, Cocoa Powder, Grapefruit, Lemon, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Cloves, Leather, Tobacco and light Licorice.
Drinking Advice:
This Blend does not improve with added Water.
This Blend does not improve with added Water.
Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)
Nose: 8 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 7
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note did not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. As a result I have decided to use a new rating system this year. I will still give a rating for Nose, Taste and Finish but now on the scale from 1-10 whereby 1 represents the worst and 10 the best. The sum of these numbers will be divided by 3 to get the rounded final score. I hope this new scoring makes it easier for you to understand what I thought about the whisky I'm reviewing.
If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink. Please let me know what you think of the new rating system and leave your comments and/or suggestions.
Conclusion:
The Electric Coo Series have been developed by CWCL. This company was founded by Mark Watt (Ex-Cadenhead) and David Stirk (Ex-The Creative Whisky Company), good friends who have been active in the industry for a long time. A Stirk is a name for a Young Cow and we all know Watt as related to Electricity. Each of the two has selected 3 casks for this series. It's a well-hidden secret as to what distilleries form part of this Blend. North British (Grain) and the Edrington Group that a.o. owns the Single Malt Distilleries Macallan, Highland Park and Glenrothes have been mentioned as possible candidates. In any case I do believe that this Blend contains a little more Malt than the usual 30%.
The Electric Coo Series have been developed by CWCL. This company was founded by Mark Watt (Ex-Cadenhead) and David Stirk (Ex-The Creative Whisky Company), good friends who have been active in the industry for a long time. A Stirk is a name for a Young Cow and we all know Watt as related to Electricity. Each of the two has selected 3 casks for this series. It's a well-hidden secret as to what distilleries form part of this Blend. North British (Grain) and the Edrington Group that a.o. owns the Single Malt Distilleries Macallan, Highland Park and Glenrothes have been mentioned as possible candidates. In any case I do believe that this Blend contains a little more Malt than the usual 30%.
Good initiative by Mark and David. No Caramel, no Chill-Filtration and a blend that is better than today's average Blended Whisky. And sold at an acceptable Price level when considered its age. You know I'm Dutch by birth so there's always gonna be a But. In this case I think the relatively low ABV does not do justice to the Blend. At 46% this would have been much better. It would be a bit more expensive of course but I would gladly pay the extra bucks. In any case I look forward to try more of these series if I can find them.
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende April 28, 2023
Cadenhead Shop, Campbeltown
