Cask Orkney 18-year-old DR

Name: Cask Orkney 18-year-old DR
Brand: Cask Orkney
SKU: 113256
Rating: 86.08 (254 reviews)

Overall rating: 86.08/100
votes: 254

Whiskybase ID: WB113256
Category: Single Malt
Bottler: A.D. Rattray (DR)
Bottling serie: Limited Edition
Bottled: 2018
Stated Age: 18 years old
Casktype: Ex-Bourbon Casks
Strength: 46.0 % Vol.
Size: 30 ml 700 ml 750 ml
Bottle code: CB303986
Barcode: 5060056922225
Added on: 04 Jun 2018 7:50 pm by LDB

Average value

€ 71.19

Found 28 online shops. Lowest price:

€ 56.99

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	Whiskyonline24.de	€ 68.40

	Whiskybottle.de	€ 68.90

	Buy in the Market	€ 70.00

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Whisky Reviews for Cask Orkney 18-year-old DR

62 users have left a review for this whisky and scored it an average of 86.08 points

EinSpatzUnterVielen scored this whisky 88 points
04 Jul 2018 9:25 am
Highland Park meets Littlemill - with the fine range of flavors that characterize good HP - hits my nerve very well, plus a great PLV and, above all, very delicious. For me a direct hit.

Nose

a torrent, a whole basket full of vanilla pods, clover honey, lemons, freshly pressed, fresh lemon rind, grapefruit in powdered sugar, baked apples, pear compote, plums, jasmine flowers, nutmeg, freshly sawn wood, fresh hay from the flower meadow, fine smoke, some eucalyptus; everything very intense and clear and super delicious

Taste

oily, powerful, nevertheless very fine and clear; Lemon juice with honey, grapefruit, freshly cut and sweetened, lots of nutmeg, vanilla, fresh brioche, jasmine tea, Earl Gray tea, olive oil, walnuts, some dark chocolate, a hint of mocha

Finish

the lemon fresh stays in the nose, mouth and throat for a long time, as well as the sweet jasmine with vanilla and honey and nutmeg ... as well as the olive oil and walnuts, now as walnut oil, and also a little clove of hay ... and finally eucalyptus hangs in the nose ... great class
hs305 scored this whisky 88 points
03 Nov 2018 9:59 pm
[November, 2018] This release scored very high in the most recent "Whisky Magazine" tasting with 90 points from Rob and 92 points from Lyndsey. So I am very curious if my own taste buds confirm these high scores or support the rather low ratings here at WB...

...and they are in line with the average-only scores here at WB, unfortunately. This is an easy drinkable but not very interesting dram that offers just very little of the usual excellent Highland Park profile. It is fairly priced given its average-only quality - but what did both experts of the "Whisky Magazine" find in there to score it 90+ points? Another good reason to just rely on your own taste and not on that of so-called experts...

[October, 2019] This seems to be a dram for people that own super-tasting senses because Jim scored it 94 points and both Serge and Angus from whiskyfun 88 points (which is pretty high by their standards). I have to re-taste it using a big spheric blender's glass...

...and indeed, the nose offers a more impressive profile this way with basically the same aromas and additional old style waxy notes. I rate this nose 88 points tonight (by the way, out of a standard Glencairn glass it stays unimpressive at 85 points). Oops, the taste is much better tonight with additional honey and tasty chocolatey flavours in a spicy-salty mix. I go for 89 points here. The mouthfeel still is a little weak without any significant coating but the minor drying-astringent feeling is gone tonight. The finish seems to be longer and spicier without the drying moments (I am very well rested today) and I go for 87 points on this dimension tonight.

It is very interesting to see how different the tasting impressions of the very same dram can be - some people attribute this to oxydation or other physical effects but I think it is mainly due to the changing constitution of your own taste (buds) depending whether you are rested or stressed, happy or sad, hungry or fed up etc. That is why it is always advisable to taste drams at several different settings before deciding to buy expensive bottles (or turn down bargains)...

Nose

85 85

The colour is pale gold and the nose offers the profile of a rather exhausted cask that did not contribute a lot to the whisky. There are some fruits (pineapples), some oils and shy honeys within a chalky-mineral setting. No off-notes but not very impressive, too. In a blind setting I never ever would have guessed this is a HP...

Taste

87 87

The taste is a little better on sweet sugars, some light peaty (bonfire) and maritime notes. Later some spices kick in with a nice salty touch. It is not complex but delicate and again without any flaw. Easy to sip but not interesting to explore - one to drink when you do not want to focus on the drink but on something different (a good conversation, playing cards or the like). Water is a chequered affair: On one side it flattens the anyhow not very impressive dram further but on the other side it takes off the drying-astringent mouthfeel and finish which turns the whisky smoother. I like it best when reduced to about 40% abv.

Finish

86 86

The whisky arrives warming but just very little coating on the palate with a minor drying-astringent mouthfeel (which is another typical characteristics of leached casks). The finish is of medium length with more peaty flavours that are very welcomed to enrich the taste. It gets a little drying (ashy) towards the end but this is not a big deal and it vanishes completely with the somewhat reduced dram.
gallfux did not rate this whisky
04 Oct 2019 10:48 pm

Short Comparison between the Cask Orkney (WID: 113256), the Full Volume (WID: 101678), and the Berry Bros & Rudd (WID: 108315)

The Cask Orkney and the Full Volume are almost inevitably similar. The Cask Orkney has a bit more freshness and citrus in it. The smoke feels a bit cooler in the Cask Orkney. The full volume has more grain and oak notes, is slightly muted and fuller. It seems to me that the Full Volume has a little more wood influence.
I tend to like the Full Volume in direct comparison even a bit better, because it works a tick older than the Cask Orkney. Both are really solid malts. There will not be a big bottle, so I do not have to ask myself which bottle to buy.

The Berry Bros & Rudd tolerate some water. Otherwise he seems somehow alcoholic. He opens with water. The water then has herbal, forest and meadow notes. It's such a cross between Cask Orkney and the Full Volume for me. He also has a freshness similar to the Cask Orkney, but this seems somehow elegant in the Berry Bros & Rudd. In addition also wood influence like with the Full Volume. In addition, the smoke may be stronger than the two before it. The sherry is not really something to hear. Overall, the Berry Bros & Rudd is probably the most complex whisky in comparison, as it brings a mix of freshness and wood with it. But it does not necessarily have to be a big bottle.
Xaver did not rate this whisky
21 Aug 2018 9:17 pm
Nose

blind Sample

Colour:
Bright gold tone

Fruity smoke and immediately lemon. Salt, cereals and mirabelle jam. The colleague is sweet, fruity. Juicy pear, vanilla and some marzipan. Something like peppermint tea and sage-sweet.
With some time in the glass, when the smoke softens, more flowery notes and wood come through. The alcohol does not stand out. Goes well with it. Nice nose. I like it…

Taste

Strong smoky start. Spice immediately relents. Something bitter oak. And then honey comes with vanilla and also in the taste of the marzipan. Fresh, juicy mirabelle plums and a little tart chocolate.
At the second sip, the smoke goes back a bit. But is still fully at the start. Now more sour apple and then honey again. Nice oily mouthfeel. A few bitter herbs also want to play along. The alcohol beats something on the tongue.
I give Noma after. I'll shoot the 10cl tonight.

Finish

Nice smoky and long. A bit of bitterness and spiciness before the oily - sweet paste the entire mouth.
LDB scored this whisky 87 points
01 Jul 2018 7:36 am
A true islander, a tad rough and peaty, but with a kind heart. ;)

I like it because it is something completely different and very good value for money, especially when you compare it to other Orkney bottlings....

Nose

87 87

Vanilla pods in honey, sugared grapefruit slices, baked apple, very intense

Taste

87 87

Citrus fruits with some peat, but above all sweet and spicy honey. Interesting mixture.

Finish

86 86

Maritime and slightly smoky, with soft oak and sweet lemon juice.
mullos scored this whisky 88 points
20 Sep 2018 12:24 pm

Review from "whiskyfun.com"
A single malt. Indeed, in theory, this could as well be the much lighter Scapa. What’s reassuring is that this was ‘Created to celebrate the Neolithic folklore of Orkney’. Are they this old-fashioned up there? Colour: white wine. Nose: a fresher style again, closer to the wash and to the earth, with these medicinal touches again, clay and chalk, beach sand, seaweed, grass smoke, roots (gentian!) and lemon peel. I don’t know any whisky enthusiast who wouldn’t like this. Not this humble taster, for sure. Mouth: this is very smart. Perfect coastal/grassy smokiness, some bitter herbs, lemon peel, fresh walnuts, and once again hints of artichoke. A lot of bitter citrus too, and even a wee touch of sea salt. Very good. Finish: quite long, salty and grassy, with more fresh walnuts. Comments: I’m sorry but it’s the Viking Pride, only with rather less cask influence. And I don’t think it’s very expensive (no it’s not, 70€) But could it be Scapa? Nah, it ought to be the other one…
SGP:462 - 88 points.
Totoro scored this whisky 86 points
23 Aug 2018 11:27 pm

Ultra fresh nose:, maritime, smoky, salty, creamy, slightly sharp, citrusy, bready-doughy, lactic / yeasty, weirdly vegetal with aromas of assorted greens (string beans, spinach, artichoke) and bright fruitiness (pear skins, sugared grapefruits, lime juice). Precious little cask influence on the nose apart from some rather indefinite spice notes (perhaps cumin or poppyseed). With time, honey and apricot make an appearance. Noses younger than 18 years for sure.

Taste: everything from the nose. Salinity, citrus, smoke, spices. Lovely but not a lot of cask presence. Tad bitter in the aftertaste. Or you could say: extra dry. Creamier, oilier mouthfeel than recent OB‘s. Custard and yoghurt. It's a summer whisky for those of us who do appreciate smoke but don't feel like torpedoing a breezy summer night with a Laphroaig- or Ardbeg-style smoke monster. Campfire on the beach, if you will, plus the sea breeze and ocean spray, and perhaps even some cigarette smoke (roll-ups, not factory-made, you dig?).

This is truly an exercise in subtractive rather than additive maturation, so go for this one if you're looking for a bottle of HP that displays aged distillery character rather than a lot of active cask influence.
DocF scored this whisky 88 points
07 Jul 2018 8:43 pm
A worthy representative of his distillery with respectable age and good price. 88P

Nose

Many tannins, dry earth. Mint, lemon, summer blossom honey. Plant sections, distant kräutriger smoke. Resin, musty old tools. Grape seeds.

Taste

Strong tingling onset, lemon, earth, hot campfire smoke. Still strong, a lot of volume. Ripe apples, plant sections with more soil, hot pebbles in the sun. Underbrush in coniferous forest, resin, fir honey. Spice cabinet.

Finish

First fresh, mint, lemon, then always dry, warm, earth, freshly sawn wood, dry sawdust, (a little too) old black coffee. Medium long, and towards the end too dry for my taste.
ffmdino did not rate this whisky
06 Apr 2021 8:47 pm
my overall judgment: it is poor
it lacks the bite
where are the 18y

Nose

starts somehow undefined / light / thin, slightly earthy, slightly spicy, banana comes, light caramel, a smoky note
Time makes the nose a little better

Taste

soft and silky on the palate
light loose-leaf binders, cold ash, increasing smoke, medium-old malt, slightly spicy, oak

Finish

medium long, something prickles
starts sweet becomes bitter, oak, spicy

slightly astringent
alex..w..fan scored this whisky 80 points
17 Dec 2020 5:49 am

20 20 20 20 80

full flow ...
unremarkable whisky

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