Need A Winter Warmer? Try Some Cask Strength Scotch

By Richard Thomas

As late autumn arrives, the trees turn bare and the first frosts appear, I restore a bottle of Scots single malt to my liquor shelf. Late autumn to early spring is when I most enjoy most Scotch whiskies, especially the richer or smokier ones.

Yet the thing about Scotch is that it is usually bottled between 40 and 46% ABV, whereas all but the most mass market of American whiskeys are often bottled at 90 proof or higher. Higher alcohol content usually makes for a better winter warmer, because alcohol dilates blood vessels just under the skin, causing them to dissipate more body heat and thus making you feel warmer.*

Although they aren’t as common to the realm of Scotch Whisky are to the harder drinking American stuff, there are several examples of cask strength whisky with which to address to the role of winter warmer. In keeping with the Scottish style, cask strength usually yields a liquor well below 60% ABV, and are thus more likely to be enjoyed as is and without a splash of water… which, after all, would defeat the point!

Aberlour A’Bunadh ($95): This Speyside malt is a classic of its category, and especially beloved among those who appreciate a good Sherry bomb; this malt is drawn from stock aged entirely in Oloroso Sherry casks. “A’Bunadh” means “The Original” in Gaelic, and the expression is intended to mirror the whiskies produced at the distillery when it got its start in the late 19th Century. This is also an example of a cask strength Scotch that often comes in at around 60% ABV. Which is to say, 120 years ago, folks in Britain were drinking whisky which was both mighty and fine.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan ($90): If A’Bunadh is a favorite among Sherry lovers, then Corryvreckan is a popular choice with the smokeheads. It is big, bold, smoky and very Ardbeg, which goes a long way to explain why the more of a smokehead a whisky nerd is, the more likely they are a diehard fan of Ardbeg. Matured in a mix of casks made from American and French oak, it’s bottled at a potent 57.1%.

The Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 8 ($410):  This expression is a series of limited edition, cask strength whiskies from a prestigious distillery… which naturally makes them expensive, but not as hard to get as one might think. Batch 8 is the current release, having come out earlier this year. However, online retailers still have bottles of Batch 7 and Batch 6 in stock.

This batch is said to be the last of this particular series, but those in the know say it will be replaced by a new Tun series. It is bottled at a strong, but relatively mild 52.4% ABV.

Glendronach Cask Strength ($105):  This series also comes out in batches, but each batch is 10 years old and drawn from Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks. Unlike with Tun 1509, the only thing that really varies from year to year is the release strength. The current offering is Batch 10, which came in at 58.6% ABV.

Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength ($90): If A’Bunadh has a competitor for the affections of Sherry lovers, it is Glenfarclas 105. This is the OG of cask strength whiskies, dating back to 1968. There is a misnomer about this expression, because many Americans misunderstand what the “105” refers to; while it does indicate a proofing number, that is under the old British system and not the American one. It routinely comes in at 60% ABV, and not the 52.5% some folks seem to think.

Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength ($70): This is the real sleeper on the list, because Springbank is not a well-known distillery outside of the circles of true Scotch fans. One of the few cask strength expressions with an age statement attached, it is drawn from stock half-aged in ex-bourbon barrels and half-aged in ex-Sherry casks. The 2021 batch came out at 55.9% ABV.

Editor’s Note: emphasis on the word “feel” there, because the net result is actually losing body heat faster. So, don’t take your winter warmer outside on a freezing cold day, lest you make yourself more vulnerable to hypothermia.