Drookit Dug 10 Year Old Batch 4, Little Brown Dog

On paper, this might look like nothing more exciting than a 10 Year Old blended Scotch whisky. But the headline figures don't really tell the story of what's gone into Drookit Dug Batch 4.

This is the final release from the original vatting of casks selected for Batch 2 of Drookit Dug. The casks were chosen because they had experienced more angels' share than expected, leaving a whisky now bottled at 45.1% ABV, but still at cask strength.

The full cask breakdown can't be disclosed, but the blend contains a large proportion of Highland malts, alongside some very old grain whiskies that are considerably older than the 10 Year Old age statement suggests.

After being vatted since Batch 2, the whisky continued to mature in second- and third-fill hogsheads, allowing further oxidative and reductive maturation without introducing excessive oak influence. This extended maturation has brought the blend to a richer point in its evolution.

Batch 4 is the final instalment of this particular vatting, bringing an end to a blend that has developed something of a following among whisky drinkers who appreciate what lies beyond the numbers on the label.

Bottled at a relatively approachable 45.1% ABV, it retains the depth and character associated with cask strength whisky while remaining an easy-going session dram made for sharing. And if the suggestion of using champagne corks wasn't just a joke, it would certainly fit a whisky you might not want to put back in the bottle once you've opened it.