Speaking broadly, back in 2011 Joshua and Jason started the independent bottling company, Single Cask Nation. Unable to leave well enough alone, the duo also launched a tour company called WhiskyGeek Tours. One year later, the duo launched a whisky festival called Whisky Jewbilee across three cities: New York, Chicago, and Seattle. In 2017 they launched One Nation Under Whisky podcast: THE industry insider’s podcast.
Single Cask Nation bottles around 60 casks of whisky per year for the US, UK, EU, Japan, Israeli, and South African markets. In the US SCN boasts a “Retail Range” and then, separately, an “Online Exclusive” Range which is wholly separate from the retail range.
Single Cask Nation bottles primarily Single Malt Scotch Whisky but dabbles quite a lot in Irish whisky, American whisky (bourbon, rye, and single malt), Indian whisky, English whisky, Welsh whisky, rums, and mezcals. Single Casks are available as exclusives to retail partners and some clubs.
Single Cask Nation hosted the world’s first ever circumnavigation swim around Islay and worked with all 8 Islay distilleries to create “The Great Islay Swim” bottling which has whiskies from all Islay distilleries, aged 10 to 23 years of age, married together in a single quarter cask. This bottling sold for $500 each and all proceeds went to RNLI Islay. A documentary was made for this historic swim and can be VIEWED HERE.
For sales sheets and information on previous releases please visit us here:
2011 11 yo Benrinnes (CA Exclusive)
This cask bottling of Single Malt Scotch whisky, distilled in September 2011 at the Benrinnes distillery, spent 11 full years maturing in a refill bourbon hogshead.
Cask #309618 was bottled in October 2022, yielding 211 bottles at 54.7% ABV.
Color: White gold
Nose: Wonderfully bright with ripe pears, ripe apricots, and fresh mown grass
Palate:Sweet and unctuous with fruit gummies, malted barley, and milk chocolate
Finish: Remains bright and grassy with hints of ground ginger and Oak.
2015 7 yo Caol Ila
This double cask bottling of Islay Single Malt Scotch whisky, distilled in Sept 2015 at the Caol Ila distillery, spent 7 years maturing in refill Bourbon barrels. Casks #318768 & 318773 were married together and bottled in October 2022, yielding 456 bottles at 57 .1 % ABV.
Color: White gold
Nose: Bright and briny with smoky bacon, campfire ash, lemon curd smeared over vanilla sponge cake, and lichen on a sea rock
Palate: Still bright but now the campfire quality is more charcoal than ash, the brine is now a salt rub, and the lemon curd is now lemon meringue pie. Where is that bright green pepper note coming from, though?
Finish: Remains bright with chocolate orange, sea spray, and espresso beans
On the label: Incredibly bright with a delicious spirit driven profile. The flavors are coastal with sea spray, sea rocks, and brine but with enough notes of chocolate, espresso, and lemon to keep the experience interesting (and rewarding!).
2011 11 yo Darsa Rum
This cask bottling of Guatemalan rum, distilled in June 2011 at the Darsa distillery, spent 11 full years maturing in a 1st fill bourbon cask. Cask #14 was bottled in October 2022, yielding 246 bottles at 56.6% ABV.
Color: Gold with honey highlights
Nose: Bright with green apples, guava paste, black licorice, fresh pipe tobacco, and hints of sea salt around the edges
Palate: Complex and satisfying with dark chocolate and fudge notes; quite leathery with drying oaky notes as it transitions towards the finish
Finish: Very long with ongoing black licorice, dark chocolate, and drying Oak and just a hint of barbecued pineapple
On the label: Wow! Bright and fresh on the nose then dark and rich on the palate. The overall experience is of a bright sunny day with an afternoon thunderstorm that resolves itself with a beautiful sunset. Honest!
2011 10 yo Inchgower
This double cask bottling of Single Malt Scotch whisky, distilled in Nov 2011 at the lnchgower distillery, spent 10 years maturing in Oak. Cask# 813820 was a refill Bourbon hogshead, cask# 813822 was a 1st fill Sherry hogshead. Both casks were married together and bottled in October 2022, yielding 426 bottles at 54.5% ABV.
Color: Warm amber
Nose: The Sherry component really softens the nose and harnesses the usual lnchgower spicy earthiness – barley sugar, dried apricots, golden raisins, orange blossom honey, and even dried tobacco leaf are all given room to shine on the nose
Palate: Deliciously oily with a pleasing sweetness (licorice, fondant) that gives way to a wonderful spiciness (cigar boxes, ground ginger) then drying Oak as it moves into the finish
Finish: Pleasing warmth with lingering spice and a licorice quality that is never far away
On the label: We’d suggest this shows a different side of the distillery but still harbors echoes of the distillery’s earthier house style. The dried apricots and golden raisins on the nose really complement the cigar box quality on the palate.
1988 34 yo Invergordon
This cask bottling of Single Grain Scotch whisky, distilled in February 1988 at the lnvergordon distillery, spent 34 full years maturing in a refill Sherry hogshead. Cask #8163 was bottled in October 2022, yielding 198 bottles at 47.4% ABV.
Color: Warm honey
Nose: Delicate with a subtle floral quality at first sniff but opens up with warm brown sugar, fresh baked pastry, dried apricots, and hints of cracked walnuts around the edges
Palate: Soft as silk with notes of dried orange peel, granola, vanilla custard, ripe Honeydew melon, and golden raisins
Finish: Moderate to long with a pleasing dryness, notes of ground ginger, toasted walnuts, and dark chocolate linger in the finish
On the label: Soft and subtle older grain profile with ripe melon, orange peel, vanilla custard, and then drying dark chocolate towards the end of the finish. Goes down very easy! Buyer beware!
WOLF (Water of Life Film) Undisclosed Island TAKE 2
WOLF Island “Take 2” is the follow up to 2021 ‘s original bottling and extends Single Cask Nation’s collaboration with Water of Life Film. This Single Malt Scotch whisky release is a marriage of six 1st fill ex-Bourbon casks; five of which were unpeated with the sixth being lightly peated, bottled at the quaffable ABV of 48.8%. While we must be Squirrelly regarding the source of the liquid we can guarantee its deliciousness.
Color: Bright Gold
Nose: Bright and citrusy with pronounced grain sweetness to begin but sit with it and there’s canned fruit cocktail, white stone fruits, and a few wisps of earthy smoke
Palate: An unctuous entry with a mouth coating oiliness delivers notes of melted vanilla ice cream over canned peaches, baked apples smothered in warm custard, cinnamon dusted oatmeal, and just a hint of cracked black pepper
Finish: Good length with milk chocolate, soft hazelnut toffee, and a little coffee bean earthiness.