Review: Chapter7 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, single cask Whiskies with a story

let’s begin

I'm a huge fan of entrepreneurial spirit and people taking leaps of faith to create something they can call their own. That's exactly what Selim has done with Chapter7 Whisky, and in doing so created not just a great product, but a really nice brand to go with it.

You all know I’m a sucker for a great, well put together brand, so when the opportunity to review and chat to Chapter7 Whisky came up I jumped.

To give you a quick overview:

Chapter7 Whisky is an independent bottler of Single Malt Scotch Whisky specialised in single cask limited editions. The Whisky Anthology offers an opportunity to experience the distinctiveness of each cask. Much of the final taste of whisky can come from both the type of oak used to make the cask and what that cask contained before whisky spirit was put in to it.

Everything about the product makes you want to buy it… Chapter7 Whisky Exudes premiumness with sleek black minimalistic design and, hand written numbers denoting which bottle you own from the limited editions and the volume of liquid on show.

Long have whisky brands looked for interesting ways to communicate their status within the ,at let and how their products tier vs. the competition and within their own range yet Chapter7 Whisky has smashed it I’m the first instance: product / liquid first.

The message of text on the side of the outer packaging reads:

Each cask of single malt whisky is unique.
It’s wood distils its magic over the years in a subtle and distinctive way.
A cask is as individual as a chapter in a novel.
The author may be the same but the spirit always different.

Such thoughtfulness and care about cask selection becomes even more apparent when you open the bottle and dive in.

I’m reviewing the Chapter7 Whisky single cask Allt-a-Bhainne 1995 weighing in at 59.2%.

This is cast #166300, limited to 264 bottles and bottled at the ripe age of 18 Years Old having spent its formative years in an ex-bourbon hogshead.

As you open the outer box and lift out your Chapter7 Whisky bottle you know this is about to be special. The foil reveals a big 7 on the top of the stopper as you rip it away.

Slow legs as expected show us that this is a whisky of high potency, it’s natural deep Amber colour glows, beckoning you to nose, sip, ponder, pour and repeat.

I was quite shocked by the softness of the nose here, it took a few questioning seconds for that expected nostril sting that typifies cask strength whiskies at this end of the market.

Then it all rushed in.

Nose: Very spicy, vanilla notes punctuated with citrus, maybe orange along with cinnamon.

Palate: BOOM we are rocking and rolling now, heavy, thick, oily and sweet spices. Put it this way: it’s winter in a glass.

Finish: Lingering, warming, subtle hints of citrus.

Overall I really enjoyed this dram, a great example of thoughtful design meeting excellence in cask selection. It would have been so easy for the liquid not to have lived up to the glorious visual but on this occasion everything aligned to create an highly drinkable and moreosh whisky.

Thanks to Selim for taking the time to get involved with GreatDrams and for his interview which is also on the site. I truly wish you all the success and look forward to many many more Chapter7 Whisky releases.

Tags: Chapter7 WhiskyReviewSingle CaskSingle Malt

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.