Review: Caisteal Chamuis Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Launched in 2021 by Mossburn Distillers – owners of Mossburn Whisky, Torabhaig Distillery, and Reivers Distillery – Caisteal Chamuis (Castle Camus) is a heavily peated Blended Malt Scotch Whisky produced at the Torabhaig Distillery on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The whisky is named after a medieval ruin also known as Knock Castle, which can be seen from the distillery.
Caisteal Chamuis is first aged in refill and first-fill American oak hogsheads, before undergoing a two stage re-aging: part of the blend is transferred to virgin American oak heavy char 250-liter barrels with fresh Oloroso Sherry European oak barrel heads, and the rest is transferred to refill hogsheads. The whisky is then finished in smaller 200-liter first-fill bourbon barrels for several months, before being bottled without coloring or chill-filtration at 46% ABV.
Mossburn Distillers doesn’t disclose which malts make up Caisteal Chamuis – only that it’s made with Islay, Orkney, and Isle of Skye malts. However, a trusted source tells me that it contains distillate from Torabhaig, and that it exhibits “a lot of Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain, and Lavagulin characteristics.” Hint, hint. Let’s see if we can taste these characteristics…
Caisteal Chamuis Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Specifications:
- Spirit: Scotch.
- Classification: Blended Malt.
- Age: NAS (No Age Statement).
- ABV: 46% (92 Proof).
- Cask Type: Matured in refill and first-fill American oak hogsheads, re-aged in virgin American oak barrels and refill hogsheads, finished in first-fill bourbon barrels.
- Other: Natural Color, NCF (Non-Chill Filtered).
- Price Paid: N/A (Sample from Mossburn Distillers).
- MSRP: $43.00 for 750 mL.
Tasting Notes:
- Color: Straw.
- Nose: Opens with a powerful, earthy peat smoke that’s moderately briny and maritime in character, intermingled with the sweetness of vanilla and marshmallows. Behind that, we find lemon-lime citrus, charred oak, and a faint floral note.
- Palate: The earthy peat smoke from the nose becomes more ashy on the palate. Creamy, saccharine sweet vanilla dances with brine, lemon-lime, charred oak, and faint notes of black pepper and heather.
- Finish: Long, sweet, and ever so slightly drying. More ashy smoke, brine, vanilla, lemon-lime, charred oak, pepper, and heather.
Caisteal Chamuis is a nice marriage of sweet and peat. As a whole, it’s a touch sweeter than I would prefer, and it’s not the most complex whisky in the world, but what it does, it does relatively well. At a suggested retail price of $43.00, Caisteal Chamuis is a fantastic value, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a peated whisky that won’t break the bank.
Rating: B (83–86%).