Finn Thomson Mannochmore 14yo PX Finish
Private Cask Collection | 58% ABV
Are we nearing a crossroad? I sense I’m not alone here, but feel as if the new year has been somewhat of a wake-up call to many in whisky.
I’m not necessarily speaking of you and I - or all the other whisky enthusiasts out there - but certainly some in the industry are faced with a rather unpleasant realisation dawning; a glass loch is upon us, it seems. Two recent articles written here on Dramface by our mysterious new asset Fletcher Finlay touched on this very topic very eloquently and elaborately, and the cascade of responses and discussions that followed in the comment section illustrate just how passionate and engaged many of us are. This insider’s view on what’s currently happening in the industry sure lifted the veil on a few things and it’s fair to say that his thought provoking stance has touched a nerve or two.
Keeping up with the sheer enormous amount of stuff that’s being released has of course always been an impossible task. Even those of us who tend to keep their finger on the pulse, keen and eager to at least try and have a sniff and a sip of a broad range of fresh, new exciting releases, will have a very hard time keeping track. I have a deep respect and admiration for those ‘early adopters’ as they tend to do a lot of trailblazing and ‘way paving’ when it comes to keeping the rest of us posted on what’s what with all things whisky. I’ve never felt that urge, however.
I don’t know why. It could be a lack of eagerness to jump and explore each and every hype train passing by, but whether it’s whisky or technology or cool gadgets, I tend to be rather happy and content catching the second wave rather than jumping the line to be at the heart and centre of it. I would very much like to believe that it’s also about me being somewhat stubborn and individually minded, not keen to be told what I should or shouldn’t feel is cool or happening. Closer to the truth, possibly, is that I’m also too lazy to have my sensors and monitors on red alert 24/7.
The same applies to how I tend to approach my whisky exploration. Usually, when the next eye catching new release hits the markets, I won’t go to any great lengths just to get my hands on some. I do most of my shopping in brick and mortar stores for starters (90% of it, at least), which means that if they don’t stock it, I probably won’t get to try it. Of course, when you have the audacity and pretention to call yourself a whisky reviewer and content creator, having this let’s-just-wait-and-see take on things is not exactly a perk or an asset. However (and before our Clanlord Wally gives me the boot), when we see this more casual approach where we let supply, offer and opportunity lead the way more than anything else, it does have its benefits.
Sure, I’m missing out on a lot of new releases. I have yet to try anything from Lochlea, and despite the near 100k bottles that were/are available, I also missed out on the first release from Isle of Harris. I’m pretty sure I have a sample of Meikle Tòir kicking around somewhere, though. It’s not that I’m not interested in these bottles, quite the opposite, it’s just that I’m not in a position – mentally, socially or financially - to be a whisky sniping recon elite. And calling the thing for what it is; a lot of these new releases are not exactly mind blowing either. Promising, sure, but most struggle to score more than a 5 or 6/10 here on Dramface.
A while ago, while discussing a very young Glen Wyvis, I argued that we can’t have a whisky boom if we’re not invested ourselves. I still stand by that, but whereas two to three years ago, we would all get excited with those inaugural releases, I feel that momentum has passed and, by the time 2024 has rolled around, it seems we are far more careful and deliberate in our purchases.
I know I am. One glance on Whiskybase tells me that they have currently over 234,000 whiskies in their database. So for every bottle I don’t chase, there’s literally hundreds of thousands of other options to consider. Rather than giving me an extra dose of stress I could happily do without, I find it gives me peace of mind and comfort, knowing there’s absolutely no shortage of whisky.
Which brings me back to the initial question. It’s an open and, for now, also an unanswered question; Where do we take it from here?
And by ‘we’, I mean all and everyone involved with whisky. In recent weeks we’ve seen some aggressive advertising and marketing from a lot of online retailers who seem eager, not to use the word ‘desperate’, to push older releases out of the door. It indicates that they too are faced with a bit of a bottleneck (pun very much intended) on the business-to-customer end of things. Essentially, it may come down to two not mutually exclusive options.
Firstly, we may see more premiumisation, where brands and companies deliberately aim at a customer base with a high disposable income. A clear example here is of course the recent stunt that Falkirk pulled off (selling all of app. 600 bottles of their inaugural release of 3yo whisky at £190 a pop, with many sent direct to secondary - from the producer - and selling for upwards of £300). It does seem impressive, but I don’t think it’s doing the industry any favours. Actual enthusiasts (not collectors, not investors, definitely not flippers) are basically put in the waiting room from the get go, and given a clear message saying ‘this is not aimed at you’. They actually went one step further, saying something down the lines of ‘We’ll release something later on, which will probably be more affordable for you to enjoy as well’. It’s an awkward message to send out to begin with and while most of us can be sympathetic to their need to accumulate revenue, the whole operation seemed clumsy and unfortunate to say the least.
The second option might be that the curve of both prices and new releases will flatten a bit. I’m not exactly foreseeing a decline in prices with the costs of energy and raw materials still being somewhat steep, but the steep inflation we’ve seen in the last couple of years may slow down and stagnate. All the while distilleries young and established who are all fighting for attention by bringing us shiny new releases. Least we forget that apart from all the new kids in town the likes of Glenallachie, Glencadam, Glenmorangie, Benromach, Glenglassaugh, Fettercairn, Glengoyne, Glenturret, Tomatin, Arran/Lochranza, not to mention Kilchoman, Ardbeg and so many others have all been pushing new core or semi-core range expressions in the last few years, in most cases on top of a plethora of single cask stuff and other limited releases.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we see this happening at the same time when many of the 21st century distilleries have come to fruition. Obviously, the bulk of these releases will be made from young whisky and I can’t help but think that in some cases what inspired them was first and foremost some testing of the proverbial water, rather than adding some real value in terms of flavour and experience, next to whatever other core range expressions they offer today.
Basically, the market is being flooded with (often NAS) releases of relatively young, medium-priced whisky at the moment, and some of it is, let’s be honest, pretty middle of the road, lacklustre and fairly generic stuff. Some of these will disappear again probably before we even notice they were around in the first place and, truth be told, that’s probably a good thing. As distilleries are struggling to set aside enough stock for their higher age statement releases, pushing the pause button on the current trend to release a plethora of 5 – 10 yo stuff finished or matured in some exotic yet often not particularly interesting new cask type, will prove beneficial in years to come, I hope.
And while we mustn’t be blind to the reason behind and purpose of these kind of releases (generating revenue is, like it or not, an essential part of running any business), I can’t but feel that in time to come we could see a new paradigm shift where a lot of distilleries will put the focus back towards a smaller and less cluttered core range of age stated whiskies, rather than cranking out one “limited” release after another. As it is becoming quite clear that the sky isn’t the limit after all.
Some might still decide to go full Icarus and aim for the sun, but others, after some introspective digging, may alter course and step off the hype wagon.
Anyway, what, in the name of all those greedy angels lurking about in warehouses, does all of this have to do with today’s whisky review, you might ask?
Review
Finn Thomson Mannochmore 14yo, Private Cask Collection, 2008 - 2022, Refill Hogshead, PX Finish, 58% ABV
£85 some availability
Well, the whisky I planned on reviewing today more or less set the wheels in motion that led to this whole lengthy preamble piece. You see, I bought this bottle on an impulse, only to find myself questioning my behaviour afterwards.
For my job, I sometimes need to travel around a bit. By no means long distances and almost always within a 50-80 mile radius of Argyle headquarters, but it just so happens that on one of these occasions late 2023, an as of then unknown whisky shop was located just a few miles from one of these appointments. So a wee detour afterwards was scheduled in the itinerary that day, if only to satisfy my curiosity. To my pleasant surprise the shop did offer more than standard core range stuff, with quite a bit of new distilleries, indie releases and non-scotch all sitting on the shelves. I picked up this particular bottle for a number of reasons.
Firstly, all the whiskies I’ve tried from Finn Thomson up until now have all been good to excellent. Not having tried this one previously, I banked upon my previous experiences on this being decent as well. Secondly, time was of the essence. Taking a little detour on the way home is one thing, but aimlessly going back and forth looking at shelves, contemplating what to bring home with me, wasn’t exactly an option. I was on working hours after all.
Thirdly, a 14 year old, cask strength Mannochmore isn’t something you stumble upon every day, and seeing how I’ve developed a bit of a soft spot for this distillery, I just ran with it. At the time, I didn’t really give it a second thought that it cost me all but €100 (£85), especially after my one quick research through whiskybase told me that compared to what it goes for in most other stores, I picked it up easily €20 to even €30 cheaper than RRP.
Would I celebrate that as a bargain? I’ll leave that for The Dregs…
Nose
Nutty, with a shy grassy note underneath, going into fresh, sappy wood. Dark honey, treacle and vanilla essence. Raisins and sultanas with an autumnal vibe of berries and dry forest leaves. With a drop of water and the fruit notes (berries, sultanas and figs) march to the front, on a foundation of liquorice and salted caramel.
Palate
Rich and round arrival. A dry, fruity sweetness and a soft, salty, liquorice note. A gentle touch of charred wood, caramel and burned sugar, on a viscous mouthfeel. Despite the high ABV, pretty palatable neat, but just a drop of water accentuates the salty notes, with some toffee apples to go with it, lingering into a long, clinging finish with a lovely balance of sweet and salt notes.
The Dregs
This one took a bit of time to open up, but past the shoulders, it really started to blossom. The delicate Mannochmore spirit character is there, but rather than being clear and present, it manifests itself more by placing a bit of a leash on the sherry cask. The result, in any case, is absolutely gorgeous. This is therefore a firm 7/10; even hovering towards an 8/10.
Push pause.
We’ve reached a point where 3 digit price tags have become the norm for anything cask strength with an age statement higher than say, 10 or 12 years. It hardly matters anymore whether it’s official releases or indies, as things have gotten seriously pricey across the board these days. Wally recently pointed out just how ridiculous this price gauging can get when tackling the ludicrously expensive Caol Ila 25 yo – a whisky that would set you back around €100/£85 just 5 years ago, now costs five times that. By comparison, coughing up £85 for a 14 yo seems peanuts (and pitiful whining on my behalf), so while these price hikes are of course not one and the same, the shock to me was not having to pay just shy of €100 for a 14yo whisky, the shock was rather not being shocked by it.
Whisky will always be a luxury commodity, I think we can all agree on that, but it’s also quite clear that something’s gotta give. Hence the ‘back to basics’ theme. Not in terms of prices - because it would be a victory in its own right to see them stabilise rather than increase further - but back to basics in terms of ‘simplicity’, perhaps?
I’m all for innovation, on the condition that different also means better, that is. And I’m not at all sure that this is the case with some of the trends and tendencies we see today. So, in order to prevent the bubble from bursting with potentially devastating consequences to many, perhaps something of a modal shift could help alter the ship’s course that now seems to be heading more and more towards an abyss?
Furthermore, I’m not at all convinced that the frantic urge many producers and distilleries seem to be suffering from to release bucketloads of limited releases, is the way forward. I understand that it’s important to keep the momentum going, but in all honesty; who can keep up with everything that’s being released these days by Glenallachie, Lindores, Ardbeg or even Ardnamurchan? Apart from the fact it doesn’t make much sense in the long run to be releasing young whisky after young whisky, and with prices being what they are, I’m buying less than I used to and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.
So, a plea then for more simplicity and with that, an appeal towards a shift bringing with it a focus back towards a somewhat limited core range with enough stock left to mature and a long term perspective in mind, rather than what we’re witnessing today?
As for this whisky; what holds me back from scoring this an 8/10, is the fact that I would’ve loved for the Mannochmore character to be a bit more present, and the fact that this tends to cruise north of £100. It doesn’t take anything away from its intrinsic quality, of course, so a strong and boastful 7/10 that tastes like an 8.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA