Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I almost missed it this year. But times are busy in whisky. So much to talk about.
This has been an annual fixture and, what originally started to cover official cask strength releases will inevitably drift a little as we shift our focus onto other offerings, occasionally from indies and elsewhere. Also, how it’s inevitable that we’ll - sooner or later - drift towards cask strength releases in the pursuit of flavour.
The bottle that inspired the start of this series was the 2021 release of Bunnahabhain’s 12 year old Cask Strength. I think I’ve featured all three releases since. But this year I faltered. At £90 I decided not to bother.
In the face of diminishing demand, and the exposed folly of keeping prices artificially high in an ostrich-in-the-sand, our-whisky-is-aspirational dance, you’d think producers would work out that the best strategy is to neither cheapen nor gouge, and play fair. But no. In a Diageo-esque move, Bunnhabhain put the 12yo CS 2025 release up in price.
Then I realised what I do. I’m able to do what you may not need to. There is, after all, a chance that the 2025 release is actually £90 worth of whisky. Unless someone tries it, how will we know? The great thing is, in our wide and curious community there are people out there who have tried it. Their opinions will be valuable. I should be trying it too. Alongside some other curious examples that act as lures to whisky botherers such as me.
So I’ll also share a virtually-never-seen, a virtually-never-talked-about, a ridiculously-weirdly-cheap, and - if you’ll allow, perhaps one or two not-quite-cask-strengths that I really should be sharing before 2025 is out!
We’re also running out of vPubs in 2025. This session and two more. Last chance to shoe-horn in our annual visit to cask strength drams.
I’d love to welcome you there!
Time stamps:
0:00 - Opening
3:16 - Topics for tonight
5:24 - Welcoming in the Lounge
16:14 - Classic Laddie is a 10yo again
32:56 - Updates on support - thank you!
47:23 - Arran 10yo Arran Barley
59:35 - Strathisla 15yo TWE
1:21:33 - Sipping The Virtual Malt
1:30:42 - Comparing Bunna 12yo CS 2025
1:44:14 - A word on pricing, always
1:53:42 - More bargains - Laphroaig 10 CS
1:56:30 - SV : Sensibility cuts through all the crazy
2:21:49 - Quiz at the End
Support me at aqvavitae.com 🙏
I almost missed it this year. But times are busy in whisky. So much to talk about.
This has been an annual fixture and, what originally started to cover official cask strength releases will inevitably drift a little as we shift our focus onto other offerings, occasionally from indies and elsewhere. Also, how it’s inevitable that we’ll - sooner or later - drift towards cask strength releases in the pursuit of flavour.
The bottle that inspired the start of this series was the 2021 release of Bunnahabhain’s 12 year old Cask Strength. I think I’ve featured all three releases since. But this year I faltered. At £90 I decided not to bother.
In the face of diminishing demand, and the exposed folly of keeping prices artificially high in an ostrich-in-the-sand, our-whisky-is-aspirational dance, you’d think producers would work out that the best strategy is to neither cheapen nor gouge, and play fair. But no. In a Diageo-esque move, Bunnhabhain put the 12yo CS 2025 release up in price.
Then I realised what I do. I’m able to do what you may not need to. There is, after all, a chance that the 2025 release is actually £90 worth of whisky. Unless someone tries it, how will we know? The great thing is, in our wide and curious community there are people out there who have tried it. Their opinions will be valuable. I should be trying it too. Alongside some other curious examples that act as lures to whisky botherers such as me.
So I’ll also share a virtually-never-seen, a virtually-never-talked-about, a ridiculously-weirdly-cheap, and - if you’ll allow, perhaps one or two not-quite-cask-strengths that I really should be sharing before 2025 is out!
We’re also running out of vPubs in 2025. This session and two more. Last chance to shoe-horn in our annual visit to cask strength drams.
I’d love to welcome you there!
Time stamps:
0:00 - Opening
3:16 - Topics for tonight
5:24 - Welcoming in the Lounge
16:14 - Classic Laddie is a 10yo again
32:56 - Updates on support - thank you!
47:23 - Arran 10yo Arran Barley
59:35 - Strathisla 15yo TWE
1:21:33 - Sipping The Virtual Malt
1:30:42 - Comparing Bunna 12yo CS 2025
1:44:14 - A word on pricing, always
1:53:42 - More bargains - Laphroaig 10 CS
1:56:30 - SV : Sensibility cuts through all the crazy
2:21:49 - Quiz at the End
Support me at aqvavitae.com 🙏
