Old Line Cask Single Malt

Old Line Cask Single Malt is listed as a Scotch from Esplanda. The details on hand don't give an age, region, cask type or strength, so the tasting notes below describe what single malt Scotch usually offers, not a measured profile of this bottle. Single malts are made from malted barley and aged in oak. Expect a cereal and malt backbone, then fruit, vanilla and baking spice from the wood. Depending on the style, there may be a thread of smoke, but this listing doesn't say. The word "cask" in the name suggests the oak influence is part of the pitch, though the listing doesn't say which kind of cask. To get to know the bottle, pour it neat first. Give it a minute in the glass and nose it before you sip. A Glencairn is the best fit here, because the tapered bowl gathers the barley, fruit and oak aromas that a wider tumbler lets escape. If the first sip feels hot or tight, add a few drops of room-temperature water, one at a time. Water loosens the alcohol and tends to open up the fruit and malt. A single large rock in a rocks glass is a reasonable second step. Cold mutes sweetness and aroma, so the whisky will taste leaner and drier than it does neat. In cocktails, a single malt of this kind works best where the whisky is the main ingredient. An Old Fashioned with a small measure of sugar and a couple of dashes of bitters lets the malt and oak show through. A Rob Roy, which is a Manhattan made with Scotch, pairs it with sweet vermouth. A Penicillin-style sour with lemon, honey and ginger works well, but keep any smoky float light, since you don't yet know how much peat this bottle carries. For a long drink, stir it into a tall highball with cold soda water and a lemon peel. A tall glass with plenty of ice keeps the dilution gentle and the malt in front.