Darkness

Darkness was created in Britain by the team behind Atom Brands, the drinks group linked to the online retailer Master of Malt. The idea is simple and shows in the name: take mature Scotch whisky and give it an intense spell in sherry or wine casks so that it comes out dark, rich and heavily cask-influenced.

The bottler does not distil. It buys whisky that has already been aged, then finishes it in small casks seasoned with Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel. Because the casks are small, the wood has a quick and strong effect, which is why even young whiskies in the range carry a lot of colour and sweetness. Bottlings are usually at a high strength, close to cask strength.

On the label you will find the age and the cask type, as in the 12 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finish, the 15 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish or the 7 Year Old Moscatel Cask Finish, often together with the name of the source distillery. Distilleries bottled include Caol Ila, Tobermory, Linkwood, Benrinnes, Aultmore, Dailuaine and Craigellachie, along with Inchfad, a style made at Loch Lomond.

For buyers, Darkness is a way to taste a familiar distillery through a heavy sherry lens. Expect the finishing cask to speak at least as loudly as the distillery character.