Brave New Spirits - Cask Masters

Indie bottler Brave New Spirits @bravenewspirits.bsky.socia keep coming out with new releases!

Here's my thoughts on four recent ones from the new Cask Masters Series!

Brave New Spirits have 5 ranges:

Cask Noir : Carefully curated bottlings with some unusual wood finishes - Starting life in some of Scotland’s finest studios (aka “distilleries”) each release takes inspiration from classic movies and novels from a bygone era.  From thrilling and adventurous to dark, romantic and mysterious, these whiskies embark on a journey of discovery, into an exceptional world of exotic flavours and interesting & unusual casks.

Whisky Of Voodoo : Small batches of whisky selected by the Master of Ceremony - Whisky of Voodoo is a range of special, small-batch single malt and single grain whiskies. Designed to entice and enchant, these carefully selected whiskies are matured and finished using the finest casks, often sourced from exotic, far-flung locations.

 

Whisky Heroes : A range of spectacular single-cask whiskies and exclusive small batches, matured only in classic bourbon and sherry casks. Each bottle is infused with a dash of mischief and a pinch of heroism. These casks are the heroes of the whisky world, so the whiskies and the presentation of the range reflect this. Each bottle is designed to be bold. Each whisky is full of character and adventure, every release chosen for its ability to take the whisky fan on an adventure of flavours and history. 

Cask Masters : This series honours the centuries of ancient traditions and craftsmanship that have made single malt Scotch whisky one of the world’s finest products. Each unique label pays tribute to the art of whisky making, with each individual bottle in the series highlighting a different element of the many processes involved in creating landmark Scotch whiskies.

The Yellow Edition : Carefully selected single cask bottlings - Brave New Spirits proudly present their Yellow Edition range. A selection of whiskies, specially chosen to reflect the character and diversity of their country of origin. With The Yellow Edition, we aim to present whiskies to delight connoisseurs all over the world. Whiskies with a focus on provenance, individuality, quality, class and of course, flavour.

BNS sent me these samples, here's my honest thoughts:

Paul Dempsey said

"At Cask Masters, every cask tells a story. Hand-selected for its unique character and bottled with complete transparency, each whisky embodies the craftsmanship, quality, and natural beauty of the cask it comes from.

From classic Sherry and Bourbon casks to the more unique Muscat, White Port, Bordeaux, and Tokaj wine casks, our selection embraces a world of flavours, ensuring every release offers something truly special.

What you can expect from Cask Masters:

🥃 Three distinct series – Golden Proof, Distiller’s Cut & Rare & Exclusive

🥃 First-fill wood policy – only the best casks for the best whisky

🥃 Individually numbered labels – because every bottle is unique

Our label designs are inspired by kirigami, the Japanese paper-cutting art known for precision and detail—just like the meticulous process of selecting each cask."

Golden Proof : Enticing & Approachable : A collection of well-balanced single cask whiskies, selected for their depth and character. Carefully bottled at an ideal strength of around 50%, they offer a perfect balance of quality and value, enhancing accessibility without sacrificing flavour. First-fill cask maturation adds richness and complexity, making each whisky both rewarding and refined.

Distiller's Cut : Provenance and Precision : A selection of bold, cask-strength single malts that capture the essence of each cask and distillery. Focused on intensity and balance, these single cask releases highlight the interaction between spirit and wood. bottled at a higher strength, Distiller’s Cut offers a powerful and distinctive whisky experience, crafted for those who seek precision and character in every sip.

Rare & Exclusive : Rarest Whisky Treasures : A collection of exceptionally rare and old single cask whiskies, sourced from prestigious and lesser-seen distilleries across Scotland. These extraordinary bottlings showcase the depth and complexity that only long maturation can create. Bottled at natural cask strength, each whisky is a true collector’s piece—an expression of patience, rarity, and craftsmanship at its finest.

Golden Proof - Loch Lomond Inchmurrin spirit matured in a 1st fill Bourbon barrel

Matured for 10 years giving 272 bottles at 48.1% ABV, NCF, Natural colour

Citrus pale, green orchard fruit, honey, touch of cinnamon

My thoughts:

Appearance: mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up slowly and fall as slow thin legs.

Nose: faint smoke, stewed orchard fruit: apples and pears, some melon and a hint of wet cardboard.

Palate: Sweet, spicy arrival, honey, orchard fruit and peppery spice. Once the liquid disappears the tongue is left dry and prickly. The wet cardboard note is back along with grape skin, lemon juice and a more spice.

Finish: lingering dry spice, orchard fruit and honey.

Overall: I'm a huge Loch Lomond fan and Inchmurrin is one of my favourites of theirs - Straight Neck Pot Still, High Collection Strength, Narrow Cut usually gives loads of orchard fruit on the nose and tropical fruit on the palate. This one isn't like that, it's a little weird, a little different!

Distiller's Cut - Glenlossie spirit matured in a 1st fill White Port Hogshead

Matured for 14 years giving 283 bottles at 54.7% ABV, NCF, Natural colour

Herbal, gooseberries, pears, white pepper

My thoughts:

Appearance: pale gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up slowly, hang around and then fall as slow thin legs.

Nose: Gooseberries to the fore here, a little lemon zest, honey and vanilla. There's a lovely baked bread and butter pudding note here too.

Palate: thin sweet arrival, immediately drying with a little peppery spice. Honey and caramel offer some sweetness tempered by tart gooseberries and lemon zest. The bread and butter pudding note from the nose is back alongside a lovely herbal note and some green apple. Dry and spicy as the liquid disappears.

Finish: short, dry and sweet: peppery spice, apples and dried fruit.

Overall: An unusual gooseberry note,  not a note I've got very often! The port does offer some dried fruit but it's in form of of a lovely bread and butter pudding. Nice!

Golden Proof - Benrinnes spirit matured in a 1st fill Oloroso Hogshead

Matured for 13 years giving 314 bottles at 51.9% ABV, NCF, Natural colour

Dark chocolate, maltiness, five-spice, pepper, burnt orange

My thoughts:

Appearance: bronze in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, take an age to bead up and then fall as slow thick legs.

Nose: Sherry bomb territory here: dried fruit soaked in sherry, dates, prunes, figs and a lovely spiced orange note. There's a little liquorice and some Christmas spices.

Palate: thick syrupy arrival: dried fruit, caramel, honey and a lovely orange zest note. The Chinese five-spice note is quite strong - very drying. A few more sips offer chocolate covered toffee balls, warm prunes and a little peppery spice.

Finish: sherry soaked dried fruit and Chinese five-spice.

Overall: Very spicy but very tasty - 13 year have given this Benrinnes a lot of complexity which deserves time and attention.

Distiller's Cut - Blair Athol spirit matured in a 1st fill Oloroso Hogshead

Matured for 13 years giving 283 bottles at 57.3% ABV, NCF, Natural colour

Spiced oak, cinnamon, cloves, treacle, leather

My thoughts:

Appearance: mid gold in the glass (a very inactive cask?), swirls cling as a thin line, bead up very slowly, hang around and then fall as slow thin legs.

Nose: Not Sherry Bomb territory but full of sherry hints: toffee, honey, dried fruit, juicy pears and a little herbal funk.

Palate: thick, sweet arrival: toffee, honey and dry icing sugar. There's a little milk chocolate, dried fruit and a bite of spice as the liquid disappears. The more you drink the drier it gets - icing sugar, grape skins and apricots.

Finish: dry and spicy with a little orchard fruit and dried fruit.

Overall: I think this one was my favourite of the 4, an 'inactive' oloroso casks hinting at sherry but delivering in complexity and flavour.