Following its debut in the UK last year, Mossburn Distillers has launched Caisteal Chamuis (“Castle Camus,” for non-Gaelic speakers) in the United States. Intended to evoke the peaty fires and misty sea breezes of the Western Isles of Scotland, Caisteal Chamuis’ blended malts are known for their heavily peated, yet smooth complexity. The new expressions are imported and available through Marussia Beverages USA.
Caisteal Chamuis 12 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky is aged for twelve years in refill American Oak Hogsheads. From there, it is first re-aged in American Oak 230-liter barrels that held Oloroso for five years and were shipped directly from a Bodega in Jerez de la Frontera. Secondly, it is re-aged in specially coopered European Oak 500-liter butts, which form their own aging solera. These butts were seasoned with Oloroso Sherry in Spain.
On the nose, this whisky offers aromas of rich beeswax and boiled sweets, followed by fragrant, light peat undertones with hints of coal tar. The palate is soft, smooth, and peaty, yet not medicinal, with notes of heather and lavender. Floral tones evolve into flavors of sweet, toffee-d coal tar, and finally finish in notes of concentrated cherry, crystallized fruit, more peat, and an oily beeswax.
Caisteal Chamuis Blended Malt Scotch Whisky is first aged in refill and first-fill American Oak Hogsheads. It then goes through a two stage re-aging with part of the blend in Virgin American Oak Heavy Char 250-liter barrels, with fresh Oloroso Sherry European Oak Heads, and the rest into refill Hogsheads.
On the nose, it offers aromas of white flowers alongside a honeyed, peaty character and undertones of white pepper. The palate reveals layers of soft, smooth peat to start, then honeyed peppery notes, complex sweet spice, and finishes with creamy vanilla.
The Caisteal Chamuis 12 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky is priced at $62, while the Blended Malt Scotch Whisky comes in at $43.
For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.