Master of Malt Closes The Lid On World’s First Single Malt Whisky!

Closure-Close-Up

Master of Malt is set to release two independently bottled single cask whiskies with innovative glass closures, making cork taint in single malt whiskies a thing of the past.

Master of Malt has announced an experiment – whiskies bottled with innovative glass closures instead of traditional corks or screw tops.

This is the first time a closure of this type has been used to bottle single malt whisky.

Corks have been used to close whisky bottles for centuries, but, cork-taint (especially TCA – or 2,4,6 trichloroanisol), has the potential to add undesirable aromas and flavours to a bottle of whisky in exactly the same way as a fine wine.

In wine circles, debate has long raged on the subject of cork versus screwcap closures… It should be noted however, that whilst gas-exchange (through the slightly porous corks) is desirable in wine, no such demand is present for distilled spirits, where in-bottle development is a much, much smaller consideration.

Bottles-on-barrel

Screw tops are viewed by many whisky enthusiasts as ‘cheap’ and aesthetically unpleasing. The new glass closures used by Master of Malt are both attractive and functional.
Unlike decanter stoppers, they are air-tight thanks to a thin, specially engineered rubberised seal that perfectly fits each bottle.

The experimental closures will feature on a pair of stunning 12 year old Bruichladdich single malts, one matured in a first-fill Sherry cask, the other in a first-fill bourbon cask.

These will be used to assess consumer demand and appreciation, and Master of Malt are actively inviting feedback through their blog.

Three other exciting Master of Malt single cask bottlings (with corks) will also be released at the same time, including a 23 year old Ardbeg.