Orphan Barrel Forager's Keep is a unique and rare whiskey release from the Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Company, which is known for bottling and releasing small quantities of rare, old, and sometimes forgotten barrels of whiskey. The Orphan Barrel series aims to offer whiskey enthusiasts the opportunity to experience whiskeys that might otherwise never have been available to the public, often sourced from different distilleries or stocks that have been acquired or discovered by Diageo, the parent company.
Forager's Keep is particularly notable as it represents the Orphan Barrel series' first foray into Scotch whisky. It is a single malt Scotch whisky, which means it was distilled at a single distillery from malted barley. Forager's Keep was distilled at the now-closed Pittyvaich Distillery, which operated in Speyside, Scotland, from 1974 until its closure in 1993. Given the distillery's relatively short operational period and its demolition in the early 2000s, any whisky from Pittyvaich is inherently rare.
The tasting notes for Forager's Keep typically highlight:
- Nose: Aromatic with floral notes, hints of fruit, and perhaps a touch of oak.
- Palate: The palate may offer a complexity of flavors including ripe fruit, vanilla sweetness, and malty notes, with a smooth and well-rounded profile.
- Finish: The finish is likely to be long and warming, with a continuation of the palate's complexity, often leaving a lasting impression of elegance and depth.
The age statement for Forager's Keep varies depending on the specific release, but it has been known to feature whisky aged for 26 years, making it a particularly aged and refined expression of Scotch whisky. This long aging process in oak barrels contributes to its depth of flavor and character.
Orphan Barrel Forager's Keep is highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts both for its rarity and for the story it tells of a lost distillery. Its release is a testament to the Orphan Barrel project's commitment to unearthing and sharing some of the hidden gems of the whisky world.