If you are in the UK and have a genuine interest in whisky, then chances are that you’ve come across Atom Supplies Limited, albeit you may not know it…
If you’ve bought your whisky through Master of Malt, then you’ve bought from Atom. If you’ve dabbled with the tasty drams and awesome artwork of That Boutique-y Whisky Company, then you’ve bought from Atom. If you’ve enjoyed a whisky sample courtesy of Drinks By The Dram, then you’ve bought from Atom. If you’ve had one of the “& Whisky” bottles (such as the “Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire”releases), you’ve brought from Atom. And they don’t stop at whisky either as Bathtub Gin, Rumbullion, and The Jaffa Cake range of spirits is also led by the team at Atom!
Wormtub represents another such outlet for the Atom Brands, putting their passion and expertise towards another facet of scotch whisky nerdery: Wormtub condensers.
Any good whisky geek will tell you a wormtub is a classic bit of distilling kit, one that condenses vapour coming out of a still with long copper coiled tubes submerged in water. They make unique, bold whisky, which this brand celebrates.
Wormtub is full of those meaty and dried fruit flavours we all love. This beautiful Speyside whisky is aged for a least decade, then reracked into first-fill sherry casks and bottled at cask strength without any added colouring.
Originally launched in 2022, the series is now at Batch 5 and continues the series with another brute of a 10 year old being bottled in all of its bare-faced honesty. Well… albeit without the name of the distillery… No chill-filtration. No colouring. Natural cask strength. Batch 1 weighs in at 57.5% ABV. Whilst full sized bottles of Batch 1 are now sold out, bottles of Batch 5 are currently available at £49.95 GBP.
Nose
Big, rich, leathery, and copper-y. Once the cask strength alcohol punch starts to subside, then there’s a sweet orange, caramel, and cinnamon spice that take hold.
Taste
A silky soft and sweet arrival, with orange, sultanas, and cherries bringing some initial juicy sensations. There’s a good malt flavour behind it all too. Once that sweetness settles in then the spices start to build. Fruitcake nutmeg and cinnamon. Barbecue sauce with that sweetness.
Finish
A hearty and fulsome finish as the drying sherry oak and spices take over proceedings.
Verdict
A hearty malt with a big body and just enough touches of fruit, sweetness, and lighter sensations to stop this being an overpowering Sherry oak assault.
It’s one that I’d normally refer to as a “chewy” malt, maybe even a “meaty” one – though it doesn’t have bits in it! – as the big alcohol percentage and rich sherry oak influences all combine to make for a mouthful of a drinking experience. It might have just been the preamble about the wormtub condensers but there does seem to be a slight copper/metallic note to it.
If I was going to hazard a guess at the distillery then my best guess would be Mortlach. Or at least, that’s the kind of experience it provides: big malt, with a big bite and carrying powerful sherry influences. Delicious.
M
Sample disclosure: This miniature was contained within the Master of Malt birthday gift set, very gratefully received from my colleagues (and thanks to Atom, clearly)! All notes are intended as an honest, fair, and independent review of the whisky itself, and not as a promotion. Please drink responsibly. Please drink wisely.
whisky unplugged 