An elite drink produced in the center of Scotland for more than a century and a half, is known as the first blended scotch.
Winner of numerous awards and strong character, the outstanding whiskey “Kattos” won the hearts of adventurous daredevils around the world, becoming a symbol of fearlessness and extraordinary decisions.
whiskey cocktails
Brand History
The merit of creating a unique blend belongs to a simple merchant from Aberdeen, James Catto.
In 1861, having presented his first blend to customers, the young grocer hardly suspected that by doing so he would not only glorify his name, but also lay the foundation for a new art. But it was not the desire to make money or invent something unusual that prompted him to the fateful experiment, but banal curiosity: James just wanted to know what mixed whiskey tastes like.
Over the course of a year, he conjured up the recipe for a new drink, combining Highland malt ingredients with Lowland grain spirits. The result was not long in coming: the Catto blend has become a benchmark for master blenders.
In 1878, “Catto’s Rare Old Highland Scotch” was presented at the World Exhibition in Paris, where it received a gold medal in the “wine & spirit” category. After only 6 years, another “gold” appeared in the collection of brand awards – this time after a competition in London.
In 1900, the creator of the famous blend headed the James Catto & Co Ltd company. However, in the new status he did not work long.
After the death of James in 1908 and his successor Robert in 1916, the family business changed owners several times until it became part of Inver House Distillers Ltd in 1990.
In the middle of the 3th century, the elite Catto blends came to the USA, where they were highly appreciated by the locals. Today, under the legendary brand, XNUMX varieties of blended whiskey are released. All are created from the original recipe to the high standards set by the inventive “Aberdeen Grocer”.
single malt whiskey
Production features
Catto’s blend technology has remained unchanged for many decades:
Still infused with the finest Speyside and Highland malt spirits
The former give the drinks refinement, fruitiness and sweetness, while the latter give smoothness, intense aroma and floral tones.
Drying of malt is carried out without the use of peat smoke
Which is not typical of most Scottish brands.
The run is done twice
Only the purest malt spirits (“heart”) with an average strength of 68% are selected for work. Lighter grain components are obtained in continuous distillation apparatuses. Their strength reaches 94%, so they are diluted with demineralized water before aging.
For maturation, sherry and bourbon casks are used.
On “aging” is given from 3 to 25 years. After aging, the master blender marries the spirits in a separate cask and lets them harmonize before bottling.
An overview of the types of Kattos whiskey
Catto’s Rare Old Scottish
The drink, which includes the largest number of malt ingredients, most clearly reveals the character of the brand.
Colour: golden honey. Aroma: rich, intense, filled with honey, hints of fresh citrus fruits.
Taste: balanced, powerful, with a delicate sweet center and enveloping velvety finish.
Catto’s 12 Years Old
Aged tape, deep, multi-layered.
Color: brilliant, golden-straw. Aroma: seductive, savory, with hints of sweet fruits, grains and lemon peel.
Taste: mature, full-bodied, with fruity and oak aromas.
Finish: warm, long lasting, with subtle spicy notes.
Catto’s 25 Years Old
A rounded, perfectly balanced drink, the components of which have matured in bourbon and sherry casks for a quarter of a century.
Colour: deep amber. Aroma: Sweet, complex, full-bodied, with hints of vanilla, leather, spices, pears, ripe bananas and coconut.
Palate: full-bodied, rich, sweet-spicy with a long finish of toffee and raisins.
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Relevance: 27.05.2019
Tags: Whiskey and bourbon, Scotch brands