BLACKADDER Black Snake Vat 1 Fifth Venom
Bottled in 2017 at 60.7% alcohol by volume, this is the fifth offering from Vat one, matured in Bourbon and oloroso sherry casks. Only 580 bottles released.
Black Snake is produced from a Vatting of casks finished in a Single Sherry Butt. It starts its life in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks. Three of them are then put in a new Oloroso or PX Sherry butt and left for around a year for further maturation before bottling two thirds of the cask. These are called“Vats” as they are a kind of mini Solera. After each bottling, two more ex-Bourbon casks are added, always of the same whisky, and left for around a year before again bottling two thirds of the Vat. All future bottlings from each vatting of Black Snake will therefore contain some spirit that was in previous expressions from the Sherry Butt. From time to time the Sherry Butt is renewed. Each edition bottling of Black Snake is called “Venom”, as in the poison from a snake’s bite.The first bottling from each Vat is called “First Venom”, the second bottling is called “Second Venom” and so on.
