The Rebel Number: Exploring Heroes & Heretics’ The 48

There’s plenty to investigate with Heroes & Heretics The 48 before you even get to the first sip. This is a 10-year-old blended malt bottled at 48% ABV, matured in a sherry butt and released in a small outturn of just 880 bottles. Its 1980s-inspired presentation adds a playful streak, but the whisky itself has plenty of substance behind the styling.

The blend brings together malt whisky from Orkney, the Highlands and Speyside, although the individual distilleries involved have not been publicly disclosed. That uncertainty makes the whisky all the more interesting: rather than approaching it with a fixed expectation of a particular distillery character, you're left to explore what the three regions contribute to the final dram.

The sherry maturation adds another dimension. Published tasting notes describe honeycomb, sultana, fresh barley and charred oak on the nose, followed by flavours including sponge cake, grilled apricot, chocolate and toasted spice. There are also notes of apple and pear, bringing a fresher fruit character into the mix.

It's an intriguing combination on paper, and one that deserves some attention in the glass. At 48%, The 48 has enough strength to carry its richer sherry-influenced flavours while retaining the character of the malt underneath.

The result is a whisky with plenty to explore — and one that leaves just enough of its story untold to make the investigation part of the fun.

Sherry, but with restraint

The 48 was bottled on 21 April 2020, at 48% ABV, with natural colour and without chill filtration. The whisky was matured in sherry butt number 23, producing the aforementioned 880-bottle outturn.

That cask choice is important.

Rather than turning the whisky into an avalanche of raisins, dark chocolate and Christmas cake, the sherry influence appears to sit alongside the malt character. The official tasting notes point towards honeycomb and sultana, followed by fresh barley and charred oak. On the palate come sponge cake, peanut butter, grilled apricot and chocolate ice cream, with toasted spice lingering into the finish.

It's a pretty mouth-watering list.

Independent tasting notes add another layer, finding orchard fruits, particularly apples and pears, alongside pastry, vanilla and a gentle sweetness. Another review picked out green apple, sherry-infused dried fruit, black pepper, orange citrus and malted barley.

In other words: don't expect a syrupy sherry monster.

Expect fruit.

Highland Park Distillery, Orkney Islands, Scotland — Joe deSousa, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

So, what does it actually taste like?

The nose seems to be where The 48 makes its first big impression. There is fresh orchard fruit up front — think crisp apple and pear — with honeyed sweetness, vanilla, barley and a little oak behind it. The 48% strength gives the whisky some extra presence without apparently overwhelming those softer aromas.

Then comes the palate.

This is where the sherry butt starts showing its hand: dried fruit and apricot meet sponge cake, chocolate and spice. Yet there remains a fresh, green-fruit quality running through the middle, preventing things from becoming too heavy.

And that is arguably the cleverest thing about this whisky.

It has richness without becoming cumbersome.

The finish continues with warming spice and a little oak, with reviewers variously describing it as smooth, lingering and slightly dry. One particularly positive review called it a very drinkable dram, especially suited to a warmer evening.

The verdict

The 48 is a great reminder of why independent bottlers can be so fascinating.

There is no grand distillery name splashed across the front promising you exactly what to expect. Instead, you've got a mysterious marriage of Scotch malt whisky, a sherry butt, 48% strength and a gloriously unapologetic retro label.

And underneath all that is a whisky that appears remarkably well balanced.

It's fruity, malty, sweet, spicy and sufficiently robust to keep things interesting. The fact that only 880 bottles were produced adds another layer of appeal for collectors, while the natural colour and lack of chill filtration will certainly catch the eye of whisky drinkers who like their dram presented with a little less intervention.

Most importantly, though, The 48 sounds like fun.

It doesn't take itself too seriously, but neither does it sacrifice substance for style. Pour it into a good glass, give it a little time, and let the apple, honey, dried fruit, pastry and spice start to emerge.

Heroes & Heretics may have dressed this one for an 80s party — but the whisky itself is very much ready for the modern whisky shelf.

A colourful bottle, a mysterious pedigree and a seriously drinkable dram. The 48 is one rebel worth inviting back for another pour.