Copper Dogs

To celebrate International Scotch Day, we'll be starting a series of whisky features that will go out once a month. The aim is to shed a light on the rich tapestry of whisky. The first of these will be on Copper Dogs, the chalice of the cask strength dram.

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What is a Copper Dog?

A copper dog is a long thin vessel made with a copper pipe and small brass plates, this is attached to a chain or rope and used to sample whisky from casks. This is achieved by dipping the vessel in the bunghole of the cask.

They range from small pocket-sized numbers, perfect for the sly dip, to those over a foot in length for the more brazen sampler. The name comes from the fact it would never leave the owners side, just like a man’s best friend.

Historically most workers at the distillery would own one, with a night patrol around the warehouses often leading to the copper dog getting a bit damp.

Sleight of hand was often required, chancers would dip the cylinder into the barrel, filling it with whisky before replacing the stopper. They would then hang the long, cylindrical device down the inside of their trouser leg from a rope tied to their belt to avoid being caught – a crime that would see immediate dismissal.

Things didn’t always go to plan, with one tale from Lagavulin distillery in the 1970s demonstrating. According to a brewer at the time, Tom Anderson, one local tradesman working at the distillery was taking a well-earned sample for his week’s work, when the exciseman walked in to wish him a nice weekend. Faced with getting caught red handed, the tradesman opted to release his copper dog straight into the cask, cutting his arm off to live another day.

This small story gives an insight into historic whisky culture and how it wasn’t just the distillery workers getting their share of the produce. It also demonstrates how in small communities, the dominant industry - in this case whisky – imbues itself in their way of life. 

It's fun to imagine casks that locals to a distillery sampled with their copper dog over 40-50 years ago, that might have gone on to become some of the rarest and greatest single malts in history. A wee non chill filtered cask strength sherry number on a Friday night, I don’t mind if I do. 

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