Blended Scotch Whiskies

Raer Blended Scotch Whisky ‘Oloroso Expression’ (40%, OB, -/+ 2022)
A blended Scotch model from the parents behind Jackton Distillery within the Lowlands south of Glasgow. Color: vivid amber. Nostril: there’s a particular ‘fashionable’ sherry spin on this with instant notes of milk chocolate and orange peel. Some gingery and appley notes behind that together with a bit of caramelising brown sugar – all of which feels a bit of extra to do with the grain part than the malt aspect. However general an easy and nice nostril. Mouth: the sherry facet is evident once more however right here I really feel the grain a bit of too upfront within the combine. Milk chocolate Brazil nuts, easy fudge and a few vanilla ice cream. I might say the sweetness turns into a tad too cloying over time. End: medium and will get more and more peppery and gingery, some Jamaica cake and white pepper with a bit of marmalade. Feedback: I used to be fairly a fan of the nostril however the palate is a bit jarring in locations. Pour one copita glass to nostril, whereas sipping one other as a part of a highball?
SGP: 431 – 72 factors.

The Broody Hen Blended Scotch Whisky (40%, OB, -/+ 2022)
One other ‘cashflow’ particular by a brand new distillery, this one is by Summerhall Distillery in Edinburgh. Sure, sure, I am additionally loosing observe… Color: gold. Nostril: reasonably candy and malty and straightforward. Inexperienced tea, a couple of orchard fruits and a dollop of honey. Very good to this point I’ve to say, feels reasonably ‘full’ in physique. Mouth: that is the difficulty for sooooo many blends in my expertise, they fall fairly far and fairly flat on the palate even after attractive noses. Having stated that, though this one is certainly a bit mashy and grainy up entrance, it does get better a bit of with a pleasant mixture of plain breads, ales and once more a wee thread of honey. End: short-medium in size, once more a bit of on cooked grains but additionally ales and barley sugars. Feedback: good nostril, a wobble on the palate and a restoration by the end. I may sip this one simply with an ice dice concerned.
SGP: 551 – 75 factors.

Woven Blended Scotch Whisky ‘Expertise N.2’ (45.2%, OB, -/+ 2021, 395 bottles)
This by a newish whisky firm in Leith (it is reasonably cool that my current stomping floor of Leith is changing into one thing of a whisky port as soon as once more) that I do not know an excessive amount of about. Though, their web site says the guts of this mix is a Campbeltown malt and says this was married in an previous Cognac cask for 108 days. Color: mild gold. Nostril: younger and reasonably gingery at first nosing, though some baked apples and easy orchard fruits nod in direction of some Cognac vibes. Easy, however definitely feels prefer it advantages from a punchier bottling energy. Mouth: a bit of scorching up entrance, pink peppercorn, chilli oil, mashed grains and barley sugar. Nonetheless a couple of stray apples too. It is all very tremendous however a tad wild and imbalanced I might say. End: fairly brief however with some honey and extra apple notes. Feedback: the apples make me assume extra of Calvados than Cognac in the long run, however general it is a first rate mix that feels extra like a chunky and purposeful mixer than a sipper.
SGP: 541 – 74 factors.

Inverness Blended Scotch Whisky (??%, Mackinlay, Munro & Co, Nineteen Sixties)
An previous mix containing whiskies ‘produced in distilleries positioned within the coronary heart of the well-known Highland area’, good to know. Additionally: ‘has a delicate and mellow flavour which may solely be obtained by means of age’. Harmless instances. Color: gold. Nostril: hey hey! An old style mix with a clearly greater malt content material. A number of greases, embrocations, previous cash, dried herbs, marrow fats, hessian and toolboxes. Imperfect, however the sort of totally charming profile that screams ‘old style’. Now, the palate may inform a unique story… Mouth: stands up nicely. Fatty, greasy, steel polish, soot, anthracite, pure tar and mild touches of phenols, peat smoke and bandages. This vegetal facet that comes with previous blends and previous bottle impact, nevertheless it’s comparatively restrained right here and reasonably advanced in truth. End: good size, sooty, minty, medicinal, natural and with a drying, rooty peat be aware. Feedback: my sort of mix, simply kills the fashionable ones stone useless I am afraid. One to sip and surprise on the sort of malts that will need to have been tipped into this. Or, simply throw the capsule away and go to Drumnadrochit to get drunk at Fiddler’s… 
SGP: 463 – 87 factors.

Previous Inverness ‘Aged Scotch Whisky’ (40%, J G Thomson & Co, -/+ 2000)
Barcode on the entrance label, all the time stylish. Our hopes are suitably restrained right here… Color: vivid straw. Nostril: mashy and grainy but additionally with some good notes of baked apple, banana and a bit of custard. So really completely tremendous. Mouth: okay, we have struck cardboard, it was solely a matter of time. Concrete, flat lager, moist musty cardboard and a sort of rancid honey factor. End: mercifully flat, transient and empty. Feedback: innocent, empty juice designed to be drunk from paper cups in Scottish tenement flat events by individuals who muted their tastebuds with lashings of Tennent’s lager over a number of previous hours. Sure, responsible.
SGP: 430 – 50 factors. 

The Actual McTavish (43%, Ainslie & Heilbron Distillers Ltd, Chiano import, Nineteen Sixties)
Ainslie & Heilbron after all being the custodians on the time of Clynelish, and ‘Actual McTavish’ being one of many names that utilised stated previous Clynelish as a base malt… Color: pale gold. Nostril: waxes, citrons, sheep wool oils and camphor. The distinction between one thing like this and the Nineteen Sixties Inverness, is that as an alternative of a broad impression of ‘previous model malt whisky’, as an alternative you get a focussed impression of a particular distillery: on this case previous Clynelish. Amazingly focussed on wool, rocks, clay and aspirin with large underly fatness of waxes and olive oil. Excellent! Mouth: a bit of drained, however you continue to get the concept with all these peppery notes, coal tar cleaning soap, mineral oil, lanolin and waxy, putty vibes. Additionally nonetheless lots of camphor. End: reasonably lengthy, once more on hessian, watercress, dried eucalyptus and varied oils and mechanical greases. Feedback: if you understand the previous OB Clynelish 5 and 12 yr olds from this period, the similarity is kind of wonderful. Simply the slight tiredness on the palate right here retains it beneath the 90 mark, however some bottles can sail above that for positive. That is the place previous blends really come into their very own, as liquid time capsules.
SGP: 562 – 88 factors.

Islay Mist (75 proof, D Johnston & Co, Nineteen Sixties, miniature)
These previous minis can shock you, however they may also be cabbage water. Now, Islay Mist is famously Laphroaig’s mix, and plenty of full measurement previous bottles are beautiful… Color: pale gold. Nostril: no cabbages! However definitely a beautiful and beneficiant quantity of previous dry peat. Herbaceous and metallic peat with sooty and coppery touches. Shoe polish, toolbox rags, dried mint, suet and large notes of camphor, pure tar and mineral oils. Fantastic previous nostril to this point that speaks with a Laphroaig accent! Mouth: nonetheless has good energy, numerous soot coal smoke, tar buckets, pepper, dried herbs, touches of iodine and even dried fish and soy sauce. Very savoury, salty and camphory with large notes of steel polish and barely soiled phenolics. End: surprisingly lengthy, thickly sooty, peppery and smoky. Natural peat smoke, previous medical ointments and extra oily hessian notes. The peat within the aftertaste actually is very large and fairly spectacular! Feedback: a complete bottle please! There’s after all some OBE in right here nevertheless it’s held up amazingly nicely all issues thought-about. The facility of a excessive malt content material and an unimaginable base malt.
SGP: 466 – 89 factors.

Black Bottle (70 proof, Gordon Graham & Co Ltd, Nineteen Fifties)
A ravishing previous flask bottle with an early brief steel screw capsule. I’ve to say, I’m hopelessly in love with these previous Black Bottle labels (and the glass bottles too), they’re issues of magnificence. I’m additionally doubly delicate on them as a result of Black Bottle was traditionally a ‘west coaster’s’ mix. Rising up, this was the popular tipple of a few of nice household mates of ours. And I am not simply saying all this as a result of a sure Mr S V of Alsace could have declared himself lower than excited by this wee model on these very pages just lately 😉 Color: gold. Nostril: a really particularly oily sort of smoke that blends collectively the sootiest of fireside hearths, oily engines and boiler sheds, and a few smouldering peat embers. Additionally lots of camphor and hessian fabric notes which is fairly typical, some aniseed and touches of pure tar and gentian. Pure old style and really a lot a ‘barely peaty west coaster’ in profile. Mouth: as soon as once more this very old style, drying natural peat smoke, on prime of steel polishes, cough sweets, anthracite soot, camphor, natural toothpaste and dusty previous medical tinctures. Onerous to know what’s OBE or what’s simply previous model malt whisky flavours which have permeated over time. What’s for positive is that this feels prefer it has a fairly excessive malt content material. End: medium, reasonably candy now as nicely, sweeter peat, cough drugs and natural liqueur notes. Feedback: oldschool! However excellent and hyper drinkable as nicely. Little surprise this profile was so in style in its day.
SGP: 564 – 87 factors.

Very Uncommon Previous Liqueur Whisky ‘warranted 15 years previous’ ‘A mix of Glenlivet’ (??%, Worksop & Retford Brewery, Twenties)
From the wording on the label I suspected this may increasingly have been a malt, however after tasting it I am extra inclined to assume it is a mix. Therefore inclusion right here. A beautiful previous bottle both approach! Color: deep gold. Nostril: whiskies from this period actually do make you consider liqueurs! This deeply resinous and honeyed profile that feels syrupy candy with aromatised sugars, natural extracts and plenty of roots and medical tinctures. Looks like you may be nosing some sort of very lengthy aged fusion of Drambuie and Yellow Chartreuse. I ought to add some very delicate traces of peat smoke and dried mushrooms. One other world, actually. Mouth: feels just like the ABV is now a bit of beneath 40% as the entire is in truth reasonably delicate, however the sugars and sweetness and these resinous qualities maintain quick! Candy natural medicines, delicate peat smoke and really dense notes of camphor, hessian and olive oil. A method that solely appears to have existed up till the second world warfare. Some notes of natural teas, wormwood, lanolin and a few aged mead too. Fascinating and irritating in equal measure. End: medium in size with a reasonably bitter natural edge now, some steel polish, espresso grounds, leaf mulch and tobaccos. A bit of sharpness of grain whisky stays beneath. Feedback: I simply deployed my digital hydrometer on this historic wee relic and it’s at the moment sitting at 39.6% ABV. So, if it was bottled at 40% then that is an especially spectacular retention of ABV – except it was performed at 80 proof / 45.8% on the time of bottling, which appears extra possible for the Twenties. Anyway, like virtually any whisky from this period, it is extraordinarily arduous to disentangle evaluation from emotion. That is undoubtedly a bit of frail and easy, nevertheless it’s one other sip inside a timewarp…
SGP: 653 – 84 (fairly meaningless) factors.

Campbell’s Of Elgin ‘Particular Reserve’ (‘proof energy’, Campbell, Hope & King, -/+ 1963)
‘Proof’ energy being 100 proof, or 57.1%, and this bottle bearing an previous securo cap reliably tells us it needs to be bottled round 1963. And naturally, Campbell, Hope & King is an previous Elgin bottler that gave us many, many legendary whisky bottlings, together with arguably the best Macallan ever bottled… Color: straw. Nostril: a lot larger and brisker, certainly essentially the most instant impression from the upper ABV is a sense of a whisky that is been much better insulated from the results of time in bottle. A wealthy and emphatic oiliness with olive and mineral oils, light notes of bandages and medical embrocations, dried herbs with a bit of pepper and, with time, a splendidly rising and more and more assertive dry waxiness. Blind you may virtually say you are nosing a unadorned previous model highland malt. Terrific energy and poise! With water: will get rougher, sharper, saltier and barely extra animalistic in direction of sweat and furs. Mouth: extra evidently a mix right here as you do really feel the grain part, however the general texture stays fats, oily and with terrific weight and presence within the mouth. Peppery, gently medicinal, some mild pure sweetness from the barley and faint fruit notes of inexperienced apple, pears and gooseberry. A terrific previous mix! With water: really very good now! Water actually appears to amplify the malt features, changing into very mouthfilling, juicy, candy and with lots of peppery waxiness, drying medical qualities, herbs, roots, earthy and salty/umami vibes. An actual thrill trip! End: good size, nonetheless on waxes, roots, herbs and wee particular notes of tarragon, bouillon shares, hessian and cod liver oil. Feedback: you’d drive your self mad speculating concerning the base malt for such a potion, however that is actually excellent previous blended whisky that ticks so many containers and is massively entertaining to dissect in a nosing glass. A testomony to excessive bottling strengths and ageing in glass!
SGP: 473 – 89 factors.

Watt Whisky 10 yo 2010/2021 ‘Blended Scotch Whisky’ (56.5%, Watt Whisky, barrel, 232 bottles)
Again to modernity in tender arms of Kate and Mark… Color: vivid orangey gold. Nostril: some sort of tinned satsumas, milk chocolate, Tunnock’s coconut wafers and a spoonful of flower honey. Looks like one in every of these reasonably intelligent blends that is blended after which matured for a superb variety of years to attain actual stability. Beautiful playful sweetness concerning the nostril. With water: extra floral now, additionally exhibiting some butterscotch, brown bread and some lighter teaish vibes. Mouth: numerous marmalade, crystallised orange peel, cocktail bitters and hints of liquorice, treacle and candy heather ales. Additionally some richer impressions of boot polish that add a way of physique. Deathly quaffable! With water: there’s some sharper, zingy grain notes now, however nonetheless lots of persistent orangey notes. Chocolate orange, smashed up Hobnob biscuits and malted milk. End: medium, juicy candy barley extract notes, lime cordial and a few sort of milky spiced Chai tea? Feedback: I loved this much more that I ought to have. Watch out in case you have a bottle in the home, you could inadvertently journey over one thing and uncover you’ve got consumed half a bottle.
SGP: 641 – 85 factors.

Cream Of The Barley 21 Years Previous ‘Matured in Sherry Wine casks’ (86.8 proof, Alexander Stewart & Co, Customary Meals Merchandise Corp USA import, Nineteen Fifties)
A reasonably beautiful previous bottle that I opened on the Whisky Present in London final October. Color: mild amber. Nostril: fairly merely, beautiful! An historic model of sherry that’s candy, resinous, deep and profoundly unctuous. Gathering collectively beautiful rancio, grape botrytis, long-aged Sauternes and myriad notes of darkish fruits stewed in previous Cognac. All this being completely built-in with essentially the most stunning earthy peat aromas: candy, rooty, natural and natural peat that weds completely to the sherry. I might additionally add that it isn’t drained in any respect, the entire being nonetheless beautifully recent, energetic and gorgeously expressive. Mouth: similar emotions, beautiful previous model sherry fusing completely with stunning old style peated malts. All this aged to the purpose of beautiful integration, stability, focus and – even at this ABV – energy! You could possibly add many delicate notes of soot, tar, roots, natural teas, crystallised unique fruits and iodine. End: lengthy but additionally delicate, light and with a quilt of oily, evenly tarry, peppery and medical peat that simply retains unfurling. Feedback: undoubtedly up there with the best blends I’ve ever tried. Though, I am going to all the time argue that that greatness is because of the malts and the sherry casks, over and above the grain elements. Anyway, sufficient of that. A surprising previous mix that reaffirms why we love previous bottles – and Scotch Whisky!
SGP: 665 – 92 factors.