Blended Scotch as in an old bag


February 1, 2024

Blended Scotch as in an old bag

This means haphazardly and without any logic, other than the fact that they are all blends of malt whisky and grain whisky. We might start with one or two aperitifs.

King William IV 'VOP' (40%, OB, John Gillon, France, blended Scotch, +/- 1970)

John Gillon was Ainslie & Heilbron's cousin company. They were leased Glenury Royal distillery (mothballed 1985) which was probably providing a good proportion of the malt side in this blend. It is the first time we're formally tasting King William IV. Colour: gold. Nose: quite a lot of menthol and camphor, definitely the effect of aging in the bottle, along with vegetable soups enhanced with sage and parsley. Also old beeswax, wax polish, sandalwood, but also fruits that have stood the test of time very well, like peach. It seems fresher and more vibrant than its cousin Royal Edinburgh from the same era (Ainslie - Clynelish). Mouth: quite superb to be honest, with a magnificent blend of mint, liquorice, aged Cointreau, and aromatic herbs, which could be summarised as 'old chartreuse'. A superb salty edge. Finish: almost long, always balanced, fruity, mentholated, with this old side that's neither worn nor dominating. Hardly any dust, almost! Comments: well then, bravo, we're starting too high again, by Zeus. Honestly, I wasn't expecting this.
SGP:562 - 89 points.

Good, why not do a little more archaeology while we're at it…

Black & Ferguson 'Adelphi Aberdeen Liqueur' (OB, +/-1900)

From a sealed bottle with an intact foil but no paper labels left. Not too sure about any relations between this baby and Glasgow's Adelphi Distillery, which was closed by new owners the DCL in 1907. Now the house Black & Ferguson, whisky distributors, were located in Aberdeen's Adelphi indeed, so I doubt this would be some real single Adelphi. Too bad as it could have been a self-blend, as Adelphi were operating both pot stills and a Coffey still. Pff… Colour: straw. Nose: more of a variety of syrups, cough syrup, then balms, oils, lanolin, and then a bit of damp earth and even barley. Imagine, barley from nearly a hundred and thirty years ago. In short, it's smooth, elegant, rather light but not at all fragile or too diluted, if you see what I mean. But as we know, the devil is in the details... or rather, on the palate. Mouth: it is more fragile, a bit cardboard-like and too earthy, as one might expect, but honey and old sweet wines create a nice binding. Then it evolves towards chicken broth and salty notes, with also an old cognac side. But as is always said, old spirits converge, even in the bottle (but much more slowly than in the cask). Finish: fairly short but pleasant, never drying or bitter. A little umami. Comments: it has held up really well. You can tell it's definitely a blend, the texture remains lighter than that of a malt, even after all these years. Here's a real score that never takes into account rarity, price, or age, I must remind you.
SGP:441 - 86 points.

Further down in time…

Scotch Whiskey 1885/1890 'Imported via London' (M.E. Bellows' Son, New York)

Very interesting and pretty well-known bottle. Youtubers beware, you will have noticed the use of the name 'whiskey', while so many Irish are/were using 'whisky'. We've seen several other bottles of Scotch sporting 'whiskey', not only American imports. You will have noticed the young age too, as well as the mention of a vintage and year of bottling (or import). This awesome page will tell you more about M.E. Bellows' Son and their work as early independent bottlers (kind of). You'll see one of their own-label Glenlivets, for example. Colour: full gold. Nose: totally flabbergasting and a little bit in the style of some old bourbons, such as the Very Old Fitzgeralds that have made such a big impression on me that I keep citing them. Sublime walnut and honey cakes, beeswax, raisin bread, oriental pastries, ointments and bitters in the background... This time there's absolutely no sign of fatigue, and yet there's no doubt that it's a very old whisky, even if it doesn't seem extremely 'Scotch' – but that could be due to the use of a rather large proportion of grain whisky. There's even a bit of coconut. Mouth: almost no fatigue here either, but definitely more mint and camphor, as well as grain, coconut, marshmallows... But the slight cardboard notes are typical of a very old whisky. The mouthfeel remains a bit light, like that of a young bourbon at 40%. It remains excellent and over time it increasingly moves towards rum, this time in the style of an old Cuban bottle, like a Bacardi from well before you-know-what. Finish: a bit short but that's entirely normal. Roasted nuts, camphor, paraffin. Aniseed as a signature. Comments: one can envision chic New Yorkers savouring this gentle little gem in an upscale Manhattan bar around 1890, perhaps while listening to the brand new operetta by Robert Planquette... 'Rip Van Winkle'. Well, now we're mixing everything up.
SGP:631 - 88 points.

Right, those were supposed to be little apéritifs, so let's move on… and let's take it easy...

Enigma 25 yo (41.4%, Cadenhead, blended Scotch, refill sherry butts, 2023)

A fine age for a blend. The alcohol level, if natural, could indicate (pure speculation) that some older casks, perhaps having fallen below the fateful 40% mark, have been added, as has been done in the past, notably at Springbank I believe. Colour: gold. Nose: indeed pretty touches of old wood, chamomile, old walnuts, a bit of sea water, sweet mustard. The grain isn't very present, if there's a good proportion of it. Maybe those slight notes of cellulose varnish? Mouth: the woodiness is more pronounced on the palate, the old nuts even more so, the raisins very dry, the herbal teas quite dry, then we have black tea, and perhaps notes of some old Malibu that was sitting, long abandoned, at the back of the cupboard. That might be the grain whisky. Finish: short and quite drying. The bottom of the teapot... Touches of kumquats improve things in the aftertaste. Comments: very nice but the woodiness is marked. Nothing to complain about, the price is or was mild, I believe.
SGP:461 - 83 points.

Turntable 'Collaboration Drop #1' (46%, OB x Starward, blended whisky, 2023)

But this isn't Scottish! I mean not fully Scottish. Is a part of it Scottish? Ah yes, it's been published, I've just seen it. 39% Starward from Australia, 29% Inchgower, 22% North British, 10% Caol Ila. I'm not sure that the North British part really has a say in this cheerful blend. Colour: slightly rosé gold (apricot). Nose: but yes! There's bubblegum, candy apples, quince jelly, raspberry, nail polish... But it's true that the Starward part was ex-red wine, so this fruity varnish doesn't necessarily come from the grain. Maybe from both. Mouth: I prefer this palate, with the peat balancing the red wine, notes of bay leaf, cranberry juice, black tea but fresher than in the Cadenhead (more top of the teapot, ha), then juniper and coriander seeds, lastly clove and cumin. Finish: medium, on chocolate, strawberry jam, bay leaves, and lapsang souchong. In short, perfect breakfast. Comments: I really like this amusingly globalized one that doesn't lose you, despite the unusual recipe. Long live the world!
SGP:663 - 85 points.

Fruitful Spirits 21 yo (45.4%, Blended Scotch, sherry butt, 520 bottles, 2023)

A blend of Edrington stocks further married in a single butt for four years. Let's see if it is very 'Glenrothy'. Colour: gold. Nose: it does what it says, it is pretty fruity but rather on various dried ones. Raisins, dried bananas, dried pears, then cassata and panettone… Lovely focus here, I also enjoy these notes of mint tea that start to come out after a minute or two. Mouth: very easy, going down well, with a few metallic and smoky touches that may stem from HP. No? It's then becoming more tea-ish, with also faint notes of sour fruits (cider apples). Finish: medium, with hints of bitter and, perhaps, a drop of gin. Comments: very good blend, wonderful compact nose.
SGP:552 - 85 points.

The Deacon (40%, Blended Scotch, +/-2023)

The Deacon (40%, OB, Blended Scotch, +/-2023)

Ouch, 'a premium blended Scotch Whisky made from hand-selected whiskies' bearing a plague doctor on the label. Typically a Covid-time idea, if I may… What's more, the brand belongs to the same company as the dreadful Bumbu 'rum', which is almost as frightening as a plague doctor. Having said that, some are making both Don Papa and Clynelish, so others may also make both terrible 'rum' and an excellent blended Scotch. Why not. Colour: gold. Nose: fine indeed, rather bready, malty, with whiffs of pilsner and several herbal teas, as well as sultanas, orange zests, scones and a little smokiness. No problemo. Mouth: much more grassy smoke, menthol, thyme tea, and just salty peat. I don't know why, I'm reminded of Ailsa Bay. Finish: oranges are back. Comments: much nicer than I had thought, actually one of the best simple high-vol blends I've tried recently. Probably good for making nice smoky cocktails, all you have to do is stick a Stop All Wars sticker over that frightening plague doctor, to not frighten your guests.
SGP:454 – 80 points (that's 65 points above Bumbu, seriously).

Last one please, let's make it a recent old one rather than an ancient young one.

The King of Scots 50 yo (46%, Douglas Laing, 75th Anniversary, blended Scotch, 2023)

Kudos to Douglas Laing for their 75th Anniversary (I repeat myself), kudos for composing a 50-year-old, and kudos for bottling it at 46% instead of 40%, as others might have done for a blend. Moreover, this brand is the first of the company and was launched in 1948! It remains to be seen which King of Scotland it was, perhaps the nose of this glorious old whisky will tell us (yeah, right...) By the way, the price is really decent for a 50-year-old, even for a blend (£625). Colour: gold. Nose: one cannot help but think of those old Invergordons, and perhaps Garnheath, or Strathclyde... In short, old grains that have finally become superb after many years in the cask. Some very nice old coconut liqueur, overripe apples, vanilla, then we move on to aged Sauternes, vanilla fudge, shortbread from Mr. Walker's, pistachio nougat... What we really don't find is malt, but in this context, it might not even be necessary. Maybe we'll find it on the palate? Mouth: oh this is pretty! Between old grain and old bourbon, with touches of varnish, a dry fruitiness, lots of nuts of all kinds, bitter orange, a touch of brandy (Armenian style), a well-controlled woodiness, a bit of bitter coffee, strands of tobacco... Finish: it becomes more bitter but that's the fate of all very old whiskies. Walnut wine, cocoa, tobacco, and finally, that famous old coconut liqueur that seals it all. And bitter orange liqueur. Comments: yes, of course, under these conditions, I love grain whisky. I didn't see the malt passing by, but I'm sure it was there, lurking in the shadows.
SGP:551 - 90 points.

(Thank you Joe H, Morten, The Auction Centre and the Thompson Bros.)

Check the index of all blends we've tasted so far