Back with the bad, and the much better


April 21, 2025

Back with the bad, and the much better

Not exactly the kind of thing we actively seek out, but over the years and through our travels, a few of them inevitably find their way to Château Whiskyfun — and it's always fun to taste them, especially as some are very cheap. Take this one, for instance…

Old Finil 3 yo (40%, OB, Italy, Licor S.R.L, +/-2024)

A strange little bottle, simply labelled as ‘whisky’, with no indication of origin. That said, it is promoted as ‘a distillate with intense and persistent flavour, crafted artisanally in Italy’. Elsewhere, it is stated that ‘This whisky is handcrafted in the distilleries of the Old Finil Udue company, located in the verdant valleys of the Dolomites.’ However, we unearthed our bottle in Sicily, with the price for 70cl hovering between €6 and €8. Oh, and we’ve absolutely no idea why there’s a papal tiara on the label as we do have our doubts about the Vatican having made this little one its official whisky. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: comes across like entry-level vodka, flavoured with artificial vanillin and oak chips. Not utterly disgusting, though the raw woody alcohol notes soon seize control. One gets the impression it would be inconceivable to taste this baby without a heap of ice cubes. Mouth: same story, tutti-frutti eau-de-vie sold by the jerrycan, bargain-bin limoncello, a dash of fake vanilla, and something resembling wood extract. Now I don’t think it would render you blind. Finish: none to speak of, which may in fact be one of its more commendable features. Comments: at this price, one can’t really complain, can one? Let’s say it’s just about drinkable, but it certainly isn’t good. According to Mr Massimo R. of Formigine, it also doubles as a pipe cleaner.
SGP:310 - 20 points.

Update: We were saddened to learn, barely an hour after publishing this woeful tasting note above, of the death of Pope Francis. We have decided not to make any changes to it, as His Holiness had, on many occasions, demonstrated a rather marked sense of humour. May he rest in peace.

The Old Choice (40%, OB, Blended Scotch whisky, +/-2025)

This one goes for €8.49 a bottle (70cl) in Italy, though we spotted it on an Australian site for $49.00, which works out to over €27! To be fair, it is a proper Scottish blend, distributed in Italy by the firm Dilmoor. Colour: white wine. Nose: certainly not grand, but far better than that poor Old Finil, with traces of malt, fudge, overripe apples and English tea. Not miles away from the big-name blends—Johnnie Red, Black & White, and so on—with even a fairly charming touch of caramel. Yep. Mouth: as anticipated, it rather falls apart on the palate, with a harsh and even burning edge from the alcohol. The caramel manages to claw things back a little, and the bitterness isn’t overly assertive. Not utterly dreadful in the end. Finish: very short, with a few fleeting hints of pear that help boost the score a notch or two. Comments: I’m not saying it wouldn’t win a prestigious international award in the under-€10, 3-year-old blend category, now am I…
SGP:310 - 30 points.

The Glen Glover 3 yo (40%, OB, Blended Scotch whisky, 2024)

The back label tells us this baby hails, like The Old Choice for that matter, from a company in Bologna, where quite a lot seems to be happening in the world of whisky! The price is similar, around €8.50 for a 70cl bottle. Colour: straw. Nose: very close indeed—vanilla, fudge, white chocolate, a powdery note, bottled apple juice, even a whiff of apple tart. One could almost go so far as to say it’s not an unpleasant nose. Mouth: same sort of juice as The Old Choice, not good, with dusty touches, cardboard, sawdust, and also hints of pear liqueur and caramel attempting to soothe the pain a little. Finish: very short, identical to The Old Choice. Comments: truth be told, this is the kind of whisky they use in cocktails at all-inclusive holiday clubs all around the Mediterranean basin, from Marbella to Bodrum and far beyond.
SGP:310 - 25 points.

Let’s try to be a bit more serious now — that’s quite enough of the los cheapos for today…

Dewar’s ’White Label’ (40%, OB, Blended Scotch, +/-2024)

One of the best-known blends in the world. Generally speaking, and even if it doesn’t exactly set the heather alight, we rather like it. Colour: light gold. Nose: cleaner and smoother, slightly more malty, with notes of bread, porridge, beer and brioche. A touch of orange blossom too. Mouth: a simple blend, free from the flaws of the earlier suspects—no burning edge, no cardboard, no overly spirity mess—but that doesn’t mean you’ll be whisked away to the fruit section of Fortnum’s or La Grande Épicerie either. It remains basic. Finish: short, very simple, with a trace of what the public likes to call ‘smokiness’. Probably not peat though… The aftertaste is more charming, with hints of nougat and dried fruits. Though it comes a bit late… Comments: already a big step up!
SGP:331 - 60 points.

William Peel (40%, OB, France, +/-2024)

This one was ‘patiently matured’, if you please. William Peel is a massive brand in France, but it leans rather heavily on the budget end of things. Colour: pale gold. Nose: not much going on, frankly. The Italians had more flaws, but at least they showed a bit of character. Perhaps some vanilla-flavoured black tea, at a stretch. Mouth: not much here either—Dewar’s is clearly far superior. That said, there’s an oddly amusing little note of lavender and salt, which is rather fun. Finish: short, and hooray, that salty lavender note sticks around. Some liquorice too, though sadly it all arrives a bit too late… Comments: better than some William Peels we’ve braved in the past—for the cause and the cause alone, mind you. Alas, it has nothing to do with Emma Peel (that was stoopid, S.).
SGP:331 - 50 points.

Chivas Regal 13 yo ‘Extra - Tequila Cask Finish’ (40%, OB, Blended Scotch, +/-2024)

After so much lamenting over these improbable finishings that practically scream ‘WTF’, it was only fair that we actually taste a few. Like this Chivas, the epitome of a traditional brand and still somewhat ‘prestigious’, here behaving like an unsupervised heir from a good family who’s gone astray by messing around with tequila. What an idea! Colour: pale gold. Nose: not far off William Peel, which is frankly baffling. It seems the tequila has added a dirty, earthy side to what might once have leaned more towards a lovely, fresh panettone. What an idea indeed. Mouth: same feeling. Some Chivas, mixed with rustic gentian, celery root, earth, and perhaps a touch of tequila. I’m afraid this doesn’t really tango well together, sorry. Finish: herbal and earthy. Roots that perhaps oughtn’t be there. Comments: might well have worked better at 45 or 46%, but as it stands… yes, it’s dirty to me. A shame, we do enjoy agave—but still, we’d take the classic Chivas Regal 12 over this one a thousand times.
SGP:341 - 50 points.

Right then, let’s have a rummage through the stash and dig out a couple of old bottlings…

Stalker & McLellan ‘Special Reserve’ (No ABV, OB, Scotch Whisky, +/-1910-1920)

Not much is to be found online about this Glaswegian brand, but our thanks go to our friend Morten for having sourced it. Colour: opaque gold. Nose: very typical of extremely old, low-strength bottles, with notes of chicken broth, old books, cocoa, lamp oil and dusty old tea tins… All of this is utterly charming, antiquated, old-fashioned, and even rather romantic. Mouth: it has clearly seen better days, no doubt about that, but there remain some lovely touches of pu-ehr tea, liquorice wood, roots, even a dash of powdered ginseng. Finish: not very long but very elegant, salty, ‘like a precious broth’. Comments: it’s always tricky business assigning a score to such an ancient dram. In any case, this Stalker & McLellan from the silent film era still has some fine remnants of glory…
SGP:221 - +/-80 points.

Old Mac 5 yo (40%, OB, Blended Scotch, 1980s)

This blend was bottled for Italy by the house of Thomas Mac & Sons of Glasgow. We do love that little note on the label— ‘100% Blended Scotch Whisky’—what would it be otherwise, one wonders? Colour: light gold. Nose: it’s light, rather grain-forward, with hints of castor oil, sunflower oil, perhaps even a touch of polenta… But all of it remains in whisper mode… Mouth: ah, not bad at all on the palate, with peat and a pleasant minerality, a bit of rubber, crème de menthe and chlorophyll, broth again, and salt… These wee blends can be full of surprises, even if there’s not much fruit to be found in this one. Finish: medium length, salty, like vegetable soup, tobacco, salted liquorice… Comments: one wonders if this Old Mac came out around the time of the very first Apple computers. I know, a pointless remark, but all told, this is really not bad at all.
SGP:242 - 85 points.

His Excellency 5 yo (43%, OB, 100% Pure Scotch Whisky, for Italy, Ditta Paglia Ivo, 1980s)

This 5-year-old was offered by Bartels, Rawlings & Co. There were plenty of young whiskies around back then, as youthful age statements were associated with lightness, something the public actively sought. Colour: straw. Nose: here we find those slightly smoky aromas that long led the public to believe all Scotch whiskies were ‘smoky’, and here we are. Rubber, new trainers, brine, engine oil, mint tea. Practically no fruit to speak of. Mouth: here too it’s rather full-bodied, oily and salty, with notes of cabbage soup and orange wine. There’s a curious fermentary side after all these years… Finish: fairly long, again with salted liquorice and a strong maritime character—almost as if it had been used to marinate… sea urchins? Comments: His Excellency clearly had good taste, as one would expect. This was before the era of cowboy diplomats. Not to be confused with oligarchic thugs, mind you!
SGP:342 - 83 points.

Teacher’s Highland Cream (86 US proof, OB, Blended Scotch, USA, Schieffelin New York, 1930s)

‘Perfection of Blended Scotch Whisky’, claims the old label. And there’s little doubt about that—these immediate post-Prohibition Teacher’s could be absolutely fantabulous; let’s have a look at this one. Colour: gold. Nose: just as one would hope, with a glorious arrival full of honeyed notes and a faint whisper of smoke (Ardmore perhaps?) which soon veers off toward sultanas, old sweet wines (old Malmsey), dried lychees and longans. It’s absolutely beautiful—who kept the recipe? Mouth: very much in the vein of White Horse, let’s say. Dry smoke at first, followed by a medley of herbal teas and infusions, with a dry fruitiness reminiscent of old liqueurs whose sugars have long since faded. A truly great Scotch whisky that transcends any simplistic blend-versus-malt dichotomy. Finish: long and elegant, almost like an old Meursault. Quite astonishing. Comments: I wonder whether we don’t spot crates of this very Teacher’s in the original version of Whisky Galore… Am I wrong? Thank you, Tomas.
SGP:452 - 90 points.

Let’s get back to more modern things…

The Antiquary 15 yo (43%, OB, Blended Scotch, 6,000 bottles, +/-2022)

Tomatin’s blend, and most certainly brimming with Tomatin, so one would expect it to be fruitier than a fruit salad. We tried the version finished in Bordeaux casks last year—it was a bit of a let-down (WF 74)—but here, things ought to fall back into place… Colour: gold. Nose: a mix of crushed chalk and blood orange to start, then prickly pear and melon. Rather unusual, even surprising, but a fermentary edge kicks in to balance things out, and it all becomes genuinely pretty. Mouth: this is very unusual—much drier than expected, with earthy notes, blackcurrant buds, even a splash of cabernet, then more and more green pepper… Finish: long, on bell pepper and aubergine. Comments: sorry, I bailed… Did they release the ‘claret’ under two different labels? Were there several batches? Superb nose, but the palate is tough going, for me at least.
SGP:351 - 76 points.

Isle of Skye 18 yo (40%, OB, Blended Scotch, +/-2024)

By Ian Macleod. We’ve never been especially enthused by the younger Isle of Skyes, but at 18 years old, perhaps this will be different… Even if the 40% vol. doesn’t exactly inspire high hopes. Colour: gold. Nose: this is a discreet blend on the nose, slightly earthy, slightly maritime, slightly sandy, with some nuts and a touch of dried seaweed, along with a smoke that’s… well, discreet. The choice to bottle it at minimum strength feels rather baffling. Mouth: it’s more acidic and saltier than the nose suggests, with a pleasing ‘fino’ aspect at first, then it flows into herbal teas and seaweed, but the ever-present frustration of the low bottling strength lingers throughout. A shame really, as it’s a lovely composition, but of course, when one sees ‘Skye’, Talisker inevitably comes to mind—and here… no cigar. Finish: short to medium, more on fermentation. Comments: a pity, as it’s sorely hampered by the bottling strength. Yes, I insist. It’s like Jimmy Page playing his double-neck Gibson, but without plugging in the amp. You get the idea…
SGP:343 - 80 points.

St Bridget’s Kirk 35 yo 1988/2024 (41.5%, OB, Blended Scotch, refill barrel, 248 bottles)

We’d already tasted another cask of this ‘blended when young’ style (ex-Edrington in theory) by Hannah Whisky Merchants, which had been very, very good (WF 87). Colour: full gold. Nose: tricky to pin down, but that’s not the point—here there’s glue, smoke, bitter almonds, maraschino, lanolin, pistachio cream (we’ve just come back from Sicily), and rich, black potting soil. All of it is rather lovely. Mouth: almonds and pistachios take the lead, though a pronounced salinity and a good helping of black tobacco add a fine contradiction, rounded off with a bit of coconut (grain component?) It’s an intriguing profile, certainly unusual. Finish: medium length, but saltier still. A faint tequila-like touch. Comments: these are very unusual whiskies, the sort that no master blender could ever hope to replicate. That sense of rarity adds undeniable charm to the whole affair.
SGP:552 - 88 points.

Time to move on to the last one — perhaps a very old blend. What do you say?

The Antique Blended Whisky 48 yo 1976/2024 (49.1%, Sansibar, Blended Scotch, hogshead, 145 bottles)

A truly intriguing bottle, and according to the label, a very ‘American’ one. Then again, 1976 was the bicentennial, wasn’t it? Colour: deep gold. Nose: lovely—on stewed fruits, medlars, sangria, oranges, papaya, a pack of blond cigarettes, orange cream, rum-filled chocolate, and raisins… What’s particularly amusing is a note of old grain whisky that comes and goes, as if it might seize control, then vanishes entirely. One rather wishes certain politicians behaved the same way, wouldn’t you say? Mouth: the refinement of a very old cask, with fats, orange marmalade, smoked fish (really?), unguents, papaya, passion fruit and rowanberry eau-de-vie (a personal favourite), followed by more classic malty tones. The mysteries of time, the mysteries of age. The cask itself behaved with great elegance, leaning into almonds and honey. Finish: fairly long though more restrained, more compact. Mint tea with a drop of lemon and a hint of smoke, drifting into old amontillado. Only the aftertaste feels a little rougher. Comments: the boss is the whisky, not you—whether you’re younger or older than this magnificent old malt. I mean, this very mysterious old blended Scotch, perhaps ex-Edrington too – or not, who knows.
SGP:561 - 90 points.

I’ve got a feeling we’ll be doing another session like this one very, very soon — stay tuned…

(Thank you, Morten and Tomas)

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

A quick new note about the distribution of our scores: this little session, although unusual, shows that we really do use the full scale out of 100—so actual percentages—even if the single malts we usually taste tend to fall within the 75–95 range. This is perfectly normal given their average quality compared to the global production of whiskies, which of course includes the mass-market blends sold for under 20, or even 10 Euros. If we were to take all volumes produced into account, we estimate that the average would probably be around 40 to 45 points out of 100.
See you.