
April 21, 2016

A few unusual blends

Yeah, blends. And as an apéritif, let’s have some little Chivas from when I was still a young adult. So, not so long ago, ahem…

Chivas Regal 12 yo (43%, OB, France, 75cl, +/-1985)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: certainly more herbal and kind of mineral/metallic than contemporary Chivas, with more smoke as well, perhaps bone marrow, vegetable bouillon, bread, barley… The scope was much wider for sure, there are even touches of leather and tobacco, and, of course, overripe apples and honey. It’s as if some excellent Strathisla was shining through, but let’s remember that the mid-1980s were very ‘low tide’ with regards to whisky, so they may have ‘doped up’ their blends. Mouth: wow! Plain and pure old Strathisla, with oranges, cider apples, dried pears, plenty of honeys, brioches, and then a little cough syrup and smoke. Very fat mouth feel, with a surprising creaminess. This is almost pure honey. Finish: long, wide, complex, very fulfilling, honeyed, fruity, liqueury… Comments: well, I had thought we’d have a little apéritif just to warm us up. Fail, this is just amazingly perfect. Probably one of the best batches of Chivas 12 I’ve ever tasted, not to be compared with contemporary offerings. Feels like 20 years old, at least. SGP:562 - 88 points.

Bell’s ‘Extra Special’ (40%, OB, Spain, 75cl, +/-1985)

Let’s see if these special batches from the mid 1980s were also available from Bell’s. Colour: gold. Nose: oh no no no. Wood alcohol, cheap grains, caramel, cardboard, and burnt stuff. Wood, cakes, bread… Mouth: better! Oranges and honey, chocolate bars, cornflakes, maple syrup, apple cake, pastries… It’s certainly quaffable, and this is another pretty good surprise. A shame that the nose was so… flat. Finish: medium, a tad weaker. Some menthol and liquorice, which cannot be bad. Comments: some good sides and some bad sides. Let’s focus on the good ones, especially the arrival on the palate. After all, it’s Bell’s. SGP:451 - 75 points.

Ballantine’s 17 yo 'Miltonduff Signature Edition' (40%, OB, blend, +/-2014)

This is from a series that is/was meant to showcase the influence of each of Ballantines’ core malts (Glenburgie, Scapa, Glentauchers, Miltonduff). Not too sure if they ‘pushed’ Miltonduff in this composition, I certainly hope so. Colour: full gold. Nose: maltier than the old Bell’s, but not really more expressive. I find this rather grassy, with some whiffs of moss, fern, and mushrooms. A little liquorice wood as well, branches, roots… The whole’s rather elegant, but very shy. Mouth: same style, grassy and austere. Some grapefruit peel, some burnt cake and grass, some cardboard, and a developing bitterness. A little strange that they would have come up with this… Finish: short, and always grassy. Very austere. A little lemon in the aftertaste. Comments: I liked the Glentauchers Edition really better, even if I did not think it was an utter winner (WF 79). SGP:251 - 73 points.

Hankey Bannister 21 yo 'Partner's Reserve' (40%, OB, blend, +/-2016)

I’ve always had a soft spot for Hankey Bannister, a brand that’s modest and unassuming. Do they even have a Facebook page? What’s sure is that the last batch of Hankey Bannister 40 yo I could try was majestic (WF 91). Colour: deep gold. Nose: another one that’s a little shy, but there’s good maltiness and some lovely touches of roasted hazelnuts and peanuts. A little earth as well, but we won’t start writing a novel about it. Mouth: goody good, probably with high malt content. First oranges (and cakes and pies made thereof), then croissants and other dryish pastries. Some honey too, raisins, drops of PX, a little tobacco… All is very fine, they might have benchmarked Chivas if you ask me. Finish: medium, a little toasted/burnt, with some maple syrup and some caramel. Comments: yes it’s a very, very good, classic blend, even if we’re not reaching the heights of the 40. Nothing to complain about. SGP:451 - 84 points.

The Antiquary 35 yo (46%, OB, blend, +/-2016)

Imagine, a thirty-five years old blend a 46%, I guess you need power and will to do that. It’s a blend by the lovely folks at Tomatin, and I’ve heard that this is actually 50% Tomatin and 50% Girvan. I’ve also read that there are 800 bottles only. Colour: gold. Nose: a Bugatti on four cylinders, that’s still a Bugatti. Old Tomatin really shines through, with quite a lot of acacia honey and mango chutney, as well as well-matured orange liqueur and drops of pineapple juice. A little old wood in the background, sprigs of tobacco, a touch of guava… It’s all very perfect, fresh, complex, elegant, and fruity. You cannot be against that. As for Girvan, well, it remains silent. Shall we complain? Mouth: it’s old Tomatin, and it’s just perfect. Mangos, guavas, papayas, green bananas, pollen, honeydew, a touch of mint, a touch of green oak, and basta. I cherish these light and lively fruity profiles. Half a cup of cold green earl grey tea. Finish: medium, on freshly squeezed oranges, with added drops of mango and maracuja juices. A spiciness from the old wood, but that’s just an ornament. Comments: the malt dominates, and it does it well. Perfect one-malt-driven old blend. SGP:651 - 90 points.

We found a gem, let’s call this a tasting session. See you next time.

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