Monday, August 27, 2012

50 year old whisky

Whisky this age is normally something I find way too expensive or simply can't afford.

But recently Archives bottled a grain that was availbale at 150€. A very affordable price for such old whisky

North British

North British is a grain distillery located in Edinburgh, it was founded in 1885. 

They got a nice homepage with lots of info and photos


Now how is this old whisky ?

North British 1962 Archives 45.2% 50yo
Hogshead #29 168 bottles
Distilled 31/5 - 1962, bottled 24/7 - 2012

Initial nose is a bit odd and newmakey, but give it just a couple of minutes in the glass and its gone. Some say that a whisky needs a minute in the glass for every year it has been in the cask, so waiting 2 minutes is a little requirement.

Old grains can be very spicy from the wood influence, but this is not. The wood influence is there, but it's more like a classical bourbon woodyness than the sometimes heavy spicy grain woodyness I often find in old grains. This is also, quite surprising a fruity grain. The best way I can describe it, is a delicate fruity bourbon. Bourbons are very intensive compared to single malt, and on the intensity scale this is like a typical scottish malt whisky. It's the reused casks!!

The nose is gentle, with delicate wood, a hint of a cardamon/nutmeg mix, and it just gets better and better as times go. Bourbonesque sweetness.

A tiny and very late hint of fruityness in the nose carries over in the palate where it is much more present than in the nose. Otherwise the notes from nose carries over, with delicate wood again and the sweet laidback spices on the fruity bed

A really delicious dram, that develops a lot with time in the glass. I spend 1 hour with this and it was one hour well spent. A dram to be saved for those moments where you have the time. It goes well with a movie or soccer match on the tele

So if you ever get around this dram, be nice and spend the time that 50 years in cask deserves it to have. It will be rewarded. Delicateness supreme

Rating 92










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