New Australian independent bottler "Old Master Spirits" & their 1957 Cognac [Tasted #531 & #532]

Instagram can a wonderful place for whisky lovers. Sure, there's content galore, but more than that, it's a place for like-minded fans to meet, share stories / thoughts / tasting notes, and in many cases develop real-world connections.

I'd been following David (@whisky.nerd) on Instagram for a while, occasionally chatting here and there, recognising a similar appreciation for whisky as myself (especially those from Japan, Scotland and Australia), when he noticed that I'd recently posted about Cognac, and its growing interest from whisky lovers. David mentioned he was bottling a few Cognacs independently for the Aussie market, and would I be interested in reviewing them?

(Well of course!)

Old Master Spirits is the result, and their launch bottlings aren't your every day Cognacs, with both a 1957 (63yo) and 1984 (36yo) to be released next month. 

The Cognacs (the 1957 a Fins Bois, the 1984 a Grande Champagne) come from Jean Luc Pasquet who act as both a distillery/producer, and negociant (and saviour of old, rare Cognac casks from the hands of blenders). These two bottlings come from JLP in their latter capacity, and thanks to Old Master Spirits' desire to share the stories of not only the Cognacs but the people behind them, there's some great detail behind each one.

We know for example the 1957 was distilled by Jean Aubineau (who is still alive and releasing incredibly rare Cognac today) and the 1974 by Claude Hillaire, who together with his wife Arlette, took over his father's vineyards in the 1970s and now see their grandchildren continuing to tend to the vines and produce Cognac in Angeac-Champagne. 

There's more about each cognac on the Old Master Spirits website.- worth a read for anyone who might be interested.

Unlike whisky, Cognac over a certain age can be transferred from cask to glass demijohns, and can legally continue to "age" from then until bottling (for example, a 1900-distilled Cognac transferred from cask into demijohn in 1980, and bottled in 2000, could legally be called a 100yo Cognac, despite "only" spending 80 years in oak). 

I asked Deni Kay, co-owner of Old Master Spirits about this, and he mentioned both their Cognacs had spent their entire life in oak casks prior to bottling - noting it was an important factor for them. 

Also unlike whisky, Cognac can (and very often does) contain additives other than caramel colouring, including sugar and Boisé (a goo made by boiling wood chips....yes really). Plenty of commercial, big-name Cognacs will contain these, but enthusiast cognacs, often bottled as single casks, generally remain unadulterated. It goes without saying that these two Cognacs fall into the latter camp, having been bottled with no added colour/sugar/additives, at natural cask strength, without chill filtration and from single casks.

It's not hard to see that the team behind Old Master Spirits are true dedicated whisky / spirits lovers.

So, provenance, age, purity and branding, tick (not to mention extra kudos for starting a new independent bottler label in Australia), but how's the liquid? 

Let's find out....

Old Master Spirits 1957 Fins Bois Cognac Jean Luc Pasquet (47.6% ABV, 63yo, Saint Simeux, France, $429AUD)

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Colour: Firey orange-gold.

Nose: Earthy stone fruits at first, with creme caramel and sweet toffee chews. With time things become more tropical - pineapple, green grapes and mango. There's a slightly grassy note, and after a while a slight sea saltiness. A very complex and enjoyable nose.

Palate: All the fruit from the nose carries through to the palate, with mature citrus fruit as well. There's an "old malt whisky" like note of wood polish and vintage cigars, though the oak is very much in balance and not overpowering - impressive considering the Cognac spent 63 years in it.

Finish: Pineapple and guava, peaches and a lingering sweetness.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100. A very well-made, complex and delicious Cognac, with none of those "acetone" notes I've found on some Cognacs (even some near this age).

Old Master Spirits 1984 Grande Champagne Cognac Jean Luc Pasquet (53.8% ABV, 36yo, Angeac-Champagne, France, $229AUD)

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Colour: Golden-orange copper.

Nose: Fruit-driven, with strawberries and cream, slight citrus spice, red jelly babies and hints of mint.

Palate: Sweeter than the 1957, with more confectionary notes - fairy floss ("cotton candy" for our American readers), pink jelly beans, and some slight wood polish notes. Raspberries follow, with 

Finish: Mint at first, then sweet oak, ripe apples, pears and a residual strawberry sweetness.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100. Not as complex as the 1957, but far from simple and absolutely delicious. A great contrast to the 1957.

(It should be noted that whilst Old Master Spirits provided generous samples of both Cognacs for this review, I enjoyed them so much I've ordered a bottle of each.)

Both Cognacs are being released on 1st Sept (7pm AEST) via Old Master Spirits' website, and due to the very limited quantity, are being released in 500mL bottle format (70 bottles of the 1957, 168 bottles of the 1984). Sign up to their mailing list for 24 hour presale access here.

Cheers,

Martin.

Kanosuke First Edition Single Malt Japanese Whisky (2021) [Tasted #530]

First cab off the tasting rank (following our look into the state of Japanese whisky these days) is the Kanosuke First Edition. Part of a wave of new Japanese whisky producers, Kanosuke opened their Kagoshima-based distillery in 2017, commencing production in 2018 in an idyllic setting literally a stone's throw from Fukiagehama beach, on the Western coast of Japan.

Destined to do things a little differently (and give themselves plenty of options), the distillery installed three, not two pot stills (all of different shapes with different neck sizes and lyne arm angles) to allow a variety of new make spirit to be produced. The whisky for the "First Edition", which is said to number around 15,000 bottles, includes spirit from all 3 stills, aged in several different casks but primarily re-charred American white oak ex-“Mellowed Kozuru” aged Shochu casks.

The distillery released a number of in-progress "new born" sample bottles over the past few years, but 2021 saw their whisky reach 3 years old, and as such, in June Japanese whisky fans were treated to the first Kanosuke whisky.

Hong Kong distributors AFTrade were kind enough to send the whisky for review, so without further ado, here we go...

Kansouke Single Malt Japanese Whisky "First Edition" 2018-2021 (58% ABV, 3yo, Kagoshima, Japan, available from AFTrade)
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Colour: Deep amber-red.

Nose: Herbal lozenges initially, followed by the rich berry flavours you get from red jube lollies, then blackcurrant Soothers. Sultanas round things out.

Palate: Easy-drinking, mellow, with red / berry confectionary notes, currants & blackberries. Then come raisins soaked in sherry, a slightly wine-esque grape note, and some vanilla-infused oak after time.

Finish: Long, and follows the palate well (a well-integrated malt). There's a little citrus that comes through right towards the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. For a 3yo whisky, and a first release, a very solid showing. Can't wait to see what interesting releases come out in the future, especially given the variety of spirit the distillery plans to produce.

Whilst AFTrade appear to be sold out of the Kanosuke First Edition individually, it is still available (at the time of writing) in a pack with the Sakurao First release, which we'll have up on the blog shortly).

Cheers,

Martin.

What is "Japanese Whisky" these days?

If you go back 10 or so years, the term "Japanese whisky" generally meant (to most whisky drinkers) Yamazaki or Hibiki. Maybe for some well-versed drinkers, Miyagikyo, Mars Komagatake or Yoichi. Hardcore enthusiasts were probably aware of whiskies like Hanyu and Karuizawa, but they certainly weren't known outside of a core group of enthusiasts.

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Back then, these whiskies were all relatively accessible and comparatively well-priced (yes even the Karuizawas). More or less every Dan Murphy's stocked Yamazaki 12 (at well under $100AUD/bottle), and almost every decent Japanese bottle shop (and even Japan's airports) stocked age-statement Suntory and Nikka whiskies at incredibly fair prices. You could walk into most (good) Japanese whisky bars and try a selection of Ichiro's Malt Cards Series for less than you'd pay for a dram of Lagavulin 16 today.

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Then in 2015 a man in a hat said the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 was the best whisky in the world, and everyone lost their mind. Now sure, this was far from the first award ever given to a Japanese whisky (Hibiki 21 for example had won "World's Best Blended Whisky", at the arguably much-more-relevant World Whiskies Awards, several times before 2015), but it did seem to be the catalyst for a barrage of hype, price hikes and scarce availability that continues today.

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Some might say the hatted man simply shone a brighter light on what was already an incredibly high quality spirit (and they'd be right), but however you look at it, the hype started building, and casualties followed. In the coming years, Nikka discontinued their beloved age statement single malts (and later, many of their much-loved blends), Suntory temporarily halted favourites like Hibiki 17 and Hakushu 12, and the prices of pretty much all remaining Suntory and Nikka age statement (and NAS for that matter) whiskies skyrocketed. 

...and that's not even mentioning whisky from closed Japanese distilleries (to see how things are going there, just check out these auction prices of a "full deck" of Ichiro's Malt Cards Series from 2015, 2019 and 2020 respectively).

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After a few years came the the wave of what many have termed "fake Japanese Whiskies" - those which took advantage of loose legislation in Japan which meant that producers could (and still can, for now) bottle whisky made from 100% imported spirit such as Scotch or Canadian whisky, and sell it as "Japanese Whisky" domestically and around the world. 

Again, the use of non-Japanese distilled spirit isn't a new thing. Nikka for example had been thought to be using Ben Nevis (which they own) in their hugely popular "Nikka from the Barrel", for years, but the rise in Japanese whisky popularity in the past 5 years has seen a big increase in other overpriced, opaque/ambiguous bottlings calling themselves "Japanese", often with samurai or other imagery, with absolutely no guarantee as to where the spirit originated. 

(For the record, I have no problem with the practice of imported spirit being bottled and sold by Japanese companies, and companies like Nikka who are willingly being transparent about the issue should be applauded. My issue is with those being deliberately deceptive, trying to "fool" their customers into thinking the whisky was distilled in Japan when it wasn't.)

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More recently though, we've seen a ray of hope emerge - "proper" Japanese whisky from new or newly-expanded distilleries/brands, producing unique, Japanese-distilled spirit, and in the last few years (and especially the last 12 months), we've seen the first whisky releases from many of these start to emerge.

With thanks to our friends at AFTrade Hong Kong, we're going to feature a few of these whiskies over the coming week, with detailed tasting notes and some background into each distillery. Specifically, we'll be trying:

• Kanosuke Single Malt 2021 First Edition (link to tasting post)
• Sakurao Single Malt 1st Release (link to tasting post)
• Mars Tsuniki Peated (link to tasting post)
• Akkeshi Single Malt: "Boshu", "Kanro" and "Usui" (link to tasting post); and
• Mars Komagatake x Chichibu "Malt Duo" (not as new as some of the others, but a fascinating blended malt considering the practice of sharing barrels and blending malts is far from common in Japan) (link to tasting post)

(Links to the articles will be added as they're posted)

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We hope these posts give you some insight into these new, exciting Japanese distilleries and a little taste of things to come from Japanese whisky in the future. If you have any thoughts of your own on these whiskies (or the Japanese whisky scene in general) please leave them in the comments below!

Kanpai,

Martin.

Morris Whisky [Tasted #529]

Morris Whisky entered the Australian Whisky foray last month and although the Morris brand is relatively new in the whisky sphere, the Morris brand itself has been known for over 160 years with its winery business - also known as the Morris of Rutherglen. 

The fortified wine brand was purchased by John Casella and his family in 2016 through which John introduced Morris Whisky, a category that has now breathed new life into the Morris brand. 

The idea of introducing a whisky range culminated from the idea of combining both, whisky distillation as well as in using wine barrels that come from their primary business. Whilst the concept of ageing in wine barrels is not new, the proposition is certainly is for the Morris brand.

John Capella also wanted to bring to market, an Australian whisky range that can be accessed by most Australians. He wanted to make sure that prices remain relatively low and at A$89.99 for its 700ml signature single malt, Morris is out there with more mainstream Scotch whiskies or Starward, a local brand that is often to known to have its pricing lower than their Australian peers. 

Regardless, the pricing point will likely be a win for consumers across Australia and the strategy will no doubt help Morris quickly launch into the mainstream Australian whisky market.

Situated in North East Victoria, in the small town of Rutherglen, Morris of Rutherglen - the actual winery was established in 1859 on a site that is now shared with the new Morris Whisky Distillery. 

Prior to the birth of Morris Whisky, Morris of Rutherglen had been primarily known for their wines and in particular, their fortified wines. In fact, the North-Eastern Victoria region is widely known as the capital of fortified wines. The region's temperate climate provide the perfect condition for ageing wines and now, for whisky distillation and ageing.

At the heart of the distillery are the original 1930s copper pot and column stills. These stills were re-conditioned and are now used to produce Morris whisky.

Morris Whisky is primarily derived from Australian malted barley which is the matured in Barossa and Coonawarra wine barrels which are coopered by the Casella family on-site. The whisky is finished in Morris' fortified wine barrels to give it its unique signature.

Morris Rutherglen Signature Single Malt (40%, Victoria, Australia, A$89.99) 

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Nose: light-bodied, caramelised brown sugar, citrus and summer fruits and some fresh apple pie. There is an aroma of grain mixed with peppermint and banana muffin

Palate: Soft, light, easy on the palate. There's fudge with drizzle of honey followed by dry, peppermint and some white pepper

Finish: There's a soft spice with some peppermint that remains but fizzle out over time

Rating: 91/100 (very much an everyday, shareable whisky that can be enjoyed on its own or paired)

Cheers

Hendy

Thanks to Liquid Ideas for providing us with a sample bottle.

Teeling "Blackpitts" Peated Irish Whiskey [Tasted #528]

My enjoyment of Teeling Whiskey is well documented on this blog, having first tried their whiskey way back in 2013 (a year after brothers Jack & Stephen Teeling started operations), and many times since - including some incredible single casks from the early 1990s, with their trademark Irish tropical fruitiness.

The thing is, those whiskies weren't actually distilled at the Teeling Distillery in Dublin (which only opened in 2015, a year before the brand's Hong Kong launch), but rather at the Cooley Distillery, which was started by Stephen & Jack's father John, but sold to Beam in 2011. 

Things changed in 2018, when Teeling's Dublin Distillery released their first Dublin-distilled whiskey (Pot Still, which I shamefully still haven't tried), and last year the distillery released their second Dublin-distilled whiskey, in the form of this peated "Blackpitts".

Aged in a mixture of Sauternes (1/3) and ex-Bourbon (2/3) casks, the triple-distilled whiskey takes its name from the area located behind the distillery, previously home to some of the largest barley malting houses in Ireland.

It ticks a lot of the same boxes that Teeling's first "Small Batch" did all those years ago (46%, NCF, well-priced, matured in an interesting mix of casks etc..) but let's see how it tastes shall we? 

Teeling "Blackpitts" (46% ABV, NAS, Dublin, Ireland, $729HKD, $94.99AUD)
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Colour: Light orange straw.

Nose: A lighter, funkier style of peat than your typical Islay peated whisky. Tangy BBQ sauce, white pepper and a slight hint of oak.

Palate: Apple chips, honey toast, peach and subtle pineapple. A delightful funk, with some subtle caramel undertones.

Finish: Fairly short, with some spiced oak and milk chocolate.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100. I enjoyed this - it's an unusual style of peat (no doubt the triple distillation is part of the reason), but with some delicious complementary notes. A great addition to the range.

A big thanks to Teeling Whiskey Co & Summergate Hong Kong for this bottle, which is available for $729HKD from Summergate's Website in Hong Kong.

Cheers,

Martin.

Ardbeg Day 2021 - Ardbeg Scorch [Tasted #527]

Ah, Ardbeg Day, that wonderful annual celebration for Ardbeggians all around the world, with increasingly epic events since its inception a decade ago. From digging up Arbdeg treasure at 2013's "Ardbog" event, to human foosball at 2014's "Auriverdes" event, to a secret island for 2016's "Dark Cove" event, not to mention all the great bar events in both HK and Australia in 2018 and 2019, there have certainly been some fantastic times (and that's not even including the actual Feis Ile events at the distillery).

Last year COVID did what COVID does (i.e. messed everything up), but that didn't stop us from tasting the 2020 "Blaaack" release, nor celebrating with a small bar night at Tiffany's New York Bar in Hong Kong - which incidentally is exactly what we did again this year, with COVID still making large-scale parties a non-starter.

Ardbeg Scorch is 2021's limited release (and again comes in both Committee Release and regular guise in Australia, but only the latter in HK, shown below). Matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks which have been heavily charred "by the fiery exhale of Warehouse 3’s definitely-real-and-totally-not-made-up dragon" (gotta love these press releases) the whisky harkens back to 2011's Alligator - now a cult favourite and yet another whisky I regret not picking up at Changi Duty Free when I had the chance!

LVMH were kind enough to send me a sample to try, along with an invitation to Tiffany's for a live stream tasting with new distillery manager Colin Gordon. We were guided through a tasting of 6 Ardbegs, which was great because whilst I'd tried almost all of them before, I'd never tried them all side by side. From Wee Beastie (a great value dram) to the Classic 10, An Oa, Uigeadail & Corryvreckan, it was great to spot the differences (some subtle, some very noticeable) between each. 

Of course, there was one whisky we were particularly there to try...

Adbeg "Scorch" (Ardeg Day 2021) (46% ABV, NAS, Islay, $2098HKD in a pack with the 10yo, $225AUD)
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Colour: Orange brown-gold.

Nose: Smoked candied lemon & orange peel at first, then a burst of coastal salty peat. 

Palate: Initially velvety and sweet, with strong citrus notes then an emerging BBQ smoke. Caramel chews, salty sea air, licorice and oat cakes round things out.

Finish: Long citrus smoke and jelly babies, with some residual BBQ notes.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. More complex than I was expecting. Sweeter too, but overall another winner. Not quite up there with Alligator if you ask me, but definitely worth your consideration. Well done Ardbeg.

Cheers,

Martin.

Thanks to MHDHK for the invitation and sample.

That Boutique-y Whisky Company "Australia" Series: Part 2 [Tasted #519 - 526]

Following on from Part 1 of our coverage of That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TWBC) Australia Series release, our Part 2 post will explore the series in a bit more detail.

The full lineup of TWBC's Australia series include 8 bottlings from distilleries that span across the mainland and Tasmania:

• Black Gate 3YO Single Malt
• Belgrove 4YO Rye
• Tin Shed 3YO Single Malt
• Fleurieu 3YO Single Malt (exclusive in Australia to The Oak Barrel)
• Killara 2YO Single Malt 
• Riverbourne 3YO Single Malt
• Starward 3YO Single Malt
• Bakery Hill 5YO Single Malt

The series sees bottlings from a collection of highly sought after, small-batch craft distilleries, many of which have not previously been available outside of Australia. Amongst this is Belgrove, a farm-to-glass distillery run by Peter Bignell, one of the most known and loved Distillers in Australia. Peter has been known for his unconventional equipment and techniques and is dubbed the 'Mad Scientist.' Peter's Belgrove Rye is renowned internationally due to the use of his own rye to craft his whisky.

Alongside Belgrove, the release also includes bottlings from Starward (whose presence has graced markets in the UK and US, Black Gate (whose total annual output is just 3000L) and Killara, founded by Kristy Lark-Booth - daughter of Bill Lark aka the ‘godfather’ of Australian whisky. Although Kristy has grown up around whisky, she originally wanted to be an Air Traffic Controller. The TBWC Killara label has her overseeing airspace that is filled with flying copper pot stills - an acknowledgment to her dedication to controlling the distillation process.

There is also bottling from Fleurie, a South Australian distillery run by ex-brewers Angela and Gareth Andrews whose site is famously an old train shed site and feature on the TBWC label. Angela and Gareth also took the pleasure to re-create the label by wearing the same outfit as the label during the Oak Barrel launch of the series. Fleurieu is also known for their copper pot stills which are modelled on those at Islay Distillery, Caol Ila and their super long (8 days) fermentation. 

The series also features bottlings from Tin Shed, Riverbourne and Bakery Hill. The Tin Shed release is particularly interesting given the use of ex-tawny port and ex-Pinot Gris casks. Tin Shed started producing in 2013 and is known for occasionally smoking their barley with mallee root, the root of a dwarf Australian eucalyptus tree.

The release from Riverbourne is also fairly unique with the use of re-charred ex-Australian wine casks. Another fun fact, Riverbourne is run by Australia's oldest distiller, Martin Pye whose root is actually in pharmacy with Martin being a third-generation pharmacist. He has been known to use a wide range of yeast strains and re-charred ex-wine casks for maturing the Riverbourne spirit.

Then there's Bakery Hill. Headed by David Baker, an ex-High School chemistry teacher who first built his still in an industrial unit in Bayswater Victoria in 1999. The label on the TWBC Bakery Hill bottling down right paints his earlier years, 'Breaking Bad' style - though no blue ice involved, only whisky. The label shows founder David Baker and his son Andrew in hazmat suit packing their Winnabago full of casks. Classic.

I sat down with each of the bottlings and here's my take on the series. My personal favourites included the Black Gate 3yo, the Belgrove Rye as well as the Killara 2yo.

Black Gate 3 Year Old (46%, 3yo, New South Wales, Australia, A$255) One of my favourite from the series. The nose is very floral, there are fruity hints, specifically stone fruits, peaches and green apples. There is vanilla. The nose reminds you of springtimes. The palate on the other hand adds a level of punch firstly with tar and soot which then mellows out to vanilla and creamy soda. There is that creme brulee or lemon tart that then develops into hot white pepper notes. The spices remain on the palate for some time.

Belgrove 4 Year Old Rye  (49.8%,  4yo, Tasmania, Australia, A$299) The nose is interesting and filled with agave (tequila?), it is nutty and there are peppermint notes and a whiff of light smoke. The palate begins with char, tar and lots of soot. It's very earthy. Once the big initial notes fizzle out, you get peanut brittle that's served with some spices, chilly, that agave returns and there is that smoke again. The finish is dry yet the smoke lingers and remains for some time.

Tin Shed 3 Year Old (48%, 3yo, South Australia, Australia, A$215)  Interesting mix with a combination of ex-Tawny and ex-Pinot Gris cask. Very musky nose with glazed bacon with an added maple syrup. It's rather stocky, meaty, bbq meat, there's a hint of smoke with some mild chilli. The palate is rather complex. Soft at first, with a gradual build-up of spice, caramel and bacon developing into a soft mushy pear. The finish is quite a bit of tannin, mild, heat and stays for some time.

Fleurieu 3 Year Old (49.5%, 3yo, Goolwa, South Australia, $190) (exclusive in Australia to The Oak Barrel) The nose is pungent, old linen, biscuits, pecan pie, honey, flour, caramel. The palate is creamy, gentle at start, spiced, chilli, pumpkin pie, more vanilla, salted caramel, chilli chocolate. The finish is full of spices mixed with chocolate and caramel, a tart finish and spice remnants.

Killara 2 Year Old (49%, 2yo, Tasmania, Australia, A$375) the nose is sweet with loads of gummy berries, vanilla, maple syrup on waffles, fruit tingles. The nose is fun and surprising given the relatively young age of the spirit. The palate is chalky at first which is then followed by some berries (raspberries), mango, and strawberry, some citrus/lemon notes and hints of black pepper. I must say, the palate is rather delicious and fruity, very balanced. The sweetness and tartiness linger for a while.

Riverbourne 3 Year Old (50%, New South Wales, Australia, A$239) Allspice hits the nose, there is heat, a hint of cinnamon and the heat keeps rising, chilli or perhaps chilli chocolate. There's oak and honey though plenty of spearmint and tannin. That heat continues but fizzles out after a while. Unique profile that may please traditional Riverbourne fans though might be different for some.

Starward 3 Year Old (56%, 3yo, Victoria, Australia, A$179) The Starward profile is clearly there on the nose with loads of gummy bear lollies, banana, raisins, dried fruits, apricot, nectarines. Very fruity at first and followed by cinnamon chai and caramelised sugar.      Those sweet lollies are ever-present again. Though there is also some salt and spice; salted caramel. The sweetness continues and the cinnamon spice grips. Very mouthful and settle into some citrus and oranges (naval) notes. The finish is gingery, the spice remains and fizzle out into spearmint after taste.

Bakery Hill 5 Year Old (50%, 5yo, Victoria, Australia, A$299) The nose is musky with oak remnants, some vanilla, leather. There is cherry ripe mixed with some spearmint. The palate is very gentle, soft and filled with oat biscuit, creamy marshmallow and there is a gentle nutmeg spice on the back of the palate. The spearmint lingers on the palate and slowly fizzle out.

The Australian Series is an extremely exciting set and so much so that the majority of the bottlings have been sold out. The Oak Barrels in Sydney as well as few select retailers in Australia still have limited stocks on some of the bottlings - so do get them while it lasts.

Cheers
Hendy

67yo "Mr George Legacy" Glen Grant 1953 from Gordon & MacPhail [Tasted #518]

Over the past few years I've been fortunate to try some pretty incredible Gordon & MacPhail bottlings - many of them positively geriatric (including one in it's 70s - notes here), but my favourite by far has been the 62yo 1956 "Mr George Centenary" (tasted here). I called it my top whisky of 2019, and if I'm honest, it remained so across 2020 too.

...so when G&M reached out and asked if I'd like to try the new "Mr George Legacy" 1st Edition - also a Glen Grant, but this time a 1953 bottled just after its 67th birthday, I wasn't going to say no!

Distilled on Christmas Eve 1953 and bottled on 5th Jan 2021, the whisky spent its whole life in a First Fill Sherry Butt, and retained a hefty (and frankly astonishing) 59.4% ABV when bottled after those 67 years. 

Bottled to celebrate the Legacy of "Mr George" Urquhart (second generation of the G&M family and the man who created the Connoisseurs Choice range which still remains hugely popular today), a total of 355 bottles are available. A fitting tribute to someone Charlie MacLean refers to as "The father, the originator of the current success and appreciation of Scotch Malt Whiskies" then!

Describing Mr George's influence on the company and wider Scotch whisky scene, Stephen Rankin, grandson and G&M's Director of Prestige said: “My grandfather possessed a passion for taking single malts beyond these shores. Over many decades, he built and nurtured close relationships with some of Scotland’s leading distilleries and proudly took as much as he could carry on his international trips. I have fond memories of joining him, meeting new people, and telling stories about the casks he’d chosen to bring out the best in the different types of spirit."

Gordon & MacPhail 1953 Glen Grant 67yo "Mr George Legacy" (59.4% ABV, 67yo, Cask #4209, Speyside, £5,000)

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Colour: Intensely deep ruby-red copper.

Nose: Maraschino cherries and cough syrup, with old leather-bound books initially. Seriously "decadent", mature and complex. Sherry-soaked dates, furniture polish & hazelnuts. Water adds a little more nuttiness.

Palate: Zesty at first, with citrus spice, and cigar leaves soaked in orange. Grassy and with blackcurrant hints, the nearly 60% ABV does bring some heat, but it's a very composed and complex palate overall. There's some ginger and a plum sweetness, with mint notes towards the end. Water brings more of a meaty, earthen note.

Finish: Long notes of leather cigar pouch with residual earthy smoke and paprika.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100. There's a huge amount going on here, and it's all delicious. A stunning dram - even more impressive when you consider that after 67 years in a 1st fill butt, there's no "off" notes - no overly-oaky tannins, no sulphur. A stunning cask and a testament to both Mr George and the wider G&M team.

Cheers,

Martin.