Golden Grain 50 Years (Cooper’s Choice)

This is a blended grain whisky, blended at birth and matured in a bourbon cask for over 50 years before being bottled by The Cooper’s Choice.

As one of their most interesting recent bottlings, it will be available to try in Limburg. They will also present a brand-new Glen Esk 1984, bottled especially for the Limburg Festival at 49,5%. I’ve heard it is a bit Brora-esk and surprisingly good.

‘Golden Grain’ 50 yo (50%, Cooper’s Choice 2016, blended grain, bourbon cask #0042, 250 btl.)

Nose: great start on caramelized nuts, lots of worn leather and (nice) hints of glue and turpentine. Some pencil shavings. Also quite a few rummy notes (banana skin maybe) and hints of bourbon whiskey (must be the vanilla / leather combo). Hints of cigar boxes or old wooden herb cases. Really nice.

Mouth: sweet and smooth considering the alcohol volume. Again a bit rummy, with sugar cane and fruit compote. Lacquered wood, but not too tannic. Vanilla cake, hints of maple syrup. Evolves on slightly uncommon metallic touches, maybe even a hint of petrol. Mind you, I love that.

Mouth: not too long, a bit more spicy / herbal now. Gingerbread and leather. Fruit tea.

A great oldie, if just a tad sweet maybe. Lots of punchy aromas, no rough edges and an interesting fusion with rummy and bourbonny notes. Reasonably priced as well: around € 230.

Score: 90/100