Dead Whisky Society was an independent bottler founded by Jim Milne, a former blender at Chivas and other companies. The concept was to bottle whisky from closed distilleries, but as far as I know, the whole project ended in 2011 after six bottlings. This Banff 1971 is probably their bottling with the best reputation.
Banff 37 yo 1971 (53,3%, Dead Whisky Society 2008, cask #633, 565 btl.)
Banff 37 yo 1971 (53,3%, Dead Whisky Society 2008, cask #633, 565 btl.)Nose: typical Banff austerity. Mineral notes, hints of glue and silver polish. Then some grassy notes, eucalyptus and aniseed. Subtle lemon zest and smoke. Hints of farmyards. Wax candles. As it folds open, fruity notes come to the fore. Kiwi, pink grapefruit, stewed apples, unripe banana. Very complex, but it needs time.
Mouth: thick and oily. Again a curious ensemble of flavours. Sweet vanilla, Seville oranges, grapefruit. Then some sweet mustard, some dusty notes and dried herbs. Back to honey and lemon. Some thick creamy notes in the background as well. Traces of smoke again. Very unmodern.
Finish: long, on mint, citrus and white pepper. Hints of green tea.
This is a great dram, and a typical Banff in the sense that it’s slightly idiosyncratic. It needs time and a certain understanding of this old style to fully appreciate it.
Score: 92/100