DeinWhisky.de is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a very old grain whisky supplied by Sansibar as part of their white label series. It was distilled at North of Scotland distillery in 1971 and it’s 50 years of age.
North of Scotland 50 yo 1971 (40,4%, Sansibar for DeinWhisky.de 2021, bourbon cask, 344 btl.)
Nose: a lot of furniture polish, with leathery notes, vanilla and a hint of coconut. You could think this was a bourbon whiskey, although it’s less sweet and thick. A few drops of glue, then aniseed and bresilienne. Whiffs of vanilla latte.
Mouth: very gentle, not to say a little watery. There’s liquorice, dark roasted nuts, even some earthy touches. Banana schnapps. A sour side too, orange peel and berries. Some gingery notes and spice, as well as light resinous notes, but no woody tannins.
Finish: clean, pretty long, with more of this fruity sourness and a little green tea.
Whisky is sometimes kept in cask until it reaches a nice round age, and 50 is rather mytical of course. Contrary to the similar North of Scotland 1971 I tried a couple of weeks ago, this one shows no astringency, just a lack of power and richness. Good but not on the same level as the many masterpieces in this white label series. Only available from DeinWhisky.de of course.