Angus from Decadent Drinks recently decided to bottle a blended whisky, I kid you not. Not just any blend though, it is a 1969 vintage bottled in 2015. Angus was kind enough to explain that it was a private bottling for someone who never got round to finishing a label so got rid of it eventually. It was then rebottled and became part of the Whisky Sponge series.
Usually when high-end bottler select a blended whisky, they’ll go for something with a very high malt content. In this case though, things are different…
Blended Scotch Whisky 46 yo 1969 (46,6%, Decadent Drinks 2015, 208 btl.)
Nose: close to a very old Cameronbridge or Invergordon grain for instance. The obvious vanilla, banana sweetness and (very subtle) coconut shavings, but also fresher lime juice, pineapple and lemon icing. Hints of sunflower oil and candied ginger as well. Then drops of Triple Sec and marmalade, a little marzipan and wood resin. Nice old school leather too.
Mouth: very supple and pretty excellent. More malty influence now, with roasted grains, a hint of toffee and hints of buttery pastry. Natural vanilla again, with hints of (candied) orange, banana and peach. Almonds again. Sweetened tea with lemon towards the end.
Finish: medium long, very clean, with waxy sweetness and surprisingly mild oak spice.
A really good, old grain whisky is the cornerstone of this blend and gets all the attention. However, it does go well beyond that. It couples creamy sweetness to a nice freshness and slenderness (much rarer for a grain whisky) and old school malty notes. Great catch. Sold out from Decadent Drinks, but still a few bottles available from The Whisky Exchange or Royal Mile Whiskies for instance.