Edrington blending stocks have been around for a couple of years now. They got on my radar in 2016 and they were soon rumoured to be malt bases, pre-destined to become a premium blend at some point but offloaded due to a change of business plans.
David Stirk’s book Independent Scotch explains well how abandonded ideas of large players often make their way to smaller indie bottlers in large parcels of similar casks. I’ve once written a Malt Maniacs e-pistle myself about how these parcels are split among several bottlers (or ‘labelers’ if you like).
Anyway, Vintage Bottlers just bottled a small series of four Blended Scotches. These compositions were originally crafted in 1999, using a mix of whiskies from Macallan, Glenturret, Highland Park and North British, laid to rest in first fill sherry butts. Each bottle contains a different bird – one of them is the (famous) Black Grouse, how appropriate.
Maiden’s Blend 25 yo 1999 (43,8%, Vintage Bottlers 2024, sherry butt #8, 643 btl.)
Nose: feels like a blended malt, with a really nice sherry character to it. Mild chocolate and dark nougat, along with brown sugar and cinnamon cookies. There’s a hint of toasted hazelnuts and grains in the background, as well as some subtle mint and orange peels. Increasingly leafy over time.
Mouth: on the drier side, which is good. There’s toffee and vanilla but also light tobacco and hints of black pepper. You do feel the maturity, although the (old) grain whisky is now also easier to note (citrusy, slightly thinner). Then it continues on leather and a very subtle smoky edge.
Finish: medium to long, with more oranges, tobacco notes and mild oak spice.
A nice one, showing good depth and enough punch despite the modest ABV. Overall a nicey mature blend and a good start of this session. Available from Vintage Bottlers.
Maiden’s Blend 25 yo 1999 (43,9%, Vintage Bottlers 2024, sherry butt #9, 643 btl.)
Nose: slightly thinner and cleaner perhaps – I mean less chocolaty and less sherried. Closer to a true blend, I’d say. We’re getting brighter plummy notes along with metallic hints and cigar boxes. Then nutmeg and white pepper, along with some mossy notes.
Mouth: more blend-y indeed. Plenty of grainy notes, both barley and hints of grain whisky. This seems closer to, say, Highland Park than to Macallan. Hints of tea, a drop of heather honey and a light hint of this typical vanilla-coconut combo.
Finish: medium, clean, with vanilla, light herbs and an almost rum-like hint of honey.
In this cask the grain whisky seems to come out more, taking away some of the sherry goodness and depth of its sister. Available from Vintage Bottlers. Score: 85/100
Maiden’s Blend 25 yo 1999 (44,6%, Vintage Bottlers 2024, sherry butt #6, 652 btl.)
Nose: aromatic heathery notes stand out, along with leafy notes and dried berries. Then demerara sugar, honey and leather, with some more earthy notes in the background. Nutmeg and clove studded orange.
Mouth: sweeter than the others, with more oranges and a hint of coconut, as well as golden raisins, cake and gingerbread syrup. Half Highland Park, half grain whisky again, or so it seems. Roasted coffee beans and light coastal elements appear towards the end.
Finish: medium to long, still sailing the wave of sweet fruits, coconut, with polished oak and pepper.
More Orkney goodness here, with a nice honey character and some coastal notes. Overall more syrupy and less sherried than expected, but really nice on its own. Available from Vintage Bottlers. Score: 86/100
Maiden’s Blend 25 yo 1999 (44,6%, Vintage Bottlers 2024, sherry butt #7, 654 btl.)
Nose: more clasically sherried again. Think caramelized hazelnuts and walnuts, toffee, baking spice and milk chocolate. Then fruit cake and exotic, slightly smoky wood. We’ve come closer to cask #8 again.
Mouth: yes, closely related to cask #8. Toffee and vanilla, mixed with drier hints of fallen leaves, herbal tea, gingerbread and artisan cola. A bit of grainy sweetness appears late.
Finish: medium to long, with dark fruits, toffee, baking spice and roasted almond.
Solid and pretty classic stuff again. Casks #7 and #8 come closest to malt whisky, and indeed also to old Macallan. Blends that make you believe they’re not blends – high quality. On the other hand, they’re almost the price of similarly aged single malts. Available from Vintage Bottlers. Score: 87/100