Black Bull 30 Years old was a terrific blend. Now it has been surpassed by an older brother, Black Bull 40yo. It is made up of 90% malt whisky and 10% grain (a lot more malt than other blends). It contains whiskies from nine distilleries: Glenfarclas, Bunnahabhain, Glenlivet, Highland Park and Springbank among others.
Black Bull 40 yo (40,2%,
Duncan Taylor 2010, batch #1)
Black Bull 40 yo (40,2%, Nose: starts fresh on vanilla and grapefruit. A complete fruit basket unfolds: zesty orange, pineapple, apple. Quite a lot of beeswax and honey. Lovely hints of peppermint / eucalyptus which really lift this dram. Nice integration of oak. Incredibly refined.
Mouth: a creamy texture with loads of vanilla again. More hints of dried fruits now (raisins, dry apricots). More spicy oak as well, but perfectly acceptable. Hints of liquorice. Feeling very mild, even slightly weak maybe, it doesn’t seem to linger long.
Finish: medium length. There’s a faint grassiness mixed with vanilla and coconut. Returns to grapefruit. Very clean.
This is a delicious piece of blending art at an amazingly low price compared to 40 year-old single malts or other premium blends such as White & Mackay 40yo. Still I had the feeling it’s a bit on the tame side. I prefer the 30 year old version for having more punch and more sherry influence. Around € 170.
Score: 85/100