Glenlossie-Glenlivet 48 Years Old 1966 Single Cask (43.5%, Cadenheads, Bourbon HH, 168 Bottles, 2014)

• Single malt scotch whisky
• 43.5% ABV, £350 for 70cl
• Score: 83/100

What they say:

Distilled at the Glenlossie distillery in 1966 and matured in a bourbon hogshead for 48 years before bottling in 2014 at cask strength of 43.5% with a 168 bottle outturn.

This whisky was distilled in 1966, four years after the distillery had increased from 4 to 6 stills. The spirit stills have purifiers which help to increase reflux making for a lighter spirit.

Nose: Sweet juicy old school whisky. A touch of wood smoke then some peaches in syrup, pears, mangoes and apricots.

Palate: Soft fruitiness, faint trace of smoke, dried banana flakes then more juicy fruits.

Finish: Lingering soft smoke intertwined with touches of cream and lashings of tropical fruit.

What I say:

Dram #1 at the Jolly Toper Christmas Tasting (18th December 2014) was this 48 year old Glenlossie distilled in 1966. The oldest single malt bottled to date by Wm Cadenhead’s. Mark expressed a little displeasure at the fact that this was bottled and sold without him ever having tasted it as non reached the Royal Mile Cadenhead’s store in Edinburgh. To his surprise a case lay forgotten about in Campbeltown and as soon as it was spotted Mark snapped them up partly to sample it but mostly to inflict it upon us!

Colour:

Full gold

Nose:

Creamy vanilla, sweet, dolly mixture sweeties, cereal barley, popcorn, bubblegum, some herbal cardamom

Taste:

Light heather honey, vanilla, coconut, butterscotch, caramel and toffee, fruity peach, banana

Finish:

Drying, vaporous, sweet oak

Overall:

Interesting, this nosed like a potentially young/fresh whisky however on the palate there was a depth that spoke of its true age. That said there is nothing complex or unusual in the palate and this received a mixed reception. Mark was convinced this was potentially blending stock or similar that had been placed into a tired or refill underactive cask and left, and left, and left. Sadly this never reached its full potential so was bottled before there was a chance the ABV dropped below the minimum 40% requirement for whisky. I have had a lot of younger whiskies that tasted a lot older. Still a pleasure to taste apiece of history again.