Bank Note 5 Years Old

By Barry Bradford on September 13, 2018 • ( Leave a comment )

Bank Note 5 Years Old (43%, A.D Rattray, 2018)

Category: Blended scotch whisky
Origin: ?
Bottling: A. D. Rattray
ABV: 43%
Cost: £21.95

What they say

An iconic brand, first made over 150 years ago, Bank Note has been re-created today to give you an evocative, premium 5 Year Old Scotch Whisky… light and fresh aromas, a delicate sweetness, subtle spice and a mellow finish.

Bank Note is the perfect mix of the finest malt whiskies (40%) from the Speyside and Highland regions, expertly blended with the purest grain whisky (60%) from Lowland Scotland. Maturation in oak casks ensures a mellow taste at 43% ABV with sweet richness and alluring depth of flavour.

Bank Note is the only blend we offer at A. D. Rattray. And it’s for two reasons. We believe it’s exceptional. And it’s part of Scotland’s whisky heritage.

It comes from a time long ago when George, Edward then Victoria reigned. Great passenger liners set sail from Glasgow. Cargo ships were loaded with whisky barrels on the Clyde, where James Sword & Co was one of the largest companies to bottle and blend. Bank Note was in their portfolio of spirits. The company was admired for its dedication to quality – and so we are proud to make Bank Note available today.

Official tasting notes:

Colour: Golden with brilliant clarity.
Nose: Clean, crisp aroma, hints of vanilla.
Palate: Mellow on the taste with sweet richness and depth of flavour.
Finish: Clean on the palate with lingering sweetness.

What I say

Sampled during the A.D. Rattray tweet tasting #ADRattray hosted by Steve at The Whisky Wire on 10th September 2018.

My tasting notes:

Appearance: Full amber gold (10/20), medium oily tears leave large legs.
Nose: Citric, lemon, tangerine and oranges, peel and zest, lemon puff biscuits, porridge, gristy cereal, linseed oil, molten butter, a darker note of coffee or aniseed hints of cask char
Taste: Light, silky, vanilla and lemon buttercream icing, more rich zest, tangerine and linseed oil again, foam banana and flying saucer/fizzy sweets
Finish: Medium-long, zesty and drying, oak wood

Overall

A pleasant blended scotch whisky, while the grain component is evident the end result is surprisingly rounded and drinkable considering the youngest element in this blend is 5 years old. Some nice cask char and spice elements present too.