North British 48 yo 1962 / 2010 The Perfect Dram

A grain whisky this time, from North British Distillery. North British does not bottle its whisky, but you and I have certainly drunk a lot of it as the grain in some well known blends: Johnnie Black, Famous Grouse, J&B, Cutty Sark.

North British has been around awhile too, chugging along, quietly riding booms and busts since 1887. In 1888 it was already producing 3.5 million litres of spirit, by the First World War, it was already producing 9 million litres. Such is the distillery’s history that with ups and downs were followed by investment and expansion then more ups and downs, but suffice to say that by 2008, this huge plant produced a record 2 billion litres of spirit.

Yes it is far removed from the picturesque 2 still malt distillery set in the mountains.

Also, as you know, in Scotland, grain whisky such as that distilled by North British is distilled using column or Coffey stills. But grain whisky can be rather rough around the edges when young, so longer aging is needed. This Perfect Dram example is aged 48 years! Which would be positively ancient for a malt.

North British 48 yo, 1962 / 2010, The Perfect Dram, ex-bourbon hogshead, 47.9%, 146 bottles

  Nose: Flambéd banana and liquer. New leather, and huge amounts of cloves and cinnamon and related wood spices. Very bourbony. But also hugely smooth and rounded. Can’t help but wonder how much of this is the time spent in bourbon wood and how much of it is the spirit itself. Wood influence here is quite obvious. Ok creme and butterscotch, fresh amber sap, and the spices resurface. In fact, they never went away, nonetheless the development is elegant, turning to bitter dill and parsley. WIth eaxed paper and old scented candles at the back of the nose. Erm. old wrinkled pears too.

  Palette: Bourbony again. Good velvety weight, almond oil. Warming with those wood spices, but also has a good tannic grippiness. Hit of vanilla beans and leather. Sweet pudding and berry juice. As expected from the nose.

  Finish: Long, wood and herbs.

Yup, pleasing, smooth, complex. But it’s had 48 years in wood. Not sure it would have taken many more without getting too close to a bourbon.