Crown Vat 20 yo Blended 27th May 1966 Rotation 66/27 L.W. Cos 169 40% vs Macphail’s 10 yo Pure Malt Scotch Whisky Gold 106 60.5% Meregalli
Crown Vat 20 yo 61% Malt 39% Grain Blended 27th May 1966 Rotation 66/27 Sykes and Co. L.W. Cos 169 40%
Retained its freshness despite the age and low abv. Old school markers are checked. Camphor, old cabinets, potpourri sachets, compost, metal polish old silverware, dirty stones, soot, coal, machine oil, musty earth, a bit of funky fruit from an overripe sherry. It really noses like an old style whisky, also note the high percentage of malt used here. A reminder from when blends had lots of character. 86 pts
Macphail’s 10 yo Pure Malt Scotch Whisky Gold 106 60.5% Meregalli
A lot going on here. Dried grass, diesel fumes, moldy fruit from a really fusty sherry, no really you only get these manky-sweet notes from old sherry butts, snubbed candles, dried out resins, dank warehouses, mushrooms, dark forest floor. Multilayered. Rotting wood, and some sort of umami bone broth with stale black pepper. Just great unnamed whisky. Tad simpler on the tongue though. Also don’t shy from the water. 89 pts
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- Clynelish 26 yo 1990 / 2016 Cadenhead 45.3% vs Highland Park 28 yo 1989 / 2018 Cadenhead 48.8%
- Linkwood 29 yo 1989 / 2019 SMWS 39.180 51% vs Linkwood 11 yo 2007 / 2019 SMWS 39.176 58%
- Strathisla 1967 / 2004 Duncan Taylor 45.9% vs Strathisla 1965 James MacArthur 51.7%
- Lagavulin 12 yo Carpano Import 43% vs Lagavulin 15 yo ceramic decanter 45%
- Eastern Highland 1975 / 1988 Samaroli Fragments of Scotland 50% (Glen Garioch) vs Glen Garioch 17 yo 1975 James MacArthur’s 54.2%
- Bowmore 10 yo Devil’s Cask Batch 1 56.9% vs Bowmore 10 yo Devils Cask Batch 2 56.3%
- Dalmore 10 yo 2006 46% vs Tomintoul 25 yo 40% ~2014 bottling vs Mackmyra Moments Ledin 48%
- Mortlach 21 yo 1957 / 1978 Cadenhead dumpy 80 proof vs Mortlach 22 yo 1969 / 1969 Cadenhead dumpy 50.5%
- Ledaig 20 yo 1972 James MacArthur 53.8% vs Ledaig 21 yo 1972 James MacArthur 54.2% vs Ledaig 18 yo James MacArthur 54.4% vs Ledaig 18 yo James MacArthur 55.2% vs Ledaig 23 yo 1972 for LMdW 51.9%
- Aberlour 30 yo 1963 James MacArthur 55.2% vs Aberfeldy 17 yo 2002 / 2019 Distillery Special #20019 54.9%
