Hirsch 1974 16yo Bourbon

A classic potstill bourbon from Pennsylvania and one that is becoming extremely rare. This is a 16yo bottling which was distilled in 1974 and is from some of the last stocks from the original Michter's distillery which closed in the early 80's. Anyway this was the first bourbon to gain 5 stars from Paul Pacult so lets see it:

Nose: Butter melted over digestives with a touch of cheesecake!

Taste: Wow stunning taste rich and rounded with lots of vanilla and a touch of rich red fruits - more digestive notes as well! Very very difficult to describe - but stunning. Strawberry and cream sweeties that don't taste like strawberries and cream!

Finish: Lingering sweetness, without being clawing - would say that this tastes "understrength" but in a good way not the 45.8% that it is.

Comment: Very difficult to describe - but wow this is good and scarily drinkable - at anytime!

Score: 93/100 - For me one of the best whiskies of any denomination! Scotch, Irish, American, Japanese etc etc not just a great Bourbon!

Duncan Taylor 35 Year Old Blend

35 Year Old Blend Duncan Taylor

With all the recent talk on various places about home vatting I thought that I would crack open my bottle of 35 year old blend from Duncan Taylor. I tried this at whisky live London and ended up having to get a bottle. So we all know that blends are dull and boring or stupidly overly priced! - (Johnnie Blue anyone!) Ok I don't mean this at all (well I do about the Johnnie Blue bit) but this is the impression that a lot of people get when they hear the word blend - Well this is a cracking wee dram, lots of sherry cask influence but also a great creaminess coming through in the finish. Lots of spiciness and good to see that they have had the balls to bottle this at 46% rather than dumbing it down at 40%.

This blend was put together about 20 years ago, the malt and the grain was married together when the whisky was about 15 years old and then placed into sherry butts and left to mature for a further 20 years. I think that this is fairly unique I believe that most blends are only given about 6 months to marry together if that ( I had heard that some blends marry the grains and the malts separately before marrying the two together - but I have no definitive examples).

The result is a cracking whisky and at about £50 a bottle it is great value for money something that we often forget about when getting caught up in the latest extra expensive bottling.

Anyway enough waffling on here are my tasting notes:

Nose: Rich, lots of sherry - but balanced. Bitter chocolates and sweet creamy fruits.
Taste: Creamy oakiness in background, Vanilla. Really velvety and chewy, with lots of heavy fruits and glazed cherries. There is also a coastal saltiness that comes through.
Finish: Long, initially fruity and then the soft creaminess builds up along with a spiciness.
Comments: This is very well put together difficult to describe with no one flavour overpowering the whisky. A great blend but more importantly a cracking whisky.
Score: 93/100 Scores extra marks for value for money.

The label says that this is made up of four speyside malts, an islay and a highland malt and obviously some grain. I don't know which ones but the islay certainly adds a salty character.

For an alternative view (and a better written view!) check out http://mproberts.co.uk A fellow fan of the Duncan Taylor Blend.