Here we have another old blend from the Macleay Duff Distillers subsidiary of Distillers Company Limited. Much like my previous review of the Glen Alan blended whisky, this was bottled in the 1970s and the label has long since ceased to exist (as far I could find). The name is evocative, maybe, it leaves me thinking about cigarettes, tumblers, and board room meetings in the 1970s— a whisky meant to appeal to men who saw themselves in those spaces and who thought nothing of a three hour drinking lunch.  Okay, maybe that is a stereotype and the influence of Mad Men on my thinking, but what else was the name trying to say?

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Whisky: Douglas Board Members Choice (c. 1970s)

Country/Region: Scotland/Blend

ABV: 43%

Cask: Oak

Age: N/A

Notes: Musty garage, wood, and homemade mead appeared from cardboard, motor oil stains, baseball bats, and garage-based fermentation experiments— it was hard to parse what might just be the old bottle effect versus the intended flavor profile. A touch of stale cabinetry and old cigarette smoke carried the wood and mustiness forward as hints of metal and lubricant piled up with old plastics and petroleum. A bit of rye bread and pumpernickel brought me back around to more edible fare with dill and herbal spices for an egg salad sandwich— though only when I got past the petrol fumes. Medium to light-bodied on the palate, the mouthfeel was occasionally waxy as the flavors turned toward citrus, leaving more of the musty garage in the background— always present, but less dominant. Crisp apples and pears appeared with dirty shop rags, motor oil stains, and old newspapers. Old tool boxes hid a treasure of goods including a few walnuts from a squirrelly fellow. The finish was medium to long with plenty of musty garage, a touch of sour fermentation, and more typical apples, pears, and bit of waxy candy.

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Score: 5-6 (76)

Mental Image: Garage Tool bench Mausoleum

Conclusion: This was the first whisky that left me truly wondering if it needed to be paired with a cigarette. There are drams that accompany a cigar nicely, but this is the first time I thought a cigarette would be more appropriate. Had the master blender that created it been taking a few drags in the lab and created something to pair with it? There was a mustiness and dirtiness on the nose, aspects I associate with the era, when slightly unusual and stale flavors were more common (or have survived in the bottle better than others). Overall, a characterful and unusual whisky— I am not sure how I felt about it, but I would not mind having some more.