Whisky: Impex Collection 40 Year Blended Scotch

Country/Region: Scotland/Blend

ABV: 45.5%

Cask: Sherry Butt

Age: 40 Years (Distilled 1 Dec. 1980, Bottled 16 Dec. 2020)

Nose: Fruit, spice, and leather. Medjool dates married with match sticks, leather, and meaty hints of balsamic vinegar. Christmas cake shined through with crystallized ginger, molasses, and mellow star anise. Leather chaps and boots brought to mind a cowboy-themed Christmas.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a mellow dryness, tingly astringency, and notes of dried fruit, spice, and earth. Leather booths and tanned bison hides came to mind with cinnamon, dates, and figs. Struck matches and a mellow earthiness, modeling clay perhaps, appeared on the mid-palate. Water brought out more leather, hints of tobacco, and chocolate pudding.

Finish: Lingering medium-dry fruits and earth.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Leather Themed Nativity Scene

Notes: A fascinating old blend and a great way to kick start 2022 with style. Featuring tons of classic sherry fruit notes, the profile was underscored by intriguing hints of match sticks and leather. A little bird whispered the main component of the blend was Macallan with some equally mature mellow grain— who knows if that was accurate. Based on the flavor profile, I find it believable, but whether this was one of those Highland Distillers (now Edrington) blends that spend decades marrying in the cask, or something put together more recently from other stock, it was delicious.

I know some are under the impression that blend is a bad word— but they can be quite extraordinary. There is an art to putting tother the puzzle pieces of a blend so that it tastes coherent and greater than the sum of its parts. Not every whisky stands well by itself, and sometimes you need another malt or silky grain to bring balance to the flavors or mouthfeel of a dram. Overall, an excellent example of a well-aged blend.

Image Credit: Norfolk Wine & Spirits