Coleburn 47 Year (1972), Gordon & MacPhail
Whisky: Coleburn 47 Year (1972), Gordon & MacPhail
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 62.4
Cask: Refill Sherry Puncheon
Age: 47 Years (Distilled 6 Oct. 1972, Bottled 17 Mar. 2020)
Nose: Rich and woody with leather, violets, sandalwood, ginger, rosin, old violins, waxy peppercorns, and baking chocolate.
Palate: Full-bodied with dried fruit, woody spice, lychee, sandalwood, ginger, waxy, leather, tobacco, dark chocolate, pineapple, and li hing mui.
Finish: Very long with notes of wood spice and leather.
Score: 10
Mental Image: String Quartet
Narrative & Notes: Old and well-preserved— notions of museums, theaters, or alpine lodges came to mind as leather, violets, and sandalwood emerged from the glass. Old violins and violas— memories of being in middle school orchestra as the practice room filled with warm woodsy spice, rosin, and horsehair bow fights. The waxiness of the nose carried through onto the palate, which was full-bodied and rich with complexity. Well-integrated notes of dried fruits and oaky spice crescendoed as the whisky sat on the tongue. Leather, tobacco, and dark chocolate appeared in turn, with pineapple and li hing mui holding on at the end. The finish was very long with wood spice and leather.
Forty-seven years and still 62.4%? I would love to know the entry proof of this malt and the conditions of its maturation. Indeed, the puncheon that held it (a giant cask) must have been tight and not allowed excessive air transfer, so the alcohol content generally remained high. Likely a combination of a high entry proof and storage in a relatively tight-grained cask stored in stable, cool conditions facilitated such a high abv at the bottling time. At 363 bottles, at least half the puncheon disappeared during its nearly fifty years of rest. It was incredible.
I had high hopes, but I was not prepared. The flavor profile was incredibly intense— I did not expect such an old dram to be so intense— well-integrated layers of tropical fruits, leather, and wood left me savoring every little sip. I am incredibly grateful to the friend who took the opportunity to grab this bottle and subsequently opened it up to share. I can check Coleburn off my Pokedex and happily never taste anything from the distillery again.
I will note that my wife, who tasted this blind, thought the wood came on a little strong and that without water, the dram was a touch hot. She did not dislike it, but she was not as enamored with it as I was.
Image Credit: Abbey Whisky
