Whisky: Vega 41 Year (1976), North Star Spirits Blended Malt

Country/Region: Scotland/Blend Malt

ABV: 46.1%

Cask: Spanish and American Oak

Age: 41 Years (Distilled Nov. 1976, Bottled April 2018)

Nose: Mellow and floral, subtle maritime influence, Parma violets, sand dunes, beach grass, heather, orange, cream, honey.

Palate: Medium-bodied, maritime, floral, melon, orange, hibiscus, hints of tobacco and baslamic, cream at the end.

Finish: Long and lingering with floral candies, candied fruit, and salt.

Score: 8

Mental Image: Sepia Toned Candy Store

Narrative & Notes: Rummaging through a bag of candies while walking on the beach; the aroma flowed from subtle salt, to sand dunes, waving beach grass, parched heather, morning glories, honey, Parma violets, and orange cream candies. The palate was medium-bodied with a similar array of maritime memories and old-fashioned candies. Melon and cream opened the way for orange, violet, hibiscus, and tangerine candies. Hints of tobacco and balsamic popped at the end as melon, cream, and a subtle minerality lingered on the back. The finish was long with floral candies, candied fruit slices, and a subtle salt.

Porch whisky— or lanai whisky, if you will— that is what this was. Perfectly balanced, well-integrated, subtle, relaxing, and all the other descriptives that point toward something delicious to sit with while watching the sunset or the moonrise. The wife was not quite as enthused as I; she found the whisky lovely but a shred too subtle for her taste. I enjoyed the well-structured profile that slowly revealed itself and circled around nicely, starting and ending with melon and cream.

Overall, a forty-one-year blended malt with whiskies from Islay and Speyside? Yep, just as good as it sounds.

Image Credit: Whisky Exchange