Gastronomy Selection 37 Year Blended Malt, The Whisky Exchange
Whisky: Gastronomy Selection 37 Year Blended Malt, The Whisky Exchange
Country/Region: Scotland/Blended Malt
ABV: 51.3%
Cask: Oak
Age: 37 Years
Nose: Orchard fruit, buttery pastry, newspaper, subtle fruits, textiles, white rabbit candy, woody antiques.
Palate: Medium-bodied, woody and fruity, more herbal and waxy toward the end, almond, honey, malty pastries, lanolin and hessian, slightly industrial toward the end, glossy magazines.
Finish: Long and slightly drying with woody antiques and ginger tea.
Score: 8 (88)
Mental Image: Tasting through an Archive of Hand Pies
Narrative & Notes: Orchard fruits baked into buttery crust and wrapped with newspaper— the aroma was all hot pastries and hand pies to-go. More subtle melon rind and canvas lingered further in as the aroma shifted between fruit and paper or textiles. Hints of white rabbit candies waved hello as more woody antique character pushed in to emphasize the age of the blended malt. Medium-bodied, the woody-fruity flavor profile was slightly herbal and waxy near the end. Persimmons and apricots, dried, chopped, and served on a fine wooden cutting board with raw almonds, a drizzle of honey, and orange cakes. Lanolin and hessian carried on toward stacks of old glossy magazines and hints of more industrial notions— a printing press hot at work. The finish was long and slightly drying with woody antiques and ginger tea.
Old and refined, this was a dignified blended malt with plenty of the subtleties and woody character I expect on something of this age. The fruitier and antique wood aspects were kept in check by funkier notions of lanolin, maybe even wet wool and burlap, alongside more subtle industrial printing press and musty old newspaper notes. It was a lovely conglomeration of slightly different aspects, that came together well with a slightly waxy and syrupy quality. The finish was drying, as one might expect from something so old, but generally pleasant and long lasting.
Overall, this was delicious and at only a fraction the price I would expect for a malt this old or well balanced.
Image Credit: The Whisky Exchange (where the bottle is, as of April 2025, remarkably still available)
