Merry Christmas!
Blackadder bottled an impressive list of Blairdindy whisky, which we all know equals undisclosed Glenfarclas (the name refers to the farm owned by the Grant family).
In the early 2000s they even had a dozen of 1960s distillates, like this Blairfindy 1963 which I believe is the earliest vintage they ever did.
Blairfindy 40 yo 1963 (52,3%, Blackadder Raw Cask 2003, first-fill sherry cask #5, 226 btl.)
Nose: oh my. A sherry cask from a bygone era. Very intense but rather fruity. Lots of juicy plums, Cherry Heering and blackberry jams. Raisins in rum. Darker notes underneath, like coffee and tobacco leaves. Spanish cedar, Mediterranean herbs and dried mushrooms. Lovely hints of boat varnish, as well as a whiff of glue. Excellent. Mouth: very spicy (ginger, black peppercorns) with a generous dose of oak. Dark chocolate, rum and raisins again, jammy damsons and cassis. Herbal notes give this a bittersweet character, almost a cough syrup. Leathery notes and burnt cake. There’s a truckload of spice but somehow it manages to stay clear of excessive dryness.
Finish: long, a bit earthy, still showing some Turkish coffee bitterness alongside the dried fruits. A great flash of raspberry in the aftertaste.
On the nose I would have given it a higher score, but there’s some astringency and some tannins in the mouth that cost a few points. Not the best example of elegance – nonetheless a nicely juicy sherry bomb. This must have been an inspiration for Kavalan and the likes, no doubt.